Warnings: Language and SAAAAAAAAP!!! LOTS OF SAP!!!!! And shounen ai. Lots of shounen ai. **nod** And a weird akugi at the end.

Notes: Hi, all! ^_^;; Ehehehe…please accept my apologies for the utter sappiness of the previous chapter. I think this one is better on the sap scene, but it very well could be worse. ^_~ So I hope this one's okay, even though I really copped out on the chapter title. ^_^;;;

YET ANOTHER STORY

Chapter 24:

Kleenex

When I picked myself up, head throbbing and legs wobbling, I found myself in a large field, surrounded by snow that came up almost to my knees. It took me longer than normal to steady myself and to clear the fuzziness from my eyes, which was either an after-effect of my cyclone-like mode of transportation or a reminder of the knock to the head I'd taken. But when I peered around, squinting in the dark, I saw a big building all the way across the field, lit up by huge lights from towers on each of its four corners.

The prison. I'm right by the prison again.

Heaving a sigh of relief and grinning despite myself, I stumbled off in the direction of the prison. In the flat, dark space below the building, I could see smaller lights, slightly muted, and I was pretty sure they came from cars. My friends' cars.

I beat Miboshi. I beat her. I beat her all by myself, and I'm still alive! I can see Sai again, and I'll be able to touch him, and the others…

I was almost crying with relief, and tried to hurry my steps, panting with the exertion. I did feel a twinge of guilt for all the anti-Suzaku stuff that had been passing through my head before Miboshi had taken me, but well…everything was okay now, right? Suzaku had known what he was doing from the start, so he must've known how I would have reacted, as well. Well, I didn't know how these things worked, but the fact was, I'd followed through on the destiny I'd been given.

I hadn't gone far before I noticed another light, this one really small, floating in my direction like a firefly. It made me falter and my breath caught in my throat…but then, I saw a flickering of tiny red lights drifting along with it, and I realized that it was my friends, their seishi symbols glowing.

My friends. They're coming for me.

So happy that I almost couldn't move, I wanted to laugh out loud, but settled for smiling wide enough for it to hurt.

"Ryuuen!" I heard them calling as they approached, coming closer and closer, and I must have stumbled five times—even falling on my face in the snow once—before they were close enough to see. And then, there they were, with the globe of light casting just enough of its glow on them to make out their faces: Houjun, Sai, and Tom.

"Oh, god…" Sai gasped, and lunged forward…but Houjun whipped out his arm and held him back.

"Wait," he said quietly, and I suddenly felt myself collide with something solid.

I recoiled, startled. Solid…invisible. It's a spell. "H…Houjun?" I gasped, confused; Houjun's face was serious, his eyes bored into mine…and I felt a strange tingling sensation course through my entire body, up and down three times, and finally flooding out of my fingertips. I shivered.

Sai's face looked hollow and pinched in the dim light, and he seemed much paler than normal. He was clutching Houjun's arm with fingers that almost shook; I myself almost wept with the frustration of not being able to touch him, finally touch him, after the pain of the dream when my hand had passed through him like fog, after the awful things Miboshi had made me see…

"Houjun," said Sai in a tight voice, and my heart twisted. I couldn't take seeing him like that, I couldn't take not being able to go any closer, so I shut my eyes tight and clenched my fists hard at my sides.

Soon. You'll be able to go to him soon. Houjun's…Houjun's probably trying to see if I've been turned evil or not. It'll be over in a second…just a second…

It seemed like hours before I finally heard Houjun's voice again. "All right," he said. "All right…he's himself, no da."

And before I could open my eyes, I felt Sai's arms around me, crushing me to his chest. "God, Ryuuen," he whispered, gasping with emotion, and clutched me even closer. "God, we were so worried…"

He held me for a long time without saying anything, and I felt the breath heaving through his chest in ragged puffs, only gradually beginning to calm.

I'm safe now, I thought, hugging him back, wanting to smile and cry but settling for the smiling part. We're all together now. She won't beat us if we're all together. Nothing can.

