DISCLAIMER: I own purple hair spray. I own a purple bandana. But as much as I wish I do not own purple hair. Therefore I do not own Nuriko. Therefore I do not own FY. Make sense?

AUTHOR'S NOTES: The yoshino's starting to bloom. It finally feels like spring. Soon it'll be covered in little pink blossoms, and then they'll start falling like snow... It's so pretty.

~pulls her nose out of The Anime Companion: What's Japanese in Japanese Animation~ Whoops, sorry. But this is pretty fascinating. All these little cultural things... For instance, I have finally confirmed my months-long suspicion that Japanese school begins in the spring (I know I proably could've asked any number of people this, including several people I know in RL, but there's a limit to how dumb I'm willing to look ^_^). So I have officially set the time of this story sometime in April, most likely mid-April.

Also, I made a sort of unintentional mistake. I name these guys from a site that has real Japanese names (male, female, and family), and when they say real they mean REAL. It turns out Reijjie-chan's last name, Enomoto, is the last name of a famous comedian who died in the mid-70s. -_-() Trust me, I had no idea about it when I named him that, I just thought "Enomoto Reijirou" sounded cool. I actually kinda like the coincidence... so don't be surprised if a reference pops up at some point in the future ^_~ Well, read on, and thank you all for sticking with me! ~huggles~

Oh yes, Mikka-chan, don't worry. I DETEST when people hook up original characters with series characters (unless they're incredibly well done, I admit I've enjoyed one or two of those) so I will be staying faaaaaaaaar away. Basically I was like "OK, there's no way the book-peeps are gonna ALL be friends already or those're gonna be the ONLY friends they have." So Risa-chan started just as a non-book friend, and one of my personal crusades to prove that guys and girls can indeed be friends. ~shrugs~ Then I got to enjoy writing her and kept her in. I need to rewrite some stuff to make SURE no one can mistake friendship for something else, but it's gonna be friendship! That's all! ~glomps Mikka-chan~ Hope that settles your worried mind ~grins~

Excelcia: Sorry I didn't get this out earlier, I'm trying to balance uploads with Market (one every other week) and whenever I come up with something else, which hasn't been for awhile, I stick that up as well. So I don't update this (or anything else) but maybe once every two weeks ^^;;;;;;;;;;;;;;; I'm sorry! I might step up my upload schedule, but my life's getting complicated real soon... I'll work on it! I promise! ~glomps~

Waku-chan, you rock, you know that? ^______^ Honestly, you rock. I'm so sorry I've never thanked you before, but THANK YOU SO MUCH for reviewing! You are the greatest! ~glomps~

~scoots away from Gohanzgirl~ Someone's had too much sugar... ah, sugar be damned ~grins and glomps~ Going mad is perfectly prohibited, as long as someone's by you with a handy straight jacket. Hope you still like it in a few chapters!



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No. Please, don't Nuriko, don't appear, don't talk to her, I can't carry both her and Gesshin! Reijirou pleaded silently.

Nuriko simply stood and stared at Chiaki, who was still grinning at Reijirou. "Come on Reijirou-chan, you can put him on the couch till he wakes up."

"I'll put him on my bed, it'll be fine." Reijirou resumed trudging into the building, thanking Suzaku and Seiryu and Byakko and Genbu and any other god he could think of for Nuriko's silence, even if it was due to shock. Nuriko floated along behind them, still staring at Chiaki, while he and Chiaki walked into the building and up the stairs to their second-floor apartment. Reijirou had an awkward time getting Gesshin's unconscious form around some of the turns, but with Chiaki's help he managed. She opened the door for him and he went in sideways, nearly cracking Gesshin's head on the doorframe, but not quite.

"Reijirou-kun, what did Gesshin do this time?" His father had not missed the fact that Gesshin was coming in the door again. Without having gone out it in the first place.

"Fell out my window," Reijirou grunted, his back starting to ache. "I'm gonna put him in my room." Chiaki stayed behind to talk to their father, while Reijirou and Nuriko continued down the hall to Reijirou's room.

