Disclaimer: I don't own Fushigi Yuugi. Not a single solitary particle of it. I just borrow it and hope I don't step on any toes.

Chapter Six: Late Night Confessions

She snuggled under the covers, brushing out her hair absently. Yui was curled up with her on the window seat, as they both watched the stairs. Both girls were silent, waiting for the phone to ring. By unspoken consent, the two decided to talk about everything after they spoke to Keisuke. An hour earlier, Miaka had finally managed to get him on the phone and asked him to retrieve the book from Tokyo's National Library.
Foreboding thickened the atmosphere in the room as her brushstrokes slowed. The blonde reached out without thinking and took the comb, taking over the job herself as she hummed softly. Slender fingers expertly wove russet strands into a tight French braid, giving up her view of the brilliantly lit night for the mundane task.
The front door slammed, echoing in the near-silent house. Soft cursing could be heard was something thudded onto the floor. Then the unmistakable sound of heels clicking against linoleum and the refrigerator door opening.
She slipped an elastic band on the end of the braid as the phone rang. Miaka picked it up immediately. "Moshi moshi? Keisuke?" She fell silent for a long moment, reaching over her shoulder to nervously wind her newly-styled hair around her finger. Her face turned grimly resigned, and she nodded with a soft "Hai"—presumably at some piece of news. Yui was quick to realize that the news wasn't entirely unexpected. "Mm-hmm. Arigatou, onii-chan." She nodded again, and went off into a rapid peal of Japanese just as the bedroom door opened.
Shannon arched a brow at the blonde, noting the fingers tightly clenched around the blanket, knuckles white with strain. "'Sup?" she asked warily, peeling off her heels and padding over to take her place on the window seat. She gently pulled the blanket from her friend's clutching fingers, wrapping one end of it around her hip. "She talking to that brother of hers?"
"Hai," Yui murmured, nervously plucking at a loose thread. It was unlike the calm, collected, elegant woman to give in to such gestures. The American tugged at her hand, linking their fingers together easily.
"Whatever this is about, I want the full story," she said as soon as Miaka hung up the phone. The two Japanese women sighed, and the redhead managed a weak smile.
"You're going to think we're crazy. Come on, I need to get out of this room." She jumped up, grabbing a second blanket off her bed and trailing it behind her into the living room. Shannon tugged Yui and the first blanket along with her as she followed the normally exuberant woman.
"I put some water on the heat," she said quickly as they made a tiny nest of the blankets. "Let me get some hot chocolate for all of us, and you can start talking." The kitchen was separated from the living/dining room by a waist-high counter, allowing her to stay with the conversation as she poured hot water into three thick mugs.
Miaka relaxed as the smell of chocolate began to waft through the air. She sniffed the heavenly aroma and sighed. It had become a ritual to have hot chocolate along with their 'Late Night Confessions'. Shan termed it "an adult girl talk". It had been instrumental in getting the two widows to start enjoying their lives again.
"Start from the beginning. I know it has something to do with those people we met yesterday." She glanced at the wall clock and bit back a sigh. Ten o'clock, and she had the sneaking suspicion that they'd be there for hours yet. There went another night without sleep, and another final in the morning, too. Of course, this was just as important as sleep. The things I do for friendship, she thought with the slightest smile.
The other two shared an apprehensive glance. "I have to ask you to be open-minded about this," Miaka said hesitantly. At her friend's nod of acquiescence, she glanced away, staring intensely at a wall. It was easier that way, as she tried to think of the words to describe the most important events in her life. And in Yui's, as well.
"I think it would be easier for me to tell it as a story," she murmured. "It would be too hard, otherwise."
"I'm not pushing." Shannon's words were kind, understanding. She handed out the mugs of hot cocoa before snuggling into the warm space the blankets housed.
The russet-haired girl nodded, pain flashing through her head, settling in a region right above her eye. She rubbed it, sighing, before dropping her hand into Yui's, clasping it tightly. Reassurance flowed through her at that tactile contact. Friendship meant trust, and she knew it was time for them to share their secret past lives with their new companion, who had become an irreplaceable part of their lives.

