DISCLAIMER: Kaze-chan bought a really cool Shoujo Kakumei Utena notebook from the anime stand at the mall on Saturday. Unfortunately, they did not have Fushigi Yugi for sale, or she would have bought that as well.

AUTHOR'S NOTES: I's sick -.- Not all that happy about it either. Ever have that feeling that when you move, you get all dizzy and lightheaded? That's what I've got. It's not pleasant, and I had a stomachache yesterday on top of that. And we went out to Japanese last night, my all time favorite! And I couldn't eat it! That is SO not faaaaiiiiiirrrr!

Anyway... This is the chapter where things start getting weird. Yepyep, weird. Because I am weird. And I have weird ideas. Oh yeah, speaking of weird ideas, there's a few things in this chapter that are ideas of my own and a bit crucial to my story, so don't blame me for making them up... I tried to keep them consistent with known facts though! I tried!

Thank you everyone who's reviewing and giving my story a chance! And guess what, I finished chapter 19! WAI! ~was stuck on 18 for so long~ Thank you everyone who's reviewed, too, I'm so glad you all like it! ~glomp~

PS-- High Elven Princess Kalasin, if you're reading this, e-mail me. I've got a question for you.

See ya minna!



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One mildly wild ride later, Reijirou's car was parked neatly in front of the apartment building where the Sukunamis lived, and he and Risako were knocking on their door.

A very excited Naora flung the door open and flew out into the hall, wrapping herself around Reijirou's knees. "Reijirou-san! Mama said you were coming! Can you make me more bacon and eggs? Pwease?" She stared up at him with that pleading expression she seemed to use so much, looking extremely kawaii and making Risako giggle.

An unfamiliar male voice laughed inside. "Naora-chan, Reijirou-san has come on important business. He can't cook you breakfast right now, especially since you just had lunch!"

"Yes he can! Can't you, Reijirou-san?"

Reijirou smiled down at the little girl. "Well, not at the moment, but maybe one morning you and your mother could come over again. We can ask her; she might like it, too."

"She probably would." The owner of the new voice appeared in the doorway, looking so much like Naora that Reijirou knew they were related. The man grinned. "I'm Yuki Keisuke, Miaka's brother. Come in, have a seat, she'll be with you as soon as she gets off the phone."

"Arigato. Let's go, Naora-chan." Reijirou bent down and picked up the girl, swinging her up to sit on his shoulders, holding her hands. "Ready for a ride?"

"Wai!" The little girl laughed as Reijirou jogged into the apartment and around the main room a couple of times. Risako entered in a more traditional way, grinning at the pair of them.

"I take it you must be Daishi Risako," Keisuke said to her.

"Hai, that's me." She extended her hand and they shook. "You can call me Risako."

"If you call me Keisuke." He grinned.

"Nii-chan, stop flirting with my friends." Miaka walked into the room wearing an amused expression. "Remember, you promised Naora-chan you'd take her to the park."

"Ahh, so I did." He walked over to lift Naora off Reijirou's shoulders and put her on his own. "Ready Naora-chan? We can try and catch butterflies today!"

"Wai!" Naora was very happy at this prospect. "Bye Mama! Bye Reijirou-san! Bye nice lady!" She waved back at them all as Keisuke walked out and closed the door to the apartment.

The room seemed strangely quiet with her gone. "You're right Reijirou-kun, she is kawaii." Risako smiled at the door.

"Arigato, she's the most precious thing to Taka and me." Miaka walked across the sparsely furnished apartment to the coffee table and picked up a silver picture frame. She looked at it for a second, smiling, then handed it to Reijirou. "I'll get you two chairs."

The photo was of the Sukunami family. Taka and Miaka were standing together in front of some trees, smiling at each other and not looking at the camera. In her arms Miaka had a tiny, sleeping Naora. She couldn't have been more than a year old.

Risako looked at the picture over Reijirou's shoulder. "They must love each other a lot."

"Hai, they must." He looked up as Miaka came back, carrying two chairs from the kitchen, which she placed before the coffee table.

"Gomen, but with Taka's salary we haven't been able to buy much furniture," she apologized. Risako and Reijirou quickly assured her that it was fine and took their places, Reijirou setting the photo back on the coffee table.