He unceremoniously dumped his unconscious friend on his bed, then shut the door and looked at Nuriko. "Hello, Earth to Nuriko."

"Kourin…"

"Ne, anyone in there?" Reijirou waved his hand in front of Nuriko's eyes. The seishi blinked and his eyes focused again, and he smiled apologetically. "Gomen."

"Ne, I understand how you're feeling, and it's completely and totally logical, but can I ask you one favor?"

"What?"

"PLEASE! Don't do that again!"

"Wha?"

"Don't just appear! Look, I've been thinking about this, and it seems to me that even IF Gesshin and Katai and Shirai ARE Tasuki and Amiboshi and Suboshi, that doesn't mean they have to know it."

Nuriko blinked. "What do you mean?"

Reijirou sat in his desk chair again, turning on the stereo to a quiet volume. He couldn't think in absolute silence. "I think I mean… Miaka said this would involve us. Not anyone else. Well, Risako too, but none of the other seishi, Suzaku or Seiryu- uh, Nuriko? What're you doing?" Nuriko was watching the stereo and playing with the little buttons. He squinted at it up close, then pulled back his arm as if to punch it.

"IYA!" Reijirou jumped in front of the stereo, arms stretched out to his sides, guarding the stereo with his life.

"Why not? I want to see what's inside."

"Not with MY stereo. Did you hear what I was saying?"

"I think I got lost somewhere around 'anyone else', would you mind starting over again?"

Reijirou groaned, wondering if he'd have to put Nuriko in a blank white box to be able to have an intelligent conversation with him. "Miaka didn't say that any of the other seishi, Suzaku or Seiryu, were going to be involved, or their modern counterparts. So why 'wake them up'?"

"Huh. You have a point." Nuriko leaned against the desk, looking at his feet, eyes slightly narrowed in concentration.

"Why do it? It'll just cause more confusion. Or more scenes like the one we just had with Gesshin. Or I'll get slapped in a nuthouse."

"What's a nuthouse?"

"A place they keep crazy people so they can't hurt anyone."

"Oh." Nuriko looked at his feet again. Reijirou watched him anxiously. The only sound in the room was the stereo, which had stopped on a boring news station. "I guess…" Nuriko said after a minute, "that we shouldn't start more than we can handle… If you're any indication, people will have a hard time accepting it. You're doing surprisingly well, but even you're having problems."

Reijirou nodded. "I can tell you for sure that Gesshin at least will have a much harder time accepting it."

Nuriko sighed. "Just like Tasuki. I guess you're right. The fewer people involved, the better. Especially if they don't need to be involved." Nuriko glanced up, slowly looking around Reijirou's room. "I- gomen, you have a happy, normal life here. I suppose everyone else who was reincarnated here does. You have lives, families…" Reijirou watched Nuriko silently. The seishi had a sad, longing look on his face. "You have a normal life, something we didn't have in the other world. At least until I showed up." He looked up at Reijirou, smiling sadly. "I don't want to take that away from anyone else unless we have to."

Reijirou smiled back. "Thanks. I think they'd appreciate that if they knew."

A groan from the bed brought them back to the present. They both looked at the prostrate figure of Gesshin, who was slowly twitching back to life.

"Meanwhile, help me figure out what to tell this bozo here."

"What's a bozo?"



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




"Gesshin? Hey Gesshin, wake up man." Reijirou gently slapped Gesshin's face. "Wake up. You hit pretty hard there, but I don't think you hurt yourself too bad."

"Huh? Whuzzat? Where is he?" Gesshin slowly sat up with Reijirou's help, rubbing his head, blinking, looking around the room. "Where's th' ghost?"

"Ghost?" Reijirou blinked. "What're you talking about man?"

"There was this transparent see-through thingamajig in yer corner! He looked like- like ya! In weird clothing!"

"Nani? You're not talking sense man. I'm here in front of you." Reijirou deeply hoped his confused face was convincing.

"I fuckin' saw it! It waved at me! I wen' out the damn window man!"

"Uhh, Gesshin…"

"WHAT?!"