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Many times during her life, she heard her mother tell her to stop acting so irresponsible. Friends were nice to have, but they weren't permanent. Only family and the effort put forth in one's own life would stay constant. The only guarantees.
"Miaka," the scolding would begin, "you need to study for your tests. How are you going to get into Jonan if all you ever do is spend time with Yui and your friends? I know Yui can keep her grades up, but you have a harder time than she does. She'll understand if you can't do things all the time because you need to put in extra time before the next test. Don't you want to have a good life? Do you want to struggle like I do?"
She lived her life knowing that friendship could be more than a passing phase, but it had never been proven to her. It was to her good luck that she had a best friend who was intensely loyal.
The two girls were normal girls, going to school and working hard. They laughed and played and were untouched by the harsh realities of life. They were still children, although their bodies had matured into womanhood. They had never felt heartbreak or true sorrow. The important things in their life were their families, their tests, and their friends. The gossip over who was dating who, or who finally kissed whom, was a needed part of everyday life.
It is while she is in this frame of mind that a vision of Suzaku comes to Miaka, causing the two girls to encounter a book, hidden behind doors that should have been locked. It calls to her in a way she cannot comprehend. As she and Yui sit on the cold floor, they open the pages 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 of her dreams come true."*

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Shannon's eyes widened. "Suzaku—isn't that the legend they spoke of yesterday? The one about the priestess and the warriors?"

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"The story itself is an incantation. The one who reads it through will be given the powers and granted a wish like the girl in the story. Because the story begins and becomes real... the moment the first page is turned."*
Upon reading this puzzling passage, the two girls are surrounded by a brilliant red light, enveloping them in warmth. It seems to lift them, and takes them from their world into a place where time doesn't pass, and everything fades away. The next thing they remember is waking up on dirt and rock, far away from any cities, on a nearly featureless plain, but for the dead trees, almost sinister in their appearance.
There they are attacked by slave traders, only to be rescued a young man with a glowing scarlet mark appearing on his forehead—the symbol of Oni. There, Yui is transported back to her own world and time as Miaka is left alone in what she knows as Shijin Tenchi Sho, or the Book of the Universe of the Four Gods.
Not having seen her best friend be taken away by the same crimson light as before, Miaka looks for their savior who she believes took Yui, ending up in a large city. There she is accosted by a band of wrong-hearted men, only to once again be saved by the young rescuer from before.
This man, Tamahome by name, swears to help her find her friend. Unfortunately, they are captured by soldiers on the emperor's command and thrown into the palace dungeons before he can fulfill his promise. Escaping the compound, the two are separated. A mysterious benefactor by the name of Hotohori shows Miaka the way to the city, and upon learning that she is from a completely different world, this beautiful woman becomes excited.
It is then Tamahome reappears, being dragged by guards. Stunned by their callous treatment of their prisoner, Miaka begs them to leave him be. When they take her into their custody, the mark of Oni once again appears on the man's forehead, and he attacks those who come near the foreign woman. Seeing this, Hotohori shouts for order.
Miaka learns that who she believed to be a beautiful woman is none other than the Emperor of Konan, which is the country she is now in. From him she learns of the legend of Suzaku, the god-protector of Konan. The legend states that a girl will appear from another world when the empire faces destruction, and she will gain the power of Suzaku and save the land. When asked if she would take the responsibility upon her shoulders, she agrees to become the Priestess of Suzaku.
At that time, she did not take the role out of a wish to save the country. Indeed, it was the idea of having all her wishes granted that motivated her agreement, and the wish to return to her home.
With the thought of returning home in mind, she asks the emperor how to find the rest of the seishi. There she learns that all of the Suzaku Shichi Seishi are named after the seven constellations in the southern portion of the sky: Chichiri, Tamahome, Nuriko, Hotohori, Chiriko, Tasuki, Mitsukake. The emperor reveals himself to be Hotohori, the sea serpent, and her savior Tamahome, the crab. Hotohori has the mark of Hoshi on his neck.

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"It figures Andy Wong would take the name of the emperor," Shannon muttered.