Miaka remained standing. "I'm glad you came too, Risako, you should probably see this as well." She looked at Reijirou, a more sober expression on her face than he'd seen her use before. She was as serious as Taka. "I asked you here to show you something fairly important. As strange as it will seem, none of this is made up." She disappeared down the hallway, going into a room and closing the door.

"Wh-Wh-Wh-What's going on?"

"If I'm right…" Reijirou looked at Risako and blinked in surprise. Her eyes were narrowed at the closed door and she looked as sober as Miaka. " If I'm right, then all this business about 'Nuriko' will finally be explained."

"What do you mean? What the hell is going on here? This is too strange... I'm getting out." He started to stand up, but Risako pushed him down into his chair again.

"Iya. This is important. I can tell."

Reijirou looked at her in confusion, but the door opened and Miaka came out, carrying a slim white book in her hands, the expression still on her face. She walked back to them and silently handed Reijirou the book before sitting on the couch. Reijirou looked at her for a second, but her face gave away nothing. He glanced at the book instead, hoping it would provide some sort of explanation. "Shi Jin Ten Chi Sho…" he read aloud.

"Is this the book you spoke of before, Miaka?" came Risako's equally serious voice.

"Before? When before?" Reijirou was getting more and more confused every second, and he was getting frustrated. So far not one of his questions had been answered to his satisfaction, and it was getting on his nerves.

"Hai, it is."

"WHAT IS GOING ON HERE?!" Reijirou exploded out of his chair, knocking it over and throwing the book to the floor. "Why don't you tell me what the hell's going on?! Why won't you answer my questions?! Why the HELL does everybody but me seem to know something about this guy who looks like me?! WHAT'S GOING ON?!"

"Reijirou!" Miaka's voice cut though his like a knife, not loud but sharp and forceful – a Mother Voice. "You won't get any answers if you don't read that book! So just trust me on this, sit down and read it!"

He glared at her for a minute, then righted his chair and sat down again. "Fine." He opened the book to the title page and began to scan it.

"Aloud please, Risako deserves to know this as well."

He groaned, but followed her directions, figuring it'd shut her up long enough for him to get some sort of answer. "'Shi Jin Ten Chi Sho. Translated into Japanese from the original Chinese by Hongo Yui, Kajiwara Tetsuya, Yuki Keisuke, and Sukunami Taka.'" He looked up. "Are those last two who I think they are?"

"Hai, they're my husband and brother. Yui is also my best friend, and Tetsuya is Nii-chan's best friend and Yui's husband."

"Small world." He turned the page and began to read. "'This is the story of a young girl who single-handedly gathered the Seven Stars of Suzaku and gained the power to make all her dreams come true. The story itself is an incantation and whomever reads it gains the main character's power to have their wishes granted. This is because once they turn the first page, the story will become real and begin.'"



~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~




Hours later, Reijirou silently closed the book.

He had experienced it all.