"You whacked your head on the door when you came barging in here. Pretty hard. You knocked yourself out," Reijirou said with what he hoped was infinite patience. He could see Nuriko in the corner, both hands clapped over his mouth and shoulders shaking with suppressed laughter. Just stay quiet Nuriko. And stay invisible!

"I… hit m' head on the door?" Gesshin put one hand on his head, feeling the lump, which, fortunately, was in front. He looked up at Reijirou again. "I saw that thing…" he said, although he sounded very uncertain.

Reijirou stepped back to allow him full visual access of the room. "Gesshin, there's nothing to see."

Gesshin slowly looked around several times, more confused than ever. "I thought…"

"It must've been a dream, or a hallucination, there was this super crack when you hit. You've gotta be more careful running around here. Come on, I'll take you home." Reijirou helped his still dazed friend off the bed. Gesshin blinked and looked around the room again. They went out the door, Gesshin looking at it in confusion. Reijirou sneaked a quick peak down the hall, and gently breathed a sigh of relief when he saw his father and Chiaki were gone. Nuriko floated along behind them, humming happily to himself and watching with amusement. They went out the apartment and down the stairs, Gesshin recovering enough to walk on his own. However, when they got to the parking lot, the little convertible was gone.

"Aw shit, Chiaki must've taken it," Reijirou grumbled. "Can you walk to your place man?"

"'Course I can, I ain't a weaklin'."

"I'll keep you company." They turned out of the apartment onto the sidewalk, in the direction of Gesshin's building.



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




The walk, though fairly long, was uneventful. Gesshin only stumbled once or twice at the beginning, then walked with most of his usual swagger. Reijirou and Gesshin hashed over unimportant things like baseball, music, and cars while Nuriko kept himself invisible and listened interestedly. The Ijiri family's apartment was in a pretty run-down, depressing section of town, and privately Reijirou shuddered every time he entered. It wasn't that he was disgusted by the condition of the area, but rather that more "bad guys" seemed to hang around that area than almost anywhere else. However, it was the only thing Gesshin could afford. And even that might fall through if he didn't get a paycheck soon.

Reijirou saw his friend to the door of his building, then said good night to him and turned back towards his home, wearing a thoughtful expression on his face.

"Nani, Reijirou?" Nuriko asked, floating down beside him.

"I'm wondering if I have enough money to sneak in Gesshin's rent to the landlord. He won't make that deadline."

"It'd be nice if you did." Nuriko glanced back at the building. It was a five-story faded brick in obvious disrepair. "It'd be nice if they could move out of there all together."

"He's too stubborn. And he can't-"

"Hey baby, where're ya goin'?" There was a sudden stench of alcohol as they passed an alleyway. "Ye're dressed kinda nice for this neck of the woods. Why don't ya come down 'ere wif me and we'll see if ye're that nice under 'em." A guy in his late twenties, obviously drunk, stumbled out of the alley towards Reijirou, who simply glared at him coldly.

"What did you say?"

"I said come down 'ere and le's 'ave some fun." He reached out a hand for Reijirou's jacket.

Quick as a flash Reijirou grabbed his arm and wrenched it up behind the drunkard's back, yanking until he heard several popping sounds. "I'm not that kind of guy. Now, again, what did you say?"

"YE'RE A GUY?! IIITTAAAAAAAAAIIIIIIIII!" The drunk screamed as Reijirou wrenched harder.

"You better fucking believe it." Reijirou whirled, taking the drunk with him, slamming the guy's head into the wall. He let go of his arm and the drunk slumped to the ground, a little trickle of blood beginning to run down his face from his temple. Reijirou walked away, dusting his hands off on his jacket.

"That was pretty good," Nuriko commented, drifting along beside him.

"I've gotten it before in this area. Never from the same one twice though." Reijirou smiled humorlessly.

"So that's why you don't like being taken for a girl."

"Pretty much, yeah. I got it at work once also. Don't think that guy ever came back. It mostly happens here."

"Lucky you." Nuriko drifted back to inspect the unconscious drunk. Reijirou stopped at the next alley, waiting for him.