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The most gifted warrior-scholars of Konan are gathered in the capital, in an attempt to find the other five of the Shichisei. Priestess of Suzaku and Tamahome are trapped under a collapsed building in an unfortunate mishap, and a young woman named Korin, from the emperor's harem, shows exceptional strength as she pulls the rubble away. She is revealed as the third seishi, Nuriko, with the mark of Yanagi on her chest.
Unlike the other two, she seems to hold no interest in taking her place as a seishi, and the two women develop hard feelings toward each other over Tamahome, whom Nuriko confesses to love. In an attempt to win over the newest Shichisei, Miaka acts as her lady's maid, with no results.
Later, Miaka learns of Korin's deep love for the emperor, which is not returned. In an attempt to help her gain the affection of Hotohori, Miaka visits his chambers to speak with him on the subject. Unfortunately, in a sudden twist of fate, his Imperial Highness proclaims his love for the Priestess of Suzaku. Overhearing this conversation, both Tamahome and Nuriko become jealous.
As the other two seishi become cool towards her, Miaka attempts to confess her love to Tamahome, who rejects it.
Falling terribly ill just moments after her declaration, she is taken back to the palace and a decision is made by the emperor to take the priestess to the creator of the world, Taiitsukun, in order to restore Miaka to her true world.
The three seishi travel with her. In a test to determine the loyalty of the Suzaku Shichi Seishi and the strength of the priestess, Taiitsukun traps Miaka into a mirror. An evil reflection of her, representing the darkest corners of her heart, returns to the seishi. Although they quickly learn that the reflection is not Miaka, they cannot defeat her until the true priestess has managed to escape the mirror.
At this point, Miaka realizes that she would rather die than allow a monster to kill her companions. She takes a shard and pierces herself in the chest, near the heart. The mirror shatters and the monster is killed by the seishi, but the priestess herself is dying.
Nuriko, who has been unmasked as a man masquerading as a woman, tends to her wound. The other two make a vow to give their own lives in order for Miaka to live, which she hears in her unconscious state. Yui's voice also comes to her, telling her to go back to those who love her. Tamahome and Hotohori spill blood, and her will to live returns. Due to this act of loyalty, Taiitsukun appears to the seishi and their priestess, and tells them of the means to allow Miaka to return to her world.
Unfortunately, once the Priestess of Suzaku is sent back to her world, her best friend Yui—who had been monitoring her progress by reading the book—disappears. Although Miaka has been gone for days within the Universe of the Four Gods, only hours have passed in her world.
She returns home after a fruitless search for her friend, and speaks to her brother of her experiences in the book. He disbelieves her, though she has the strong feeling that Yui has been taken into the Universe of the Four Gods in her own place.

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Yui settled back into the covers after refilling the mugs of chocolate. Miaka's lay untouched from before.

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Determined to find her best friend, she returns to the library and re-enters the book, despite promising her brother to stay away from it. He follows her but is too late to stop her from returning to the Universe of the Four Gods, and begins to read as he reluctantly is forced to believe her earlier words.
On her return, Miaka learns that three months have passed for her seishi. Tamahome has left the palace, though Nuriko and Hotohori are delighted to see her again. She is told that Kutou has become a greater threat in her absence, and the need to find the other four Suzaku Shichi Seishi is urgent.
Nuriko and Miaka depart from the capital and find Tamahome. Miaka is saved by an assassination attempt by a wandering monk, who disappears, though the two seishi and the priestess encounter him once again the next day near Tamahome's home, after a second assassination attempt. He is revealed as Chichiri, another seishi, with the mark of Ii on his knee. Tamahome's family is attacked soon after, and the third assassin killed, but before he dies he tells them of the search for the Priestess of Seiryuu.
Deeply troubled by this information, Miaka realizes that Yui is possibly the Priestess of Seiryuu, and makes her way to Kutou without her seishi, not wishing to put them in any danger. In Kutou, she claims to be the Priestess of Seiryuu, and is taken to the emperor. There she meets again with Yui, and is revealed as the Priestess of Suzaku, losing the precious scroll she was given that was her guide to finding the other Shichisei.