Miaka's first journey into the book. Meeting Tamahome. Yui vanishing. Finding Tamahome again. Meeting Hotohori. Becoming Suzaku no Miko. Meeting Nuriko. Falling in love with Tamahome. Journeying to Mt. Taikyoku. Finding out Nuriko's secret. Nearly killing herself to save her seishi. Meeting Taiitsu-kun. Coming back. Going back. Searching for Tamahome. Finding Chichiri. Going to Kutou in search of Yui. Yui becoming Seiryu no Miko. Discovering what happened to Yui. Tamahome and Hotohori's first duel. Tamahome sacrificing himself to prevent war. Searching for the other seishi with Nuriko and Hotohori. Finding Tasuki. Finding Mitsukake. Finding "Chiriko". Tamahome's suffering in Kutou. Yui's love for Tamahome. Nakago feeding Tamahome kodoku. Going to get Tamahome. Tasuki almost being killed. Almost committing suicide. Hotohori fighting Tamahome to protect her. Healing Tamahome. Performing the ceremony. Discovering Chiriko was really Amiboshi. Amiboshi's "death". Meeting the real Chiriko. Learning of the shinzaho and its prices. Taiitsu-kun's gifts. The death of Tamahome's family. The introduction of Suboshi and Soi. The vow to fight. Setting out for Hokkan. Communicating with Keisuke and refusing to come back. Being swept overboard with Nuriko and Tamahome. Nuriko's confession about Kourin's death. His bracelets working for the first time. Fighting Soi. Arriving in Hokkan. Hearing the tale of the Genbu shinzaho. Traveling to Touran. Nuriko going fully male. Tamahome learning of the shinzaho's location. Confronting Ashitare. Nuriko's last fight. Saying goodbye. Gaining the Genbu shinzaho. Having it stolen. Leaving the others to get it. Learning of the "way" to regain it. Nakago's "rape". Being saved by Tamahome. Seperating herself from him. Being rescued by Kai-ka – Amiboshi. Amiboshi helping her reunite with Tamahome. Nearly being raped by Tomo. Suboshi killing Tomo to save Amiboshi. Meeting Tokaki, Subaru, and Shifan. Going to the monastery. "Reconciling" with Yui. Meeting Tatara. Gaining the Byakko shinzaho. Miboshi's death. Tatara's death and final words. Chiriko's possession and sacrifice. Yui summoning Seiryu and sealing Suzaku. Meeting Houki. The war beginning. Soi protecting Nakago with her life. Yui's wish taking them back to the real world – Tamahome too. Learning about the Shi Jin Ten Chi Sho from Keisuke and Tetsuya. Suboshi coming to the real world and dying. Explaining to Yui. Mitsukake giving up his body. Hotohori dying in battle. "Marrying" Tamahome. Nakago coming. Tamahome confronting Nakago. Yui giving her power. Summoning Suzaku. Rescuing Yui from Seiryu. Chichiri and Tasuki arriving. The four spirits appearing. Tamahome and Nakago's final fight. Saying goodbye to them all.

"It's… it's so hard to believe…" Reijirou's voice was hoarse from talking, as was Risako's. They had frequently given the book to the other when their voices had been reduced to mere whispers, or when they were choked with emotion. A pile of used Kleenex and an empty tissue box were on the coffee table next to several empty cups that had once held water. Neither of them had moved during the reading, being too enthralled in the story, laughing and crying with it, sometimes even yelling at it. Miaka had reacted too, laughing and crying with them, even cringing at a few things she'd done or said in the book.

"Did this really happen?" he whispered.

Miaka nodded. "Yes, ten years ago it happened. I was really fifteen, preparing for my exams. Yui and I went to the library one day because she had to return a book. While we were there I saw this strange red bird, and followed it as it flew up the stairs and into the Important Documents Reference Room." Her eyes were unfocused, looking not at them, but rather past them, as though behind them lay the past she could still see all so clearly. "Yui followed me, laughing about the bird; then this strange, charred book written in ancient Chinese fell off the shelf. We looked at it out of curiosity, and, well…"

"This is what you got, right?" Risako said. "Almost a year's worth of unbelievable stuff." She sighed.

"It's not unbelievable. And there's still more. When Yui first went back, she found herself in the library, and saw that what had happened to us was in the book. She read on, following my journey, until Tamahome, Hotohori, and Nuriko sent me back. Seiryu pulled her into the book then. I couldn't find her when I got home, but my other friends told me they had last seen me not even two hours before."

"TWO HOURS?!" That shocked them both.

She nodded again. "Time is different there. What was many months to me and Yui was two days at the most here. So I went back to look for her. Keisuke had followed me to the library, and after that he read. We were able to communicate that once, when I was on the ship, but I had Tasuki burn my hair so I couldn't hear him. Right before that he had run into Tetsuya, who for some reason believed this incredibly strange story his best friend was telling him about his kid sister being magically sucked into a book." She smiled faintly. "Tetsuya can be strange some times. But he helped Nii-chan research the book for a full day. They discovered everything about Okuda Einosuke, Takiko, and Suzuno, who was still living." Another brief smile passed across her face. "Suzuno and Tatara died at the same time."

Risako sniffed and wiped away a new tear.

"Nii-chan said he saw their spirits joyfully reunite outside Suzuno's home near Morioka. For a long time I was thinking that I would end up like Suzuno, living alone for the rest of my life, possibly adopting a child. But I was saved." She picked up the photo of her, Taka, and baby Naora again, laying her fingers over Taka's face.

"Taka is Tamahome, ne?" Reijirou asked gently.