"Hey, bub." An unfamiliar voice, half-growl, came from the shadows. Reijirou spun and went immediately on the defense, arm levered to punch hard if needed. "You don't need to do that. Just wanted to say you did a pretty good job taking out that guy." The voice's owner emerged from the alley.

Reijirou looked up. And up. And up. The guy had to be at least six and a half feet tall, with the build of a professional wrestler. He looked half-feral. And dangerous.

"You'd be pretty good in a fight, for all you're small. Want to work for me?"

"I've got a job, thanks."

"Too bad. Then we'll have to do this the hard way."

Down the street, Nuriko looked up from his inspection, sensing something he sure as hell didn't like. "Holy Suzaku, RUN REIJIROU!!!!"

Reijirou quickly spun on his heels and fled, sprinting as hard and as fast as he'd ever done before. Harder, even. He leapt benches and drunks and dogs, not risking so much as a glance behind him. Nuriko appeared, speeding next to him. It didn't seem to affect him. "You're a lot faster than I was!"

"I don't… think this… is the time… for compliments!" Reijirou gasped, saving as much air as he could for running. "Where… is he?"

Nuriko turned and immediately paled. "Reijirou, run. Fast."

Reijirou gritted his teeth and ran with all his might. He could hear the big man running behind him, but it didn't sound right. It sounded like he was running on all fours. He wasn't getting far enough away from him. He needed more speed. More speed. More…

He didn't see the large hole in the sidewalk. Nuriko, who'd been flying backwards to keep tabs on the pursuer, saw too late to warn him. Reijirou's right foot came down half-in and half-out of the hole, throwing him off balance and sending him rolling end over side over end down the sidewalk for a good ten feet before he skidded to a stop, lying on his back. He had no time to recover before his assailant was on him, one massive hand pressed hard against his throat.

"That was quite a chase, boy. Thanks for the exercise." He pressed harder, his other hand holding down Reijirou's right arm. Reijirou tried with his free arm to pry the massive hand that was more like a paw off his throat. He couldn't budge it. This was a bad time for his strength to fail him. Very bad. But he refused to give up.

"You're… pretty… strong," he managed to get out. "Why… are you… going… after… me?"

"What, poor boy doesn't remember?" the animal-man sneered. "Doesn't remember how he burned me, then killed me in the snow? Well, I'll teach you to remember." He took his hand off Reijirou's arm, and immediately brought it down again, swiping along Reijirou's torso.

The fire of fierce pain bloomed and Reijirou screamed as thunder cracked overhead. There was no reason to pretend it didn't hurt. The animal-man knew it did. Wait… growl… claws… feral… huge… burned… killed…

"REIJIROU! IT'S ASHITARE!" Nuriko screamed as Reijirou put the pieces together himself.

"Ashi… tare!" Reijirou gasped through the pain.

"Aw, now he remembers. Better continue the lesson to make sure it sticks, though." His bloody hand – my blood – swept down again, leaving five new gashes in Reijirou's upper arm. Reijirou screamed again. Blood ran in rivulets through the gashes in the leather of his jacket. Reijirou could feel himself growing weaker. His struggle was getting feeble. His eyes were losing focus.

"Know why I'm doing this boy?"

"Nuriko… killed…"

"Right. And I won't do it just to you. Your family, your friends, all the Suzaku… you'll get there first, but you won't be alone long. And Nakago. He killed me too, even after I'd done his bidding, because he had no use for an animal like me. Him, and all the Seiryu… you can continue your little war… in hell!" The claws came down again.



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




Nuriko had watched in horror as Ashitare landed next to Reijirou, beginning to choke him. He had yelled the assailant's identity as Reijirou screamed. Time stopped as Reijirou's body seemed to slow. Nuriko knew he was losing too much blood. It had happened to him, too. With the same Seiryu seishi. But he had managed to kill him before he had died. Reijirou was too weak. Not enough of his strength had been passed down. Reijirou would die there, either from loss of blood or from having his neck snapped. Without stopping him. Without living his life… And there was nothing Nuriko could do about it. If he fought off Ashitare, he would be seen. There was no way he wouldn't. "Suzaku, help me!" he shouted at the sky. Lightning flashed, thunder cracked, and the rain began to fall.