I was a little ashamed when I began to consider how much my capture must have affected Sai and all the others; after all, I'd only thought about it from my own point of view. Me missing them, not them missing me. But Sai had always been so obsessed with protecting me, an obsession that had begun with the one time he hadn't been able to do so: the time I'd fought Ashitare and lost. It was the same with Gen-chan, and, well…with everyone. It's funny how one little thing in the past can have such a big effect on the way people treat you in the present.

Okay, maybe it wasn't such a little thing. But whatever.

"Holy crap, Ryuuen, what'd you do to yerself?!" Tom exclaimed eventually, and Sai immediately stiffened and pushed me away slightly, holding me at arm's length.

"Are you all right?" he said worriedly, looking me up and down. "Sweetie, are you hurt? Houjun, bring the light!"

Houjun came, and Tom with him. "Y'all got some huge lump," Tom whistled, and I remembered that he could see in the dark. "That scary gnome dude get mental on your ass?"

Sai's face was concerned, and I realized that the pinched look really had nothing to do with the lighting. His fingers brushed gently against the swelling bruise on my forehead. "How did this happen?"

"I…I tried to kiss an ostrich," I joked in a tiny voice, gripping tightly to his hand and trying to smile.

There was a slight pause, and then Sai began to laugh breathily, along with the other two. Although for a second I thought I heard his chuckles grow dangerously close to sobs, I didn't object when he hugged me again, and sighed a shaky sigh of relief to be safe with my friends once more.

"We should get back to the others, no da," said Houjun, placing a hand on my head, and Sai nodded, pulling away slowly. He smiled a small, tired smile as he opened his coat and put his arm around my shoulder, wrapping me in black material and pressing me against him from the side. I let him mollycoddle me, knowing that he needed it, and leaned my head into his shoulder as we walked.

"Doulin's there," I said in a small voice. "She was there, in the bubble…er…in the prison with me. And she said Kaen and Lanva were there, too…"

"Shh," said Sai. "We can talk about everything soon. How's your head?"

"It's okay. It hurts just like a normal bump, but it's okay." I was about to tell him that Doulin said I'd had a concussion, but I figured that was useless information. It was over now, and I didn't want anyone to worry more than they already had.

"Did he hurt you?" he asked fiercely.

"No," I said evenly, pushing away the false memories she'd shown. "Well, she threw me into a wall in the prison; that's how I got the bump. But other than that…I'm fine, Sai. Really."

He squeezed my shoulder, and we walked in silence for the rest of the way.

Everyone was so happy to see me when we got to the van that it made me blush. Miaka sobbed and clung to me, and Gen-chan cursed me out, but I knew it was just because he'd been worried, too. Doukun immediately jumped in with questions about Miboshi, but Sai batted everyone away with a gentle but stubborn hand.

"It's late," he said, "and it's cold. Would everyone agree to checking in somewhere for the night? We can talk about everything then."

"I think that's a good idea," Myojuan said, and Ayuru and Taka both nodded, then turned to stare at each other, as if puzzled that they'd just agreed over something.

Miaka said she'd seen a motel right by the prison exit. So, everyone got into their respective vehicles; Amiboshi and Suboshi rode together in Houjun's car, and Chuin came with us, since Houjun didn't have enough room. He sat quietly in one of the middle seats, staring out the window; I, finding myself trapped between the combined protective forces of Sai and Genrou, started to wonder if Miboshi had done the same thing to Chuin when she'd turned him evil.

Miboshi doesn't have the power to see into the past. She was lying about that. But I think…I think she must have something that lets her get into the heads of other people, to find their fears and stuff…

How ironic is this, that only Chuin can understand what I've gone through?

"Chuin?" I said, surprising myself, and he stiffened and turned to face me, eyes large and worried. I swallowed before continuing. "Do you…have your powers anymore?"

She used his powers, she said she did. But when he came for me, he had his powers, too…how does that work?

Chuin's face became desperate. "Ryuuen, I'll never try anything again, I swear…"

"No," I cut him off, trying to smile. "I know. That's not why I'm asking. But…do you still have them? Or did she take them?"