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The blonde shivered, once again clasping Miaka's hand tightly. It was time for her to share the tale as well. "When I had entered the book, I was attacked by a gang of men, much as Miaka was. I wasn't conscious for the last part of it. A man named Nakago, one of the Seiryuu Shichi Seishi, saved me... I believed I was raped, and he didn't tell me otherwise. My confidence in my best friend was being eaten away the longer I waited for her to return. When she finally came to Kutou and I learned of her love for Tamahome... I hated her." Her eyes filled with tears. She would never be able to go through her life without feeling such regret for the problems she had caused. Although she had accepted it as her past, acceptance didn't mean the feelings would go away.
Miaka squeezed her hand gently, watching Shannon soberly. "I won't ask if you can believe all of this yet—but I have told you enough detail now for you to understand the general story. The rest of this is going to be fast, but we don't have enough time for me to tell you everything." Pain clouded her face briefly. "And I don't think I could... go through it all in one night."
Impulsively, the American put her hand over theirs. "Take it at your own pace, Mia," she said quietly. "They are your memories and your emotions. I would be pretty callous if I demanded you to tell me everything right away." She smiled, reassuring, calm. "And although everything sounds a little crazy, I know you both aren't given to fits of delusion."
"Arigatou, Shan-chan," Miaka whispered, blinking away her own tears.

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The Priestess of Suzaku and her seishi escape Kutou and once again search for the missing Shichisei, with the aid of a small mirror from Taiitsukun. They find Genrou, leader of the Mt. Reikaku bandits, who is also known as Tasuki of the Suzaku Shichi Seishi, holding the mark of Tsubasa on his forearm. In a village riddled with a mysterious plague, they find a hermit doctor by the name of Myojuan. After defeating the monster spreading the illness, he is found to have the mark of Shin on his palm, revealing him to be Mitsukake.
Now they have only one more seishi to find, but unknown to the priestess and her companions, one of the Seiryuu Shichi Seishi is masquerading as Chiriko. He saves Miaka's life from a horde of bats using his flute, and is welcomed as a seishi, and the holy rite to summon Suzaku begins at the palace.
"Chiriko" exposes himself as Amiboshi after the ceremony is ruined and attempts to kill them, though the real Chiriko manages to save the lives of the priestess and other seishi. Unlike the others, he is a young child, but filled with vast knowledge. Although the rite cannot be repeated in order to summon Suzaku, Taiitsukun reassures them that on finding the Shinzaho, an item worn by a former priestess during a summoning ceremony, they will be able to summon the phoenix-god of the south.