"Not exactly… He was reborn in this world and we met again. Of course, he wasn't exactly the same as Tamahome, but they were so much alike there was no other way to think of him. Eventually he became 'Taka', separate from Tamahome, neither one more dear to me. They were and weren't the same person. You must remember that when I met Taka he didn't know who I was or have any memory of his life as a Suzaku shichiseishi. It's another very long story to explain how we recovered him, but in the end Taka took Tamahome into himself." She looked up at Reijirou. "Do you understand now?"

He swallowed nervously. "You think I'm Nuriko in the same way Taka is Tamahome, ne?"

"That's right."

"But…... but…"

"But what, Reijirou?"

"But it CAN'T be!"

She smiled. "Ignorance really is bliss at times… Yes, Reijirou, it can be. Tell me, when, in the story, Tasuki said something really stupid, what did you feel like doing?"

He smiled ironically at the book. "Punching him into the nearest wall."

She nodded once, slowly. "You both think the same. You both act the same. The only difference in your looks is you're a little taller. The only difference between your personalities is you are completely, totally male-"

"And a good thing, too."

She gave him a cross look for interrupting her. "-which I believe comes from Nuriko's reversion from Kourin to Ryuen at the very end. He never again really had the opportunity to be 'male', so you're doing it for him."

Reijirou could only sit in the chair.

"Miaka, why does he have to know this?" Risako's voice momentarily startled him. "Why couldn't you just leave him in ignorance? Why get us mixed up in it?"

Miaka sighed. "I don't know entirely. I only know that…"

"Nani?"

She looked up, directly at them, green eyes sharp and focused now, almost as if her gaze could put holes in them like a drill. "I can only tell that something is going to happen. Something relating to the Shi Jin Ten Chi Sho. And that it will involve Nuriko." She sighed again, dropping that piercing gaze. "We used to believe that Taka was reborn in our world for our love, but now I see that's not exactly the truth. Our love is probably the reason I met him so soon afterwards, but obviously it wasn't the reason for his rebirth, otherwise you wouldn't be here. Since you are, then either the gods have become more lenient, or…"

"Nani Miaka?" Risako's voice was quiet and serious.

"Or the gods have made a mistake."



~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~




Reijirou tried not to think about gods making mistakes while they ate dinner. He could picture the consequences, and they were catastrophic. All three were quiet as they ate, each thinking their own separate thoughts, all of them centered on the Shi Jin Ten Chi Sho. Reijirou also had a slightly different idea. If Miaka's right and I'm Nuriko, then couldn't others be here too, now? Maybe…

"Miaka," he said when they had come to dessert. "What do we do next?"

"Finish eating." She said, grinning.

They had to laugh at that. It felt good to laugh after the roller coaster of emotions that had been the afternoon. "All right then, after we finish eating and do the dishes."

"We try a little experiment." She had that determined look on her face again. Reijirou was learning very rapidly to be wary of that look.

"Nani?"

"You'll see."

Suddenly Risako banged her fist on the table. "Aww, damn... Miaka, can I use your phone really quick? I have to call my house and let them know where I am."

"Hai, go right ahead, the phone's next to the couch."

"It'll only be a second." Risako hurriedly stuck her plate and silverware in the sink, then raced to the phone and quickly punched in her number. "Dad? Hi, it's me. Yeah, I know. I'm with some friends…"

Reijirou turned and looked at Miaka. "I'll need to use it after her."

"Oh, that's fine. After you're done we can try the experiment."

"What the hell IS the experiment?"

"It's kind of hard to explain…"

"Done!" Risako hung up and came back to the table. "It's your turn Reijirou."

"Arigato." He walked over to the phone stand and picked up the receiver, punching in his number. "Hello? Oh, Hajime, hi. Do you know if Mom got my note? Yes, I'm still there. No, I don't. Whoa, slow down, if they're still there I'll listen to you guys play when I get back, all right? Sayonara." He hung up, a thoughtful expression on his face. "Miaka, do you think others from that world could've been reincarnated too?"

"Probably, why?"

"I was just thinking that Chiaki might be Kourin… We have kind of the same relationship Nuriko and Kourin had, but she's older."

Miaka shrugged. "It's possible. Nuriko was a year older than Tamahome, but you're definitely not a year older than Taka."

