Warnings and Disclaimers on Chapter one!!

Thanks: I really want to thank Shamanic Nuriko and Chibi Leelee Milo for your reviews!! Luv y'all and pleez continue to review! Oh and the last chapter, the italics are screwed in Nuriko's flashbacks! Sorri!! I felt like rewriting just a little part of this because it made it flow better!

Willow's Heart-- The Confrontation

"Apology not accepted, heika-sama."

"Nuriko, please. You know yourself that I have so much to prove as an emperor. I have certain priorities." Hotohori pleaded. Nuriko turned away from the emperor and felt sadness overcome him. This was affecting him more than he thought it would. He knew that it was some feeling he had had for this man in the past that caused him to become weak. "Nuri-chan…"

"Don't… Don't call me that!" His emotions took over. "You have no idea what you put me through! This has been your life, trapped, but still surrounded with people who accept you and are loyal to you! You do not truly feel lonely under these circumstances! I, on the other hand, have only been truly accepted by a select few. Even my fellow Suzaku warriors do not feel comfortable around me. I'm just the perverted cross dresser that everyone gets to hate and tease. Well, I'm tired of it!" Where did all that come from?

"I…I didn't know you felt that way." Hotohori grimaced at the sudden outburst from his former lover.

"I have nothing to do with you, except that we are both bound to that one fate of being seishi here to protect our miko." Nuriko's right hand clasped his left forearm and started a smooth rubbing motion to calm himself. "The only one who treats me like a person is Tasuki and Miaka." He said softly and started to walk out of the gardens. Hotohori could only look on, his emotions in chaos.

******

"Nuriko-kun, you look a little pale, no da. Is everything alright?" Nuriko glanced up at the blue-haired monk, and then remembered who he was.

"Chichiri-san, thank you for your concern, but I am fine. I am just a little tired from the happenings of this day. I still cannot believe I was under Seiryuu control." Chichiri put a gentle hand on his fellow seishi's shoulder and gave a smile on that mask of his.

"Maybe I should give you an examination to make sure that there is nothing wrong."

"No!" Nuriko said a little too quickly. "I mean, no thank you. I would rather just rest it off. It's probably just exhaustion." Chichiri nodded, suspicion rising in his senses, but gave a final pat on Nuriko's back and walked away. "Too close." Nuriko leaned against the railing of the balcony outside his room.

Nuriko-koi. A very soft, muffled mental voice came to him.

Nakago-sama? Is that you? I completely forgot about our connection. Nuriko opened his mind to the general, allowing him permission into the wave patterns of their exchange. Everyone here is so strange. I know I know them and it's a good thing that I remember what I need to remember. This Nuriko before me was definitely one who attracted a lot of heartbreak. And with all this, I know my past self was here with them. Everything is too familiar for them for this Nuriko not to be real.

That was your past life. That life no longer exists because you were reborn into acceptance. That heartbreak was the thing that turned you to me.

I would figure… it's very hard to live in his past. Nuriko smiled at his lover's deep voice. His strenuous meetings with Tasuki and Hotohori were fading away with every word that came on the connection they shared.

"Nuriko!"

Hearing that voice, Nuriko sent a mental hug to the blonde general. I'll talk later.

******

~Nakago's POV~ (Seiryuu stronghold - Nakago's quarters)

 I decided to contact Nuriko in his new surroundings. I still wondered if he was okay and if he was being treated properly. Even though the chi ball I sent at him earlier was weak, it was still powerful enough to knock him out.

Nuriko-koi. I reached out to him, my mind only focusing on those rose eyes that had followed my every move with seduction.

Nakago-sama? I felt him open up to me. Is that you? I smiled. I completely forgot about our connection. There was slight amusement in his voice as well as an unspoken apology. I could never be upset at him for long. Everyone here is so strange. I know I know them and it's a good thing that I remember what I need to remember. This Nuriko before me was definitely the one who attracted a lot of heartbreak. I did not know if I should be happy that Nuriko was getting bits and pieces of his memory back. What if he left me?

That heartbreak was the thing that turned you to me. I needed to make sure Nuriko would not leave me.

I would figure. That calmed my nerves. It's very hard to live in his past. I enjoyed the sound of his melodic voice through our connection. I missed touching him and feeling his body next to mine. He seemed about to say something, but I heard a loud noise from his side. I knew someone was calling him.

Suddenly, I felt familiar arms around me and though I knew that he was not really there, I smiled because I could mentally feel that he cared for me. However, I was surprised at the tender and innocent gesture of affection he bestowed on me, but I'm not complaining. I'll talk later. I heard him say this and then the connection was shut off. I sighed and opened the doors of my chambers. I would relax with a few books in the library.

******

~Normal POV~ (Konan palace)

Nuriko swiftly flung his braid over his shoulder and turned elegantly. "Hai… oh, Tasuki-kun. Ohayou! Did you sleep well?" Rose eyes found golden flame, as the bandit did not answer. "Ne, Tasuki-kun, daijoubu ka? Anything I can help with?" A blush rose on the golden skin of his comrade and a tight shake of the head was his only response. Nuriko glided gently to Tasuki's side. "Arigato gozaimasu, Gen-chan."

"Eh, for what?" Tasuki's voice finally came to him.