Relaxing a little, Chuin's eyes darted nervously to the ground before fixing on mine again. "She took them at first," he said softly, "and used them to…used them against me…"

I nodded to show I understood, fighting the constricting feeling in my heart.

"She gave them back to me when she sent me back out," he continued tentatively, "but when you broke the spell…they disappeared. I think…they went back to her. She h-had them on a leash, somehow."

That means…I must have my own powers back.

"Who the fuck're ya talking about?" Gen-chan demanded, frowning at me. "Who the fuck is 'she'?"

I smiled at him. "Miboshi," I replied. "Miboshi is a girl now."

A very amusing look of utter confusion crossed Gen-chan's face, and he blinked at me, jaw dropping slightly. I giggled.

"No shit?" Tom breathed from the other middle seat. "He have some kinda operation, er somethin?"

I grinned and raised an eyebrow. "No, Tama. She was just born a girl. That's what Doulin said, anyway."

"Doulin??!" exclaimed Gen-chan and Myojuan.

"All right," Sai said firmly. "Ryuuen's going to have to explain things to everyone once we get to the hotel. Let's not make him do it twice."

Things were pretty quiet after that, and I snuggled into Sai and closed my eyes. He ran a gentle hand through my hair, and I felt warmth spread through my body. "I'm so glad to be back with you guys," I murmured, not able to help the minute tremor in my voice. "I'm so glad I'm back."

"We are, too," Gen-chan said softly…and after a long moment of silence, I felt something warm and wet splash onto my cheek.

I blinked, startled, and moved my head up slowly. "…Sai?"

Oh god, is he crying??

He was busily wiping at his eyes with his left hand, trying to cover it up. But I'd felt it, and I could see the redness under his eyes, the slight quiver at the corner of his mouth…

"Sai?" I tried again, worried, putting my hand on his face. Seeing him cry made me want to cry, too; I couldn't bear to see him in pain. "What's wrong?"

He took a deep breath and looked at me, managing a shaky smile. "Nothing," he said quietly. "Nothing's wrong. Don't worry, sweetheart; it's just stress, that's all."

Unconvinced, my eyebrows pushed together, I glanced down at his damp cheeks, then into his eyes again.

"He was really worried about ya," Genrou said in a soft, rumbling voice. "I mean, we all were, Ryuu-chan… But if Sai was a fuckin smidge less vain, he would've been tearin his hair out in clumps."

Sai laughed once, and sniffed, smiling at me sheepishly. "It was just like last time, that's all," he whispered, a thin line forming between his eyebrows. "I couldn't go with you… I couldn't be there to protect you, and sitting around being so helpless…"

"I'm okay, though, Sai," I said, trying to soothe him, and stroked his cheek with my hand. "See? I'm okay. And…you did help me." My cheeks grew warm, and I smiled. "All of you. You were there with me, in my heart. I couldn't have gotten away if I didn't care for all of you, or if you didn't care for me."

Another tear ran silently down his face, but he was still smiling, and hugged me tightly again. "I'm so grateful you're not hurt," he breathed into my ear, and kissed my head. And Genrou didn't even make fun of us for that, which was a sure indicator of just how worried everyone had been.

~*~

Thirteen people was a lot to cram into two hotel rooms, but we wanted to keep as close together as possible, and there weren't three vacant rooms within a sensible vicinity of each other. So we decided to ask for a couple of cots and just squeeze people into two adjoining ones. Sai and I were sharing a room with Taka, Miaka, Ayuru, Doukun, and Gen-chan. We decided we could put three in a bed without being horrendously cramped; Ayuru volunteered to take the cot, simply because he claimed to be too big to fit into a bed with two other people. Besides, he wasn't a touchy-feely-let's-get-close kinda guy.

Anyway, as soon as we'd worked out the politics of room arrangements—Ayuru needing to stay with me and Sai since we trusted him the most, me not necessarily wanting to sleep in a bed anywhere near Chuin, Gen-chan having to choose between the lesser evils of Ayuru and Chuin, Taka having to choose between the lesser evils of Ayuru and Suboshi, et cetera—we gathered in one of them to discuss what had happened to me.