"That's true…" He sighed in defeat and looked up. "Can we get this 'experiment' of yours over with? The day's been kind of hard to believe as is, I want to get it finished."

She smiled at him. "I understand. Be right back." Miaka put her plate and fork in the sink, then disappeared down the hall and into the same room from which she'd magically produced the book that had changed the way Reijirou thought of himself.

A hand was laid on his shoulder. "Ne, daijobu?" Risako asked gently.

He rubbed his temple. "I don't know… It's so hard to accept…"

"I can tell. Gomen, I'm not being much help."

"You're doing fine, it's a help knowing that I'm not the only one who knows about this."

"Are you to ready to start this?" Miaka asked, stepping into the room, this time holding a very old-looking book with a reddish-brown cover.

Reijirou pointed at the book. "What's that, Miaka?"

She glanced down at it. "This is the book that would not burn, the Shi Jin Ten Chi Sho."

"Nani? But I thought we just read it." Risako was as puzzled as he was.

"You read a translation of it. This one is the original, in ancient Chinese. This is the book that has all that power, that pulled the four miko in."

Reijirou whistled. "That has to be pretty valuable just because it's so old… Why do you have it?"

She grinned guiltily. "After they finished writing the translation Yui, Tetsuya, Keisuke, and Taka 'forgot' to return it. It lives here now. Ready?"

They both nodded. "What do we have to do, Miaka?" Risako asked.

Miaka handed the new book to Reijirou. "You hold on to this, and whatever happens, don't drop it." That made him a little nervous, thinking that whatever would happen would be something to freak him out that much. "Risako, you sit there-" she pointed to the couch "-and just try to keep silent. We're going to have to concentrate."

"Hai." Risako sat on the end of the couch, watching Miaka and Reijirou.

Miaka pulled Reijirou's arms so they were holding the book flat in front of him, front cover up, slightly away from his body. It wasn't an uncomfortable position, but Reijirou wondered how long he'd have to stand like that. "Now Reijirou, concentrate on what you know of Nuriko. Concentrate hard." Miaka placed herself in front of him, eyes closed, hands clasped in front of her face and first two fingers of each hand steepled together, murmuring something under her breath. Reijirou watched her for a moment, then took a deep breath and closed his eyes.

He remembered everything about Nuriko that had been in the book. His little sister, Kourin. His initial dislike of Miaka and acceptance of her not long after. His habit of bashing people, especially Tasuki, into the wall. Cutting off the long hair that made him look like a girl. Trying to calm Tamahome after his family's murder. Reijirou concentrated with every fiber of his being on Nuriko. On his (supposedly) old self.

Risako's gasp made him open his eyes, breaking his concentration. It was fairly obvious what made her gasp. The book in his hands was smoking in the center, a long silvery-gray plume wafting gently towards the ceiling.

"Concentrate!" Miaka broke her murmuring long enough to yell at him, then started up again immediately in the same place she left off. Reijirou forced himself to think of Nuriko again. This time he didn't close his eyes, but instead watched the book.

The plume was getting bigger. Already it had reached the ceiling, and he suspected that if there was nothing hindering it, it would be taller still. Reacting to some internal instinct he had no explanation for, he sat in the chair he had occupied the entire afternoon, and watched the smoke grow immediately taller. It widened also, growing outward as it grew up to cover the entire book and wider yet. To his surprise, where the smoke touched his fingers they felt pleasantly cool, even tingled a little.

Suddenly he could see the smoke begin to drift together in the center of the plume, slowly coalescing into a definite shape. After a few moments, he recognized the outline of a body, but it was dark gray, not the black of something solid.

Miaka's voice got suddenly louder, building in intensity to abruptly cut off. "…from the book, please come out to us!"

The smoke exploded noiselessly away from the figure, disappearing into thin air. Reijirou and Risako watched in astonishment, Miaka with a grim expression on her face, as the figure drifted gently down to rest on the floor, facing Reijirou, who gasped. The figure's eyes were closed. He was wearing light pink pants, a long pale and dark purple overshirt tied with a rich yellow sash, and dark purple slippers. His hair matched the color of his shirt. He slowly opened his eyes, revealing brown irises. The bracelets around his wrists clinked softly as he crossed his arms.

Nuriko grinned. "Hello, me."