"For staying with me last night. You were very kind." Nuriko carefully and softly placed a butterfly kiss on the bandit's cheek. His impulse to do this was just too strong. "You were always special to me, Gen-chan." He whispered before he swept away, like the leaves of the willow tree. Am I starting to remember more, or do I truly care about this bandit. Tasuki, Genrou, unknown feelings, strange proclamations, but of the Suzaku… while I am with the Seiryuu. Nakago, trust, beginnings of… love, oh, and great sex. Then again, Tasuki and I have never even gone that far. However, getting closer to Tasuki may be the only way I can get to the core of the Suzaku to destroy them. The feeling of destroying Gen-chan seems unbearable… can't stop thinking about these things. Gen-chan and Nakago… so different, yet my feelings for them seem almost similar. Seiryuu-sama… help me get through this. Nuriko slid down the wall outside his room and wrapped his arms around his legs, pulling them to his chest.

"Nuriko-san, is anything wrong, no da?" Nuriko's gaze shifted up as his rose eyes connected with the monk's mask-covered face. He shook his head and gave a small smile. "Are you sure you do not want me to do a quick check? It might do you some good, no da."

"I shall be fine, Chichiri-kun. My mind is still quite confused at the events of this day, but I pray that a good night sleep will rid me of my worries." Nuriko smiled softly. In his mind, he knew that Chichiri was starting to suspect that something was wrong. "I should rest for a while. I shall see you probably at the noon meal." Nuriko stood, brushed himself off and gave Chichiri a slight bow before heading towards his quarters.

There is something not quite right with Nuriko. Suzaku-sama, please protect us. Chichiri turned and left.

Just around the far corner, a pair of rose eyes narrowed and glowed an eerie blue before settling back down into its owner's soul. He's starting to suspect...

"Nuriko-kun." The violet-haired seishi's heartbeat quickened as he turned his head, his back still firmly against the wall. "I have a message for you."

"Aa, Amiboshi-kun, do not scare me like that, please. I am having a hard enough time with the Suzaku and I do not need to be followed just to make my troubles worse." Amiboshi ran a hand through his sandy-blonde hair and stared at the beautiful young man before him.

"Now I know what he sees in you." Nuriko looked as if he was about to say something, but a swift hand from the younger seishi stopped him. "While you were with us in such a short period of time, I hated you because of how you just seemed to take over, then I started to respect you because of the way you handle Nakago…" He looked up and saw the Nuriko had a wicked gleam in his eyes. "No! Not that kind of handling!" Amiboshi's face went red and then he went back to his normal coloring when he felt a gentle hand on his shoulder. The elder of the twins met the wide rose eyes and he smiled softly. "I then admired you for your fighting skills that seemed to come so naturally to you." Suddenly, he found himself in a room with Nuriko closing the windows and tightly locking the door and windows. Transportation spell. "A…and finally I even started to like you…" Nuriko was suddenly fairly close. "…But I am not sure if I like you as a friend or even as a brother." Nuriko's expression was calm and expressionless.

"Ami-chan, these feelings of yours..." The younger seishi looked at his 'fellow' seishi and was startled at the suddenness of a new nickname. "You are not in love with me. You may love me, but you are not in love." Nuriko reached up and lightly caressed the younger seishi's face. Though he may be older, he was slightly shorter than Amiboshi.

"I am guessing that as well now. However, I do care for you." I do not know what I feel. The blonde seishi tried a small smile and thankfully, it succeeded.

"Thank you, dear Ami-chan. I love the compliment, I truly do." Amiboshi smiled and handed the other seishi a plain white envelope. "Arigatou gozaimasu. We will talk soon, ne?"

"You know it." The mood suddenly lightened up, but Amiboshi had to do one more thing before leaving. He quickly pulled the slightly smaller seishi to him and tilted his head before capturing the sweet lips in nothing short of a passionate kiss. "I just may fall in love with you." Amiboshi said when he pulled away and then he disappeared through the power of Seiryuu leaving a strangely happy Nuriko in the sunlit room, holding his fingers to his lips in wonder.

A sudden knocking at the door shook Nuriko from his wonder-filled daze. "Hai, who is it?"

"It's me, Tasuki. Is everything alright in there and why is your door locked?"

"I…I am just resting a bit." Nuriko lied as he swiftly and silently went to the door. He unlatched it and welcomed Tasuki in. He sat on the bed to discreetly place the envelope under the pillows. "I did not wish to be disturbed by someone barging into my room, so I latched it. Are you here to find me for some reason, Tasuki-kun?"

"Miaka just asked that you be at the noon meal." Nuriko nodded and got up. "I shall escort you." Nuriko widened his rose eyes at the strangely courteous bandit, but thought better than to question the younger man. He giggled when Tasuki held out his arm and the violet-haired seishi accepted it with just a hint of amusement. He found that Tasuki still wasn't moving from his spot.

"Tasuki-kun?" Nuriko looked up and drowned in depths of gold. Looking away, he tried to catch his breath. "Let's go, shall we?" He said a little breathlessly.

What was he going to do?

~~~~~~~

Took so long to finish this chapter because of writer's block… and about the whole Amiboshi thing: I was thinking about having them have one night together, but then I decided against it because of their lack of time together and because Nuriko is not the kind of person to sleep around!! Maybe when he is detached… or will he ever be detached? Chapter too short *disappointment*! I'll try to do better next time. Review! Comments? Suggestions? Anything, but flames! Constructive criticism accepted! Thank you for reading! Luv ya!

~Nuriko no Tenshi~