I told them about getting caught in the prison, and waking up with Doulin. I told them what Doulin had said about Miboshi being a girl and not a spirit, and what Miboshi had said about sucking up seishi powers, and what Chuin had said about his own powers disappearing when Miboshi's spell had been broken. My own powers had been returned to me, as I discovered by grinding a marble from Genrou's backpack to dust with my bare hands. I skipped a lot of things, like throwing up and exactly what Miboshi had done to try to make me evil, and ended up by shakily stating that I'd evaded her spell and tricked her into thinking she'd won.

"Did you have one of these, Chuin?" I asked, and muttered the word to make my Back-To-Miboshi bracelet light up.

"Dude, that's awesome!" Tom exclaimed, and Miaka started cooing over how pretty it was.

"Yes, he did, no da," Houjun replied for Chuin. "I…I wasn't sure whether to trust him when he told me what it was, so I countered the spell, no da."

Across the room, sitting on the cot, Chuin sighed quietly, looking morosely at his hands.

Poor guy, I thought. If he had to go through what I went through…and the only reason he couldn't stop it was because he wasn't sure enough of his own heart…then I feel even sorrier for him.

I scanned the faces of my friends, a subconscious reassurance that everyone was present. Everyone was looking off into space, deep in thought over what I'd said; Taka, Miaka, Doukun, Ayuru…

Whoah. Hold on.

My eyes going back to Ayuru, I found that, instead of pensive, he actually looked worried. He always underplayed all his emotions, but the worry was definitely there…and he was staring at something off in the corner of the room. Following his gaze, I discovered that it led to…

Uhhhhwha???

…Chuin?!

Whazzaaa????

I blinked, shooting my eyes back and forth between Ayuru and Chuin. Ayuru—worried eyes worried eyes—and Chuin—sad sad sad definitely something to worry about.

Holy.

Crap.

I CAN TOTALLY HOOK THEM UP!!!!!

"Ryuuen, no da," said Houjun, breaking the silence, and I perked up, attentive despite the bubbly feeling that had begun in my chest.

Ahahahahaha, Ayuru and Chuin!!!! Ayuru and…ahhhh, kay, answerthemonk'squestion!!

"Hm?" I said.

"If you don't mind my asking," he said gently, "I think we're all wondering… How did Miboshi attempt to turn you?"

It wasn't important, not really, and it was obvious that Houjun was asking this as more of a "Does Ryuuen Have Psychological Issues That Might Need Clearing Up?" type of question. But I didn't know what to say, and I felt my face drain itself of blood. How could I tell them what had happened to me? It would hurt them if they knew, it would hurt them if they knew I'd even considered the fact that they could have said such awful things. And I didn't want them to feel bad for something that wasn't their fault at all.

I caught Chuin's eyes, because he was the only one who would ever know the truth. He had raised his head, and was staring at me with a pained look on his face.

"Ryuuen…you can tell us," Sai said, rubbing my back. "Or…" His voice grew quieter. "…Would you rather just tell me? Or Houjun, or Myojuan?"

Nooo, I don't want to tell ANYONE.

"It…was a spell," I said, trying to appear natural. "It was a spell she used…not like kodoku, she didn't try to make me drink anything…but a spell. It felt like an icicle inside me, or something…but then I thought of you guys, and it broke." I managed a smile. "That's all."

Houjun looked like he didn't believe me, but luckily, before he could say anything else, Doukun charged back to the important stuff.

"That's…that's it!" he exclaimed, and everyone looked at him in surprise. "Miboshi doesn't have the power to possess people anymore! All he…she…can do is potentially summon giant monsters from the ground! So she's trapped inside her body; she can't leave! And that means, all we need to do is kill her! That's all! Then it's over! We don't have to worry about being possessed ourselves!"

"Just because she can't possess people now doesn't mean she can't do so after we kill her," Taka cautioned.

"Now we know it's a possibility, though!" Miaka said. "Now she won't catch us by surprise!"

"Do you have a spell that would capture her soul before she dies?" Amiboshi ventured quietly, addressing Houjun. "To trap her, just in case?"

