Chapter Ten: Tai-Yi-Jun

"Watch me daddy! I'm flying the kite!"

"Good work Suzuno!"

"Haha! This is so fun daddy!"

"Come here Suzuno, I want to give you a big hug."

"Why daddy?"

"Because I love you Suzuno. I love you more than the air I breath or all the beautiful flowers in the world. You're my precious little girl."

"I love you too daddy!"

Suzuno opened her eyes, and saw that she was once again in the Emperor's Palace, far, far away from her loving father and their home in Morioka... And suddenly she felt so alone.

They had arrived at the Palace the night before and a doctor had been rushed to Kokie's side. He was hurt badly, but they were sure that he would survive. However, he would not be able to travel for some time.

Being that they were so exhausted, they had decided to go straight to bed and weren't going to make any plans as far as travelling was concerned until the next morning, but as Suzuno looked at the light streaming through the curtains she was sure that it was the afternoon.

Slowly Suzuno turned over and sat up in bed, she was still very tired and felt so heavy, but she rubbed her eyes and threw the blankets off. Beside her bed was a beautiful dress that had been laid out for her, her clothing had been taken to get washed.

The dress was very elegant and Suzuno wasn't too sure she was putting it on properly, but didn't want to call anyone in to help her with it either. She felt like she just wanted to be alone right now. So many things had happened over the last few days. At times she still wondered if it wasn't a dream... or a nightmare...

Suzuno sat herself at the table and began brushing her hair, her small mirror sat on the table and beside it a few of her books, things she had begun to unpack before she had given up and gone back to bed. She took the mirror now and looked into it. Why was she here? Who was she?

"Miko?"

Suzuno turned her head around and found one of the servant girls standing there with her head lowered. "I was sent here to get ask is you would like to come for lunch."

"Yes," Suzuno smiled at the girl, even though she kept her eyes on the ground. "I'll be right there."

--

"Toroki?"

Toroki turned her head and saw Tokaki standing before her. It was around noon and Toroki found herself sitting by a small lake of the palace grounds. She was in complete shock of her surroundings. She had never been in such a grand place, least of all the Emperor's Palace and hadn't been able to sleep in the grand bedroom they had provided for her and all morning she had been getting lost through the many gardens and palace rooms there were.

When she had found the lake she decided to rest and just try to take the last few days in, and now as noon came upon her Tokaki came up to here.

"Can I sit beside you?"

Toroki looked at him unsure for a while and then turned around and shrugged. "Go for it."

Tokaki sat down and looked out at the beautiful crystal clear lake, watching the fish swimming down below him. He had been to the palace many times, but the beauty of it never faltered.

"I wanted to ask you..." He thought about his words carefully.

"Yes?" She looked at him.

"If I can trust you?" He turned and looked at her with a serious look on his face. "Though I hope you don't take offence by the question."

"Hn, no," he combed her fingers through her hair, her bandana was back on her forehead, but her hair was now lose around her back. "I understand if you guys don't trust me, I don't trust you either."

"Don't trust us?"

"Well..." she looked back to the lake. "I don't trust Byakko... and us Seishi are a part of him. I don't even trust myself to him."

"As Seishi, we're in this together, and I want to know if I can count on you."

"I betrayed my best friend for you," the words came out of her mouth calmly, but her mind raged with the hurt she had felt as she looked into her best friend's eyes and seen only hatred. "You can take your own conclusions from that."

"I know how you feel?"

"Oh?" Toroki looked at him, her eyes said that she didn't believe him for a second.

"I lost everyone I held dear as well... but unlike you, I can never have them back." Tokaki didn't look at her as he said the words, afraid that he might show weakness in his eyes. He didn't want to show weakness to a bandit.

"I can never have her back..." Toroki trailed off, and suddenly wondered if maybe she could. Maybe Jian would come around and they could be friends... maybe... No. She pushed the thoughts out of her minds. What good was it to get her hopes up?

"Toroki," he looked deep into her eyes. "You need to give me an answer, and be truthful. Can I count on you to be there for us in the good and bad times ahead?"

Toroki paused, looked back in his eyes. "Yes," she finally said, and Tokaki got a look of relief in his eyes. "But," she started again, and Tokaki paused in uncertainty, "if I find that I have been mislead, I will stop the summoning... Even if it means killing all of you or even me. I will do what I think is right."

