I don't remember anything after falling asleep that night until when I awoke three days later. Amefuri told me later that I had gotten myself back to the palace the next morning, only to collapse in front of her. She said it had scared her nearly to death, that combined with the fact that they hadn't any idea where I had been all night. She thought it was just exhaustion, but I had a high fever and remained mostly unconscious for three more days. I remember fragments of dreams, but nothing was clear, and I was unsure whether they were dreams of just my delirious take on reality.

When I awoke, Suzuno was gone.

"She just… Disappeared… A few hours after you passed out," Amefuri told me, unable to keep the distress from her voice. "Vanished before our very eyes."

The sore and tired feeling I had awaken with turned worse with a sense of dread.

"She was upset. She was crying and kept saying she didn't know what to do, and that she didn't want anyone else to have to suffer because of her. She kept saying that she wanted to go home, over and over."

"…Because of me?" I wondered aloud, but Amefuri forced a smile and patted my hand.

"It's not you. Everything has just piled up on the poor girl's shoulders. I feel sorry for the poor thing."

I stared down at the blanket, trying to blink back tears. So what about her? People have been hurt because of her, yes, but if she doesn't summon Byakko and save Sairou, even more people will be killed in the ensuing wars! "She's coming back, though… Isn't she?"

Amefuri looked away, then stood and went to the door. "I should go tell the others you're awake."

As it turned out, the only 'others' she had to tell was Kokie. Tatara had withdrawn to the palace gardens, where he stayed and tended his flowers with melancholy. Tokaki had apparently vanished, although from the nonchalant way that Amefuri referred to him, it gave me the idea that she knew where he was.

Over the next couple weeks, I recovered completely in the physical sense, and almost entirely in the mental state. Tokaki's absence seemed to help this - the dull ache that I previously had when he was around.

But Suzuno still didn't return.

At the end of the second week of her absence, I approached Amefuri and forced her to tell me where Tokaki was. She seemed cautious about revealing it, but finally told me that he was staying with some family in the capital, and after reassuring her that I would be perfectly civil to him and return to the palace without experiencing another emotional breakdown, she let me go.

When I found the house, he was out in front, apparently trying to teach a couple children some fighting moves, but it wasn't working very well - they kept falling on their rears. I smiled at the situation, but then mentally scolded myself, reminding myself that I wasn't getting into this again.

Tokaki looked up and saw me, then turned back to the kids, and they nodded, running off around the side of the house. He then looked back at me with a wary expression and finally walked over to me.

"W-we need to talk." My hands shook with nervousness, but I clenched them behind my back.

"…Yeah." He didn't look at me, instead seeming very interested in the tree in front of us.

"Suzuno's gone."

"Uh huh."

"…And we can't summon Byakko-seikun without a Miko," I added, getting a bit annoyed with the lack of interest on his part.

He shrugged.

I frowned. "Aren't you going to say anything?"

"…I was under the impression that you didn't want me to talk to you," he muttered, looking up at the tree again.

I gave an exasperated sigh. "Why would I come here and say that we need to talk if I didn't want--"

"What the hell is going to make you feel better? I try to apologize, you won't listen. What the fuck is it going to take?!" He finally looked at me, and I just stared back, surprised at the outburst. He frowned, then shrugged. "Most girls just settle for hitting me."

So I did. In a quick motion, I drew back my hand and slapped him square on the cheek.

He stared at me with a stunned expression. "I didn't think you'd actually—"

I hit him again, this time on the other cheek, and now he looked at me with a sceptical expression. "You know, you're much stronger than you look."

I raised my hand again, but he caught my wrist and stopped me. "Feel any better now?"

"A little," I admitted, tilting my head to the side and giving him a tiny smile.

When we arrived back at the palace, Amefuri looked astonished at the fact that I walked in with Tokaki right behind me. We found Kokie, then Amefuri went to fetch Tatara, who looked absolutely miserable.

After a long moment of silence, Kokie spoke. "We have to do something. We can't just wait for her to come back."

"What can we do, though?" Amefuri asked, her expression concerned.

"The Shinzaho," Tokaki replied without missing a beat. Everyone stared at him, and he shrugged. "I've been thinking about it…"

Kokie nodded slowly. "We all can't go, though. Someone has to stay here in case Suzuno comes back."

"…I can stay here," Tatara said quietly, as if any of us were thinking of another option.

"Fine," Kokie said, "Then who wants to get which Shinzaho?"

"I'll go get the Suzaku Shinzaho from Karasuki," I blurted out. I don't know why I said it, other than the fact that I felt as if I hadn't really contributed to the cause very much. I almost regretted saying the words as soon as they were out of my mouth, but I daren't change my mind.

Tokaki looked at me, then at Kokie. "I'll go with her."

Amefuri frowned. "Are you sure that's the best idea?"

"I can find him," Tokaki added.

Kokie narrowed her eyes. "You're not the only one with a chi-sensing ability."

Tokaki shrugged. "Maybe, but I am the one who knows how to use it. You didn't even know who she was," he nodded towards me.

Kokie looked furious.

"I don't think this is the time for arguments," Amefuri said softly. "Tokaki and Subaru will go find Karasuki, Kokie and I will go to Kutou, and Tatara will stay here." She looked around the room for any signs of disagreement, but finding none, she continued. "We'll leave tomorrow."