Houjun nodded slowly. "I can find one. And I can also find ward spells, to protect us from being possessed, no da."

"And Ryuuen has the ticket to find her right there on his wrist!" Doukun cried, pointing at me. "She thinks he's evil, and therefore, he is above suspicion! Miboshi's very self-confident; it's a small wonder he failed to provide any sort of insurance spell to test whether Ryuuen had actually turned."

Sai put his other arm around me, almost possessively. "Lucky for us she didn't."

"Fuckin hell, are you sayin we should fuckin send Ryuuen back to that place?" Genrou shouted, obviously not pleased with the idea. "After all the time we spent fuckin worrying our asses off, you wanna send him back??!"

Doukun's expression changed to one of mortification, his eyes wide; then, he hung his head. "I…I'm sorry," he said. "Really, I…I'm just thinking about it logically. Logically…that's how it should work. It's the best way we have." He lifted his chin, staring at me with apologetic green eyes. "Ryuuen, I didn't even think. Of course, if you don't want to go…no one will make you go. It would be completely understandable if you didn't want to. You've already done more than enough, and it would be unfair to make you go back there when it's obvious that he made you suffer."

My heart caught in my chest. Obvious? Who's obvious??!

"There's nothing wrong with saying no," Sai said, and from his tone, that was exactly what he wanted me to do.

But deep down, I knew I had to go. I couldn't say no, I couldn't prolong the danger we were in just because of the gnawing discomfort I felt in my stomach at the prospect of meeting Miboshi again. If I'd escaped for a reason, that reason had to be to bring the others back to defeat her.

"I'll go," I whispered, though I couldn't look at anyone. "It'd be stupid for me to stay behind when…well, Doukun's right. I've got a free pass back to find her."

There was a long pause, and I started to feel uncomfortable, but didn't dare to raise my eyes to see the expressions on everyone's faces.

It's the right thing to do. It's logical, and the fate of the world is more important than I am.

"Then I'm going with you," Sai said firmly, and tugged me into his chest. "If you go, then I'm going with you."

Somehow, I knew he'd say that, and I nodded against him, understanding that it would be pointless to argue.

"Well…dontcha think we oughta talk about who'd be the best…" Tom began, but Sai cut him off.

"I'm going," he said, and silence reigned once more.

"It looks as if I'll have to go, too, no da," Houjun said. "I'll figure out how to do the spells somehow…the ward and the exorcism, no da."

"Fuck," Genrou muttered, obviously not pleased with the entire situation, and sulked on the bed.

"Sai, are you strong enough to beat Miboshi alone?" Miaka asked carefully. "You and Ryuuen together, I mean?"

"No," I said, answering for him. "We're not. She's…she's got powers that we don't know about, and she screams in your head, and…" I shuddered and sighed. "Two people aren't enough to kill her."

"Let me go," Doukun pleaded. "I just…it's something I have to do. You must let me go."

"Great logic, Doukun," Gen-chan snorted. "What're you gonna do, challenge her to a fuckin spelling bee??!"

Doukun looked upset at that, and looked at the floor. I could tell he knew that he wasn't the best choice, no matter how much he wanted to give Miboshi a good kick in the pants for old times' sake. Amiboshi, who was sitting next to him, gave him a clumsy pat on the shoulder, and Doukun breathed a heavy sigh.

"I'll go," said an unmistakable voice, and I raised my head in surprise. Everyone else had turned their heads in the same direction, shocked into silence. But I don't know why we were surprised, really. He'd always been brave, in a cool-cucumber kind of way.

"N…Nakago-sama," quavered Chuin softly, astonished, and blushed, lowering his eyes again.

Ohhh, I am SO hooking them up.

Ayuru remained calm, unblinking. "I might throw Miboshi off balance," he said evenly. "I doubt she'd be expecting me so soon. And as I demonstrated a few days ago—with all due respect to Genrou-kun—my powers are quite formidable. I'm confident that the three of us combined will be able to triumph."

"Or at least if ya fail, you can sing her some fuckin Gilbert and Sullivan," Gen-chan muttered.