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She finally paused to take a sip of cooling cocoa, now unable to fight the tears streaming freely down her face. She knew what was to come next in the story, and reciting it brought the pain once again, as well as her fierce pride in her seishi and her grief and guilt over the tumultuous events that had occurred before Suzaku had been summoned—and after.
She shuddered violently, her pupils dilated as the memories assaulted her. Shannon's arms came around her, firm yet gentle, and Yui's hand rubbed her back gently as she cried her own tears. Those days had marked them both.
She spoke haltingly of the massacre of Tamahome's family, and the almost frightening power he wielded. She wept bitterly as she spoke of Suboshi's madness in his belief that his twin brother had been killed by the Suzaku Shichi Seishi, when in reality he had made the choice to fall into a river instead of facing those he had betrayed.
Then it was the story of Nuriko's valiant struggle against Ashitare of the Seiryuu Seishi, and his subsequent death after defeating him; the words flowed freely as she remembered his loyalty and love for his priestess, despite their rocky start. Despite her sorrow, she spoke lovingly of his devotion and his need to put everything he had in his role as her protector. She remembered her devastation when he had no longer been with her, and spoke of it plainly. Her deep pain over his death was soothed by his new life here.
Now, the success of retrieving the Shinzaho from the two Genbu Seishi who had guarded it, long past the ending of their physical lives. She remembered their relieved belief of the search being over, and the hard crash to reality when they were told another Shinzaho, of the Priestess of Byakko, was still needed for the summoning.
Her eyes darkened with remembered horror as she recounted Ashitare's resurrection as a wolf, stealing the Shinzaho and returning it to the hands of Nakago. Mortification and humiliation flushed anew through her body as she spoke of her believed 'rape' by Nakago, and Tomo's attempt after she realized it hadn't happened. A fleeting softness passed over her face as she recalled Amiboshi appearing to save her, despite his ties to the Seiryuu Seishi, her enemy, but faded as she told of Suboshi killing Tomo when he attacked his twin.
Her shoulders slumped as she tried to regain her energy, sapped by the retelling of her adventures and her vivid recollection of it all. Yui snuggled against her side, still rubbing her back gently, locking her eyes with Shannon's.
"To make a long story short, Miaka and the others managed to get the second Shinzaho as well, before I tricked it away from her. They killed one of my seishi, Miboshi, an evil creep... but he fled his body and possessed Chiriko. They... both died when Chiriko killed himself in order to keep Miboshi from staying alive again." Her lips tightened. She had been the source of all Miaka's ills...
"I summoned Seiryuu, and my first wish was to seal Suzaku away. My second was to return me and Miaka to our world, and Tamahome somehow managed to come too... She never mentioned, but I was determined to have Tamahome for myself, to get back at her and hurt her as much as she hurt me..."
"It's okay, Yui-chan," the redhead was quick to urge, hugging her tightly. "I forgave you for that long ago."
Her friend smiled briefly before continuing, "In my jealousy, I called Nakago, begging him to come to this world. Suboshi was first to come, and Tamahome killed him when he attacked Miaka. Then Nakago came, and he nearly killed Tamahome. He wanted me to ask Seiryuu to make him a god, but... I don't know how I found the strength. No, I do," she corrected herself quickly. "Miaka's belief in me, despite everything I did to her and all the heartache I caused her, gave me the strength to make my last wish. I wished for her to have the power to summon Suzaku, and asked her to... to save everyone." She closed her eyes, sighing. "All of her seishi came to her, out of loyalty and friendship. Her first wish was to have me come back, because I was devoured by Seiryuu. I hadn't the will to stand up to him," she explained at Shannon's puzzled look. "So he overtook my body because I wasn't strong enough. Her second wish was to seal Seiryuu, which allowed Tamahome to kill Nakago. Her third... she asked Suzaku to restore the world from the damage caused by all the fighting."
"That should have been the end of the story, but it wasn't." Miaka shifted as she once again took up her part. "Although the seishi had been sent back to the Universe of the Four Gods, Tamahome managed to return somehow, and stayed with me. Not very long after he came back, he was forced back into the book. At the same time, the priestess of Genbu's tombstone was starting to fade. We tried to find the book, but it had disappeared..." She clutched Yui's hand, squeezing it reassuringly. "It ended up that Tomo, who we thought died, had been restored to life by Tenkou, an evil demon. Tomo was controlling Yui and had her steal the book and return to it as the priestess of Genbu, which was why Takiko-san's tombstone was disappearing. I came back to the book, and we sealed Tenkou away. Though... Tamahome couldn't stay in our world because of it."
Shannon continued to hold her wordlessly, and she smiled. "He came back to me, though, as a man named Taka Sukunami, who had no memory of his past in the Universe of the Four Gods. When... when Tenkou came back from his sealing, we had to return to the book again and defeat him." She paused as, suddenly, a memory of Tasuki floated to her mind; kneeling over her, telling him how much he loved her and how he hated Taka for making her cry. She flinched.
When she didn't continue, the American loosened her hold and stood to take the cups to the kitchen. "I know I'm missing a lot of information in between all the important stuff, but I think I get the gist, which is what is important, right?"
"Hai," Yui agreed, as Miaka sagged against her, closing her eyes tightly as her headache returned.
"So these guys... they're these seishi of Miaka's, sans memories?" she guessed.
"Hai. That picture... it's of me during the ceremony to summon Suzaku. I don't know who painted it, or how it got here, but I think either Taiitsukun or Suzaku-sekun has something to do with it." She sighed wearily. "I just don't know why they're here, or what happened in the book's world. It must be something, but..." she trailed off helplessly.
"So where's this book, then?" Shannon returned to the blankets, running her fingers ruthlessly through her short-cropped hair, flicking ebony strands from her eyes. "Let me guess; that's what you were calling your brother for?"
"Hai. It's not at the library, and the scroll we were given during the Tenkou episode disappeared, too."
"Nani?!" Yui jerked at the news, her eyes widening in dismay. "But... who has them?" she whispered, paling. The last time it had been stolen was when she'd nearly caused the non-existence of the first Genbu priestess.
"We don't know." Miaka closed her eyes as tears threatened once again. "We don't know anything, and none of them know anything, and no one's here to tell us anything... I just don't know. I have no idea what we're supposed to be doing!"
She turned her head and wept on Yui's shoulder, exhausted and overwhelmed. Crying was the easiest way to diffuse her stress, and she fell into it gladly. Shannon bit her lip.
"Look, I know I'm not exactly the most knowledgeable about all this, but... you've always been told what to do before, right?" she asked hesitantly. When Yui nodded, she gave a slight shrug. "Deductive reasoning says you'll be told again. Maybe we just need to wait. Perhaps the book and scroll were taken for a reason. I'm sure no one's going to not tell you main characters what you're supposed to do, especially if that Taiitsukun-lady is on your side. Maybe we should just relax and wait for them instead of worrying ourselves over something we can't do anything about. If Keisuke can figure out where the book is, then we can start worrying... but until then, we can't do anything, can we?"
"Not exactly true..." Miaka mumbled, sniffing back the rest of her tears, feeling a little better by both the crying jag and her friend's words. "We've got the seishi. Maybe if we can get them to remember..."
"That's right!" Shannon brightened. "Well, then, we have a plan."
A watery laugh was her only answer—but, at least it was a laugh.