Tokaki nodded, some of Toroki's torment shining through.

"So, you trust the word of a bandit?" Toroki asked, raising her eyebrows.

"I don't like bandits, that's no lie... In fact I hate them and I don't normally take their word for anything... But I can tell you're not lying... And if I'm wrong, though I'm normally not," he looked at her with a growing intensity. "I will kill you, even if it means stopping the summoning."

--

The five Seishi and Miko were gathered around the table after having eaten their dinner. They were planning what to do next. Kokie wasn't there with him, being that he was still recovering and Byakko was fiercely watching over him.

Toroki and Tokaki had been the last to arrive at their little dinner, and Subaru couldn't help ask herself why they had been together, especially since Tokaki had shown such a deep seeded hatred towards the bandits.

But the matter was left alone as they began eating and right after they started their planning on the journey that was before them.

Suzuno took out the scroll.

"Amefuri, what exactly do you know about the next Seishi?"

Amefuri thought for a moment. "I know that she lies in the west, and I know her powers."

"She? Her?" Tokaki asked, his interest peaked. "Do you know if she's good-looking?"

"Lau'an," Tatara warned under his breath.

"What? It might help to find her?" Tokaki raised his hands in defence.

"No, I don't know what she looked like," Amefuri stated monotone.

"What about her name?" Subaru asked.

"I am afraid that I do not know her name, just that she is Karasuki."

"Karasuki... the final Shichi Seshi..." Suzuno mumbled to herself, realising how close they were to her goal. Soon she could go home... to her father...

"I love you Suzuno."

Her eyes wandered over to Tatara. Being here, she thought, wasn't so bad.

"What does the scroll tell us?" Amefuri asked, looking over to Suzuno.

"Oh," Suzuno was forced to put her thoughts away and she unrolled the scroll and looked at the final character. Investigator. Beside her was the character for mother.

"Mother," she said silently, thought of her own mother flashing through her head.

"This Seishi has children?" Toroki asked.

Suzuno nodded sadly. Would they be taking away a mother from her child? There were so many dangers following them... What is this Karasuki was hurt... or killed?

"Well that does help," Tatara sighed. "Amefuri, what are her powers?"

"She has the power to move things with her mind, telekinesis."

"So we're looking for a mother who can move things with her mind..." Tokaki thought about it for a moment. "Think she's single?"

Tatara felt himself groan in annoyance.

--

As their planning came to an end, the decision was made that Amefuri, Tatara, Tokaki and Toroki would accompany Suzuno to find Karasuki.

Subaru had said, sounding a little annoyed, that she would rather stay at the palace and watch over Kokie rather than have to travel across the country with such unfavourable company. That's when she looked right at Tokaki, though he was too busy thinking about beautiful women to notice it or her comment.

Amefuri, Tokaki and Toroki had all left by the time Subaru finally left her seat.

"Does he hit on every woman he meets?" Subaru asked Tatara in annoyance.

"Well..." Tatara thought as Suzuno stood up, rolling the scroll back up. "Not every woman. Though there was that time we met that waitress, and then the time we got lost and met all the Emperor's wives... and then that time he met my mother..." Tatara trailed off, remembering all the numerous encounters with lovely ladies the two had had over the past two years together.

"I bet his second character was pervert!*"

Tatara paused as Subaru left in a huff.

"Well actually..."

"You two are very different," Suzuno remarked.

"Heh, yeah. It's a wonder we've stayed friends for as long as we have..."

"Why have you?"

"... Once you get past the womanizing and his temper... there's loyalty and a good heart. He'd do anything for the people he loved," Tatara looked deep into Suzuno's eyes. "When he says he'll die for you, he really does mean it..."

--

"Meow," Byakko greeted Suzuno as she walked down the hallway as the sun set.

"Oh hello Byakko," Suzuno bent down and petting the small cat who started to purr. "Needed a break from Kousa?"

Byakko meowed in response.

"Well, I'm off to look at the temple is you want to join me," Byakko meowed and the two left.

Suzuno found the temple, down a path away from the palace, troches surrounded it giving off an almost magical glow. The building was wooden and round and on the great wooden doors was the character for Byakko carved in gold. The lightly touched the character and almost felt closer to the God.

Was he really evil?

She went to open the door, but then looked down at Byakko. "Apparently you're suppose to cleanse before entering."