Ayuru dropped his chin, closing his eyes. "I hope you're not insulting Gilbert and Sullivan, Genrou-kun. For, if so, I will not be responsible for my actions."

I giggled at Gen-chan's indignant expression.

"Ayuru-kun," said Myojuan, "you know that you'd be in grave danger if this plan were to backfire. Miboshi would certainly want to keep you, and use you for her own purposes."

"While I understand the necessity to keep the majority of Seiryuu seishi free from capture," Ayuru continued, raising his eyes again, still solemn, "I believe that, in the case of capture, I would be the safest one of the four of us. Miboshi needs the Seiryuu seishi; the Suzaku, on the other hand, she should have no qualms in killing."

"Thanks for bein so fuckin tactful," Gen-chan said.

"And besides…it's the least I can do," the yellow-haired policeman added. "It's the least I can do, after all I've done in the past…and after all that Miboshi has done to hurt you…all of you." My eyes widened at his speech, watching as Ayuru's gaze slid slowly around the room, pausing to lock on each of us in turn. "If I am captured, I trust that the rest of you will continue to fight. For it would be a shame indeed…to lose without putting up a fight."

Silence again.

Finally, Ayuru nodded once. "That's…that's all I have to say. Please, continue the conversation."

"Aww, Ayuru-chaaaaaan!" Miaka wailed, and I smiled, knowing he'd won her over. "You're so nice!! Taka, wasn't that nice of him to say??!"

Taka was blinking, as if uncertain whether to agree with her or not. But finally, his mouth twisted into a tiny smile, and he nodded, meeting Ayuru's eyes briefly. "Yeah," he admitted, nodding. "Yeah, it was."

"Fuck, I think he's blushing!" Gen-chan crowed, and started laughing.

Ayuru looked up to glare at him, his eyes as cold as ice, and Genrou subsided with a squeak. "I do not blush," the former shogun said dangerously.

"Awwww, you're so cool, Ayuru-chan!" Miaka cried, launching herself at him and glomping him hard. "I'm so glad you're one of the good guys now!!" Ayuru's eyes nearly popped out of his head, and I giggled even harder.

"It's settled, then," said Houjun, and slid off of the bed. "Now…I suggest that everyone get a good night's sleep. Let Miboshi think that Ryuuen is plotting his move, no da." Everyone snickered, and I felt a small bud of pride return to my chest at the reminder that I'd fooled her.

We bade the people from the other room good night, and Ayuru went to take his nightly shower. Miaka, Taka, Gen-chan, and Doukun started to get ready for bed, going into the other bathroom to brush their teeth. And for some reason, Houjun hadn't left our room yet. He stood by the edge of the bed Sai and I were sitting on, and looked me straight in the eye, a serious expression on his face. Before I could ask him what was wrong, he started to talk in low tones.

"Ryuuen," he said, "I don't know any spell that has the power to turn someone evil all by itself. All the ones I'm aware of require something else in combination, ranging from physical to emotional torture."

I felt my skin go pale once more, and averted my eyes, wrapping my arms around my chest.

"I understand why you didn't want to mention anything in front of everyone," Houjun continued. "But I strongly urge you, for your own health and safety, to tell someone what she did to you."

I had the strongest urge to just ignore him, pretend he wasn't saying anything so I wouldn't have to talk. But I knew I couldn't do that, so, after a long pause, I told him the truth.

"I don't want to."

"Ryuuen," said Sai, sounding the slightest bit hurt. "You don't need to be afraid. We just… We don't want you to be alone. If she hurt you, well…you shouldn't have to keep it to yourself. That's not the way to handle things, right?"

"It wasn't a big deal," I muttered, frowning.

Houjun tried again. "If…"

"Look, I beat her, didn't I?" I said, more harshly than I'd intended. "I…I beat her, the spell didn't work. It didn't work, so it can't have been that bad, can it?" And I stood up and left, grabbing my toothbrush and walking into the other room.

"Aha, Ryuu-chan!" Miaka greeted me as I walked into the bathroom, trying to calm myself down. She was doing some sort of facial cleansing thing with a small white pad that smelled like rubbing alcohol. "You know, you were right! Ayuru's so cool! He's like, Kickass Policeman Guy!" She giggled nervously at the swear word she'd used.

