Disclaimer: Tasuki and Amiboshi aren't mine, but I wish they were. As I'm sure most of us do. Ayame, Ruri and Kohana are mine.

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Kohana went inside first and sat in on the couch with Hime in her lap. "You have a pretty house Baba!" She smiled.

"Thank you Kohana."

Amiboshi glanced at Tasuki. He looked like he was going to explode. "Don't make any cracks Tasuki!" He hissed.

"What do you think I'm trying not to do?" Tasuki hissed back.

"Try a little harder!"

"Tasuki? What's wrong?" Ayame touched his shoulder.

"N…nothing…"

"Are you sure?"

"Yes…"

"Really?"

"Let if go, Ayame. I know what Tasuki's thinking." Baba glared at the former Suzaku seishi.

Tasuki sank into a chair.

"So Baba, are you really from the book too?" Ruri didn't feel like sitting so she leaned over the back of the couch where Ayame sat with Kohana.

"Yes I am. I came here to check up on the boys."

"Just what we need, an old hag for a babysitter…" Tasuki mumbled. Amiboshi gave him a look.

"What did you say, Tasuki?" Baba glared again.

"Nothing!" He sank lower into the chair.

"Can we just get an explanation for what's been going on?" Ayame scratched Hime's ears.

"Very well. I suppose you deserve that much." Baba sat in another chair. "The book is an entrance into another world. As someone reads the story, it happens. Sometimes girls are sucked into the book and are placed in the role of a priestess. Magic abounds."

Kohana looked up. "So why didn't ne-chan get to be a priestess? She read it."

"None of the four counties are in danger right now. The story inside the book happened years ago. The counties are at peace. The story of the war remains there because it wouldn't be interesting to read about peace times. Fallen seishi have to have time to be reborn. The gods need to look for people who would be appropriate mikos, it takes time. When a new story begins, the book will change."

"What happened when Kohana made her wish?" Amiboshi turned to Baba.

"The gods listen to everyone. They will grant people's wishes if they feel the person asking deserves it. I can only wonder what made them think Tasuki would be an appropriate person to send to Ayame…" She didn't look at him.

"Well, I can only imagine why an old hag like you is such an important prophet!" He snapped back.

Amiboshi cringed. Ruri and Ayame blinked. Kohana paid no attention to the adults and ran after Hime when she jumped out of her lap.

"You never did learn to respect your elders, did you boy?"

"You're not my elder, you're old enough to be my ancestor." He growled. "And I'm 20. I'm not a boy."

"Can we say bad blood?" Ayame looked at Tasuki and Baba.

"You still act like a little boy, Tasuki."

"Okay, okay, can we you know, get back to whatever's going on here?" Ruri spoke up before Tasuki could answer back. "I mean, the guys are here now, but they aren't gonna like disappear after a while to something are they?"

"I never thought of that." Amiboshi looked at Baba.

"No, you aren't going to go back to the book. You will be here as long as the girls want you two to be." She looked at Ayame and Ruri. "Understand that the reason they are here is for you. You are the keys to their existence here and if you choose to you can send them away."

"I'd never send Tasuki away!" Ayame cut in.

"It's good to hear you say that. I'm sure Kohana would be upset if things didn't work out between the two of you." Baba glanced at the door Kohana had run out of earlier.

Ayame looked at the door as well. "There's something special about Kohana isn't there?" Ayame asked quietly. "The gods wouldn't grant every wish of every person. What's different about her?"

"You're very perceptive, Ayame. But I apologize. Just because I'm a prophet doesn't mean I can speak to future to just anyone."

"She's my sister! I should know!"

"I can't tell you."

"Tai Itsukun, that's not fair!" Tasuki moved forward in his chair.

"That's life, Shun'u."

"Shun'u?" Ruri asked.

"His real name. Tasuki is his seishi name."

"Don't call me that." He grumbled.

"Ayame, Ruri, will you excuse the boy and me for a moment? I need to discuss something with them in private."

"Sure. We should find Kohana anyway." Ruri headed for the door. Ayame quickly followed.

Baba turned to the boys once the girls were gone. "I trust you know the truth?"

"Yes." Amiboshi answered. "She's really going to be a priestess?"

"Yes, but that's about all we know. Are you two prepared to watch out for her and make sure she become a good person?"

They nodded. "I don't see how she couldn't be a good person. Ayame's doing really well raising her." Amiboshi said thoughtfully.

"Ayame is only one person. Kohana needs more than one person in her life. You two are going to be father figures for her. And Tasuki that means no getting drunk or cussing all the time."

"I'd never do that around Kohana! Have a little faith in me Sunkake Baba."

Baba glared at him again. "Fine. Take good care of them. After everything they've been through, they deserve only the best."

Tasuki and Amiboshi nodded.

The girls came back in. Ayame was carrying Kohana and Hime was sitting on Ruri's shoulder.

"So did we miss anything interesting?" Ruri sat on the arm of the chair Amiboshi was in.

"Nothing of particular importance. I was just checking on them to make sure they've been adjusting to this world all right."

"Are you going back?" Ayame asked.