* -- Quoted from the anime. I plagiarized 'em, but hey, isn't plagiarizing legal in Japan? Or something? ;p

Translation Notes:
Moshi moshi: Hello (greeting used in answering phone)
Onii-chan: Big brother
Shichi Seishi/Shichisei/Seishi: Celestial Warriors / Seven Stars ... Suzaku Seven, Seiryuu Seven, etc. Basically the cute guys and girls who protect the priestess. (I think all the cute guys should have fangs... so sexy!)
Nani: What (in this case, a shocked "WHAT?!?!" ;p)

CJ's Blurb: Gomen nasai for the incredibly boring chapter. =/ It is, unfortunately, one of those scenes that has to be there. Shannon's gotta know! ;p Now, before anyone asks: the anime summary wasn't actually a summary of the anime—it was a highlight of points that Shan-chan would have to know, told by Miaka and Yui. A lot of things are missing for a reason; it's very emotional stuff, and it can't be told in one setting. So for those of you who noticed and want to lynch me for breezing over it all... please don't lynch me *cry* And for those of you who want to lynch me for the boring factor... um, please don't lynch me either? =( Pleeeeeeeeeeeeease? I swears I'll try to keep such boring informative chapters outta the future of this fic. *gets on her hands and knees and begs*

KittyLynne: WOW, big review. *swoons* I'm so happy!! I feel loved! I loved writing chapter five, too. I thought it was nice to have a fluffy chapter before this one. YES IT WAS A BRIBE AND I ADMIT IT *grins*
*blushes* Thank you for the compliment! I'm glad you think that, because... well... Miaka's supposed to be Miaka. Hence the "fan" in "fanfiction" *blushes again and swoons into a puddle of CJ-goo 'cause she got complimented by the KL* And yes... Tasuki is a cat person! He is! He wubs Tama and now he'll wub Angel! Haha... it's fate, Tasu-chan, it's fate. Just get used to it, you poor thing. :D -also dances in joy 'cause she's gonna read F&F- Tasuki hasn't been mentioned in it yet, but no worries. He has a huge role. I just have to set up his entrance. ;) So don't be disappointed when you don't read about him yet *sniffle, sniffle*
*just melts into another puddle of goo over all the compliments, then snickers* Who? Shan, like Andy? *cough, cough... glances up at a revealing sentence in this chapter, then coughs again* No idea where you get that idea either... you are such an imaginative woman. *shakes finger!*
*runs from the KL-in-withdrawal and screams* x.x *then nods happily* Quizno's is gooooooooood. If you didn't realize, the mesquite chicken w/bacon is my favorite sub. *swoons* It's so goooooooooooooood... all ranchy and cheesey and gooey and chickeny and... mm-hmm... yes, very good stuff. :D