I managed a smile, running my yellow toothbrush under the faucet. "Yeah, he's nice."

On Miaka's other side, Gen-chan spit a mouthful of toothpaste into the sink. Wiping his mouth on a washcloth, he grinned at me. "We're gonna watch some free HBO; wanna join the party?"

With a somewhat larger smile as I squeezed some toothpaste out of the tube, I nodded. "Sure! Sounds like fun!" It would keep me in a crowd, at least, so Houjun and Sai wouldn't try to gang up on me anymore.

As I brushed my teeth, listening to Gen-chan and Miaka console Doukun about not being able to go fight Miboshi, I watched myself in the mirror. I looked like I'd been through a minefield in France, but I was beyond caring. To tell the truth, I was feeling really awful about snapping at Houjun and Sai. But they couldn't make me tell them what happened. There was no way. It was for their own good, although they couldn't understand that.

When I'd finished brushing and stepped back outside, though, I saw, to my horror, that Houjun was talking quietly to Chuin in the doorway between the two rooms. Freezing in my tracks, despair in my heart, I watched as Chuin swiped hastily at his eyes, hanging his head; Houjun's face was unreadable, but he murmured something to Chuin and patted his shoulder. As Chuin turned away and headed for his cot, Houjun looked up…and his eyes locked with mine.

"Ryuuen," he said, "can we talk to you, please?"

I just stood there stupidly, only aware that the others weren't paying attention, but were piled on top of the bed closest to the TV. Tom was saying something about Suboshi having smelly feet.

Then, Houjun reached out his arm and beckoned for me to come to him, his mouth relaxing into a tired smile. And I knew that this was one battle I'd lost. Nearly dragging my feet, I walked over to the doorway, feeling tears of frustration prick at the corners of my eyes.

Damn Chuin! Why'd he have to go and tell? Why do they have to be so nosy, when it's MY life and MY emotions we're talking about??

I knew it was because they were my friends, and that they truly cared about me. And in a way, I was glad that they worried so much. But, still…I wished I didn't have to tell them.

Houjun closed the door behind us as we stepped into the room; Ayuru was still in the shower, but he always took forever, so we didn't have to worry about being interrupted. Sai was sitting on the edge of the bed, looking concerned, and I just felt sick about how much he'd gone through. And there I was, about to add to his misery. But he smiled at me, too, and held out his arm so that I'd go sit next to him on the bed. I did so, but rather stiffly; Houjun pulled the chair from the table over to sit across from us.

"What did she show you?" Sai asked gently, patiently, and my resolve not to cry shattered. I didn't speak for a while, hoping my quiet tears would let up so I could actually sound half-way in control…but waiting didn't make things any better. Sai put an arm around my shoulders, but the loving contact only made my face scrunch up unattractively, and I turned to hide my face in his shoulder.

He hugged me as I tried to calm myself down, my back heaving with deep breaths. "Shhhh," he said, and kissed my head like he'd done before in the van. "We just want to help you, sweetie, okay? We don't want you to hurt."

"I…I don't want you to hurt, either," I managed to hiccup. "That's why…that's why I didn't…want to tell you…"

I felt something soft press against my hand, and found that Houjun was handing me a Kleenex. Laughing despite myself, I thanked him, and wiped at my nose.

"Chuin told us the basics, no da," Houjun said kindly. "He didn't want to at first, but we explained to him that it was for your own good, no da. I know you're afraid of hurting us by telling us that she almost had you believing her false visions, but believe me, we won't be hurt, no da. We weren't there; we didn't experience what you went through. So don't worry about us. You need to clear your heart of burdens, no da."

My breath shuddering in my chest, I shut my eyes and let my tears fall, shifting a bit to wrap my arms around Sai's neck. I inhaled slowly, then let it out…and I knew they were right.

"She tried to tell me…that you weren't really my friends…that you didn't care for me at all," I said in a small voice. And I told them everything that Miboshi had shown me: Hotohori-sama in the past, Houjun and Genrou, Taka and Sai, saying all those horrible things that pierced into my heart and mind. They listened intently, giving me support and comfort when I needed it…and when I'd finally finished, my chest felt so light, I almost smiled.