"Yes. Soon I'll head back to my mountain and wait for the next miko to come. Goodness knows how long that will be though."

"So that's all we need to know I guess?" Ruri took the kitten off her shoulder.

"Yes. You all can go know if you like."

"Amiboshi, can you walk me home?"

"Sure." He got up and they left first.

Tasuki offered to get some take out for dinner and have a picnic in the park. Kohana said yes before Ayame could even open her mouth.

Ruri looked at Amiboshi for a moment.

"Something wrong?"

"Can I ask you something?"

"Sure."

"I just want a yes or a know here. No details or anything…do you really know why Kohana's so important to the gods?"

"Ruri, I can't tell…" He started.

"I know." She covered his lips with her finger. "That's why I'm just asking for a yes or no. I don't want any details if you know, I just want to know if you know."

"Yes…" He sighed.

"I thought so." She slipped her hand into his. "If there's one thing I've learned since I met you, it's that I can't have all the answers all the time. I won't pry. I guess I'll just wait."

"You're very understanding Ruri. Thanks."

"I try."

He smiled. "Come on. I want to show you something."

She looked interested and followed him. He took her onto a path that went through a somewhat large forest.

"Where are we going?"

"You'll see. Don't pry for details." He smirked.

She smiled.

They walked for about 10 minutes until they reached a wall of bushes with a break in it somewhere in the middle. He walked to the other side.

"Come on. Come here." He offered her his hand.

She took it and walked through. She gasped. A small hill overlooked a pond with a large stone fountain on one side. It wasn't on. Nature seemed to have taken over. Vines grew over and across it. Flowers of all colors grew everywhere. There was a small overgrown path leading up to a stone bench on top of the hill under a willow tree. Bird songs came from everywhere, but you couldn't see any of the birds.

"Wow…" She breathed. "How'd you find this place?" She looked around in amazement.

"I was out walking one day and I got lost. I found this palace." He walked her up the path.

"It's so beautiful…" She sat on the bench. Even if it was stone, it was comfortable.

Amiboshi sat with her. He kissed her on the cheek. "I'm glad you think so." He pulled his flute out of his jacket.

"You brought it?"

"Hardly ever leave home without it."

She smiled. They sat back to back. As Amiboshi played, everything in the forest got quiet. Ruri closed her eyes. She knew she should be thinking about school or finding a job or something else important like that, but she didn't feel like it. For now, she had this place, in her opinion a paradise, with Amiboshi and the cares and worries of everyday life drifted away.

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Tasuki sat under a cheery tree and leaned against the trunk while watching Ayame and Kohana. Dinner was done and Kohana was playing with Hime. Ayame watched from the edge of the blanket. He wondered when Kohana would go to the book, what god she'd serve and if she'd end up in love like Miaka had. He wanted to tell Ayame, but he knew he couldn't.

"Earth to Tasuki!" Ayame snapped her fingers in his face.

"Huh?" He blinked.

"I asked if you wanted any more to eat. I was gonna pack up."

"I'm full. Don't pack up yet."

"Why?"

"Too much work." He pulled her down into his arms.

She sighed. "Lazy…"

"So?" He wrapped his arms around her.

She rested her head on his chest. "Never mind." She wrapped her arms around his chest.

"That's what I thought." He kissed the top of her head.

"What do you think if so special about Kohana?"

"What do you mean?"

"What Baba was talking about. Whatever she couldn't tell me."

"Dunno. Guess we'll have to wait and see…maybe we'll know someday."

"You'll be around, right?"

"Of course. I exist here for you and only you." His grip tightened a bit.

"I know…" Ayame shifted in his arms so she could watch Kohana. "Do you miss your friends?"

"Every day. But I can't live in the past, you know? I have a future to look forward to." He stroked her hair.

"True. Life happens."

He kissed the side of her head. "And ours happened this way."

Kohana watched her sister and Tasuki cuddle under the tree. Her one wish had done this. Before she told Tasuki that she made him come here, she was worried that he'd be mad if he found out. But she found that Tasuki wasn't like that. Neither was Amiboshi.

She had never really been sure if Ayame would accept the truth about Tasuki. She had her doubts about Ruri too. Ruri had been more accepting of it though. Ruri wasn't as high strung as Ayame. It made sense that Ruri would be more open to it.

She thought about herself. While she was running around after Hime, she heard the adults say something about her, that she was special in some way.

She really just thought of herself as a kid who thought too much.  She always thought of others before herself unless she really wanted something, then she could be as selfish as anyone else.

She headed back towards them with Hime in her arms. Tasuki smiled at her and wrapped his left arm around her while he held onto Ayame with the right.

They sat there quietly. Nothing needed to be said. It had all been said at on time or another and if there was something more to say, it could be said later.

Hime curled up in Kohana's lap and fell asleep. Kohana rested her head on his shoulder and nodded off.

Ayame nodded off in his arms as well. Tasuki rested his chin on her head and stared at the sky.

Life sure was different now. There were still a few things he didn't understand about this world, but he was sure he'd learn in time.

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Stay tuned for the epilogue in a day or so and then the sequel very soon after that!

~*~Shadow Hawk~*~