And suddenly he knew what he had to do. He'd apologize later, after Reijirou was safe. Not only Reijirou's life, but the lives of every reincarnated seishi, Suzaku or Seiryu, as well as their friends and families, hung on this moment. He dived.



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




Nani…? Reijirou was suddenly getting stronger. He felt it. Warm inside. Almost… complete.

~ I don't care what you do, just get him off us and get us out of here! ~ came a familiar voice inside his head. Almost his own. No, it was his own.

Nuriko? He could barely hear Ashitare. He could tell it was something about why all this was happening, but he couldn't make it out.

~ JUST DO IT! ~

Reijirou was suddenly much, much stronger. Stronger than he'd ever been. He heard something clink against his wristwatch. Nuriko's bracelets. He let go of Ashitare's arm on his throat and shoved his wrist in front of the animal-man's eyes. The bracelets blazed with a brilliant red light as they transformed into the arm guards, blinding Ashitare and making him miss, jamming his claw-fingers literally into the cement. The light had no effect on Reijirou. He could still see perfectly clearly.

~ I'm giving you my ki… now, get out of here! ~ A hard mental prod seemed to accompany that order.

Reijirou thought that was a very excellent idea. He grabbed the arm on his throat and twisted it away while Ashitare was distracted with trying to get himself out of the sidewalk. He then grabbed the wild mane of hair in his right hand, the one with the wounded arm, and slammed the left arm guard into the animal-man's forehead. Ashitare flew back, his head clanging against an iron streetlight. Reijirou blessed modern building materials, rolled to his feet, and ran, leaving an unconscious Ashitare behind him.

~ Good job, Reijirou. ~ Reijirou thought he felt what was almost certainly a pat on the back.

Why didn't you jump in sooner? I could've been killed!

~ Would have been, ~ Nuriko corrected. ~ You wouldn't have survived. And I didn't know if I could do it. It's like I'm possessing myself! But better late than never. ~

Yeah. Arigato.

~ I'm still giving you my ki, but at this rate soon I'm going to run out. Go somewhere you can see a doctor, and fast. ~

A hospital… Reijirou tried to think of where the nearest one was. He was already a good five streets away from the animal-man, who still lay unconscious against the street light. He remembered the one he'd taken Gesshin to the first time they'd met, when Gesshin was being beaten up by those punks. He turned left at the next light and began the ten-block journey to the hospital. His blood ran from the gashes, staining his clothes a sickly reddish-brown, falling behind him only to be washed away down the sewers by the rain. Reijirou was grateful for the rain and its cleansing effect. When Ashitare woke up he wouldn't be able to track him with scent.

~ TIME'S UP!!! ~ Nuriko screamed in his head when they were just three blocks away from the hospital. Reijirou felt part of himself being ripped away, and he screamed again. The arm guards disappeared. His energy vanished, forcing him to slow to a walk. The rain beat down harder, washing away more of his life-giving blood.

"Reijirou!" He could see Nuriko again. The arm guards had reverted back to bracelets on Nuriko's wrists. "Reijirou, keep going! You told me yourself, you're almost there!" Nuriko was more worried than Reijirou had ever pictured him to be.

"I'll get… there… Don't… worry…"

"HURRY!"

Reijirou's vision began to blur. The rain-soaked street swam in front of his eyes. He thought it was strange that no one was out. He guessed the rain was keeping them home.

"Almost there! Just one more street! See, even I can tell what that place is!" Nuriko's voice seemed to come from a long way off.

Funny… A couple days ago he didn't know about any of this, yet one person from the book just attacked him, and another saved his life… Nuriko. Yeah… He really was cool, cross-dressing and all… Gesshin would like him… Tasuki did…… Risako liked him…... He seemed to like Risako…… He might be joking…… Yeah……… So dark………