They were right. It feels so much better not having to hide it. It feels so much better knowing…that they know. And that they care.

"I know it wasn't real," I said, wiping my eyes one last time. "I know it wasn't. But it still…it still really got to me, you know? All of my fears… She somehow got into my head and found all my fears, and showed them to me…and for a little while, it was almost like it was real. But…I saw through it. I beat her."

"And I'm so proud of you," Sai whispered, hugging me tighter.

"It takes a very strong person to ignore his eyes and see with his heart," Houjun agreed, and brushed at my hair with his hand.

I smiled at the compliment, and blushed into the bargain. "Thanks, guys," I said quietly. "I'm…I'm sorry I snapped at you before."

"It's okay," Sai assured me. "I'm just glad you talked to us."

"Chuin hasn't told anyone the specifics of his encounter with Miboshi, has he?" I asked suddenly.

There was a slight pause before Houjun said, "Uhhh, well…No, I don't think he has, no da…"

"He should," I whispered. "It does make things better. He should tell someone."

Sai smiled. "Well, we'll see what we can arrange. Who do you suggest should speak with him?"

Just then, the door to the bathroom swung open, and out stepped Ayuru, humming to himself and drying his hair with his towel. I giggled, and he looked up, blinking in surprise to see three sets of wide eyes staring right at him.

"…What?" he said, dubious.

TBC…

Notes: Sorry for the sap!!! ^_^;;; I hope it was decent sap. Ahem, anywayyyyy… So! Hope you guys liked this part and stuff. ^_^;

YET ANOTHER STORY AKUGI!! Take One:

Houjun: It takes a very strong person to ignore his eyes and see with his heart.

Ryuuen: Hey!! That would be a good title for a fanfic!!

Mouse-chan: --;;;

Take Two: (just for you, Ryu-chan. ^_~ ) (warning: original characters involved!! They're mine, all mine!! Please do not use them. ^_~ Thank yooou!)

Freddie: I say! Mouse-chan certainly is finding many ways to hook up her male characters, isn't she?

Gil: Aye, she sure is. Been wondrin if we're any of us safe.

Freddie: **nervous chuckle**

Gil: **nervous sigh**

Freddie: **glances around**

Gil: **twiddles his thumbs**

Mouse-chan: Oh, for crying out loud, you two!! You're not gay!!

Gil: But Oscar Wilde was gay!

Mouse-chan: Since when do you want to be like Oscar Wilde??!

Freddie: Remember, erm…he has the…Famous Author Syndrome.

Mouse-chan: …

Freddie: Well, goodness, don't look at me. You're the one who gave it to him.

Mouse-chan: Gilbert, dear… Oscar Wilde wasn't gay. He was bisexual.

Gil: **beaming** Wonderful, then! I used to be married!

Freddie: O.O;;;

Mouse-chan: **pinching sinuses** He…also served years of hard labor after he was convicted of corrupting the young.

Gil: **shrug** It'll give me somethin to write about, won't it?

Mouse-chan: I am not having this conversation with you.

Freddie: Ahahaha…aha…hmm. You know……………let's go have tea.

Gil: Will you fetch my sandwiches for me, then?

Freddie: …What, you were assuming I'd be the dominant one in the relationship?

Mouse-chan: --;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;

Gil: Can I write you into my book?

Freddie: Why not? You've already written yourself into my book.

Gil: ^____^ Aye, that was fun.

**they meander off to the tea room**

Mouse-chan: **long suffering sigh** As hard as I try to keep my male characters from liking each other too much…

Doggeran: Wha's wrong wi' t'at, exactleh?

Mouse-chan: Go…away. Don't talk to me; your dialect comes out looking all weird.

Doggeran: Is t'at s'posed ta be an et'nic slur? :P

Mouse-chan: Ahhh, why don't you just go read some Forster or visit Jamie in the loony bin, or something???!?!

Doggeran: **shrug** A'right! **leaves**

THE END. --;