Byakko began liking her paws.

Suzuno smiled. "Works for me."

Then Suzuno opened the door, and it swung open easily despite it's size and thickness.

The inside was dark, though candles surrounded her and in the centre she saw a great bowl that held a fire, and beyond it was a fierce statue of Byakko that had been painted white and black and inlaid with golden eyes. It almost looked like a real tiger staring at her through the flames, and the hairs stood on the back on her neck.

She walked in, closing the door behind her and Byakko followed in, careful not to make a sound in such a holy place.

Suzuno could barely describe the feeling that surrounded her, like a thick presence, like she was being watched, and yet it was such a comfortable feeling... a very quiet and intense feeling.

"Byakko... the child of Tai-Yi-Jun..." She said, thinking back to her conversation with Tatara the other day. "I wonder if he can hear me... If either of them can... I wonder if this isn't just some superstitious belief that I've been sucked into..."

She sighed and looked down at Byakko. "Well, I guess it's time for bed," she said and turned to leave.

"Superstitious belief?" An old and scratchy voice came from behind her.

Suzuno turned around slowly. Someone was in there with her! But she did not see a monk or servant hiding in one of the corners, instead she saw a very small, very ugly, and very old figure sitting cross legged in the middle of the fire.

"The Genbu no Miko never said anything so ignorant as that!"

Suzuno's mouth hung opened in disbelief. What in the world was that, that... thing?

"I am Tai-Yi-Jun," she said, the scowl on her face not leaving. "And it certainly is not as pleasurable as I thought it would be to meet you."

"You... you're Tai-Yi-Jun?"

"Didn't I just say that?"

"You're real?"

"Of course I'm real!

Suzuno stepped forward. "But... but how?"

"Don't ask such a stupid question."

"What am I supposed to ask!?!"

"Nothing, if you don't want to."

"Well... Why are you here?"

"Because I think you need a little guidance."

"Oh?"

"I realise the question of whether or not to summon Byakko has come to light. Well that's your choice and your three wishes, but I will tell you this. Byakko is the most temperamental of my sons, though he is not evil."

He is not evil.

"You have come far Miko, and there are many hardships before you... But you..." her face lightened a little. "You will triumph."

Suzuno felt a warmth come to her heart, all doubts seemed to wash away as if they had never been there.

"No I must go. Do you have any questions to ask before I leave you?"

"Well... there is one..."

"Yes, Miko?"

"Are you a boy or a girl?"

*Terms:

Pervert: In Japanese pervert is 'hentai', just in case you've wondered what that means.

(If I met Taiitsukun/Tai-Yi-Jun, that's the first thing I'd ask. You can imagine that after that question there was probably a lot of screaming and hissing, but probably no answer whatsoever, so why bother writing one? It's just a nice little mystery in the world of Fushigi Yuugi. So all the Seishi are almost found, but the story's not quite finished. I mean, how can it be when Tatara and Suzuno haven't really fallen in love yet? Though hopefully my subtle hints aren't too subtle. I must say that I'm having a lot more fun writing them, they've found their character niches, mostly thanks to all you lovely reviewers. I am happy to report that I have gone back and done a quick edit, I probably didn't get all the mistakes I've made, but I have fixed the double spacing which probably annoyed you more than me, and it really annoyed me. Nothing's changed, except I've added Byakko into all the chapters in which I forgot to write her in saying to myself: "I'll do it later" Kinda like Kousa's accent... which I think is all fixed now. One thing that's bugging me is what to call Kousa now. I'm so used to saying Kousa that Kokie feels a little weird. Most people, like Subaru are gonna keep referring to him as Kousa, kinda like Kousa never calls Subaru Subaru, but I'll probably write him as Kokie in the narration. Tell me if it's too annoying and we can fix it. Woohoo! Chapter ten! I was wondering if this day would ever come. This chapter's a little happier than my last, has humour in it at least, which I'm blaming on all the chocolate I've eaten today - oh precious Easter... Ok, let's try to do a poll. Do you think Taiitsukun/Tai-Yi-Jun is a boy or girl? I'm sure anyone who's seen the last episode is just as confused as I am)

Review:

azn: Thank you so much! That really means a lot to me. How was your vacation? I just got back from visiting Chicago myself, America is so weird, but I really loved it! Where'd you go?