Disclaimer: Again, I do not own any thing Fushigi Yuugi. Yuu Watase does. =)

By the way... thanks for the few reviews. Sorry I took so long. Tell your friends about the story, because if it wasnt for the few good reviews, I probably wouldn't have even gotten the next chapter in this soon.

I also promise the chapters will come in sooner now.

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Chapter notes:

The emperor does not introduce himself, but they do call him Aiken-sama. I had this short little part where the emperor introduced himself, but I took it out, so just know that his name is Aiken.

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The Legend of Byakko: Chapter 2

Suzuno awoke slowly to the sound of people talking around her. She sat up gently and looked around to see herself in a room with numerous guards, including the two that were chasing after her, numerous well dressed women with drapes around their faces, and a man with a tall hat upon his head with jewels covered around it. She rubbed her eyes and looked around the room a bit more. She saw that everyone was too preoccupied with what they were discussing to notice that she was awake. Except...

"Have a good nap?"

Suzuno turned to her right to see Tatara sitting on the floor beside the throne chair she was sitting in. He had a devilish smirk on his face. She stared at him for a moment, then giggled at his attempt to be sarcastic. "Actually, yes."

The moment she spoke, everyone in the room turned towards her with glaring eyes. Suzuno curled her feet into the chair and slumped down, hoping they weren't looking at her.

"Girl from another world," one stern voice came from the crowd. Out walked the man with the jeweled hat. He looked like he was in his mid thirties. Sort of attractive. Definitly not Suzuno's type, though. She was only seventeen. "One of my royal ladies came to me and told me of a young man preaching of Byakko no miko." As he spoke, the woman who was watching Suzuno from before stepped out from within the crowd of ladies. She bowed, then stood solemly. "Now we all wonder," he paused,"have you really come to be Byakko no miko?" He looked Suzuno straight in the eyes.

Everyone's attention now went from him, back to her. She began to sweat a bit, and swallowed loudly. She didn't know what to say. One moment, she was in her storage room just being noisy, now she's in a completely different world. Maybe she was dreaming. KD Suzuno then pinched her cheek very hard. "Nope, I'm definitly not dreaming," she said aloud.

"What?" the man said back to her.

"Uhh," she stuttered, "n-nothing. Heh heh," her laugh was very dry. "I didn't say anything..."

"So what is your answer?" he walked to her. Suzuno then realized that this man must be the emperor. 'Well, they were all bowing to him as he walked,' she thought. She stood immidiatly. "I, uh," she didn't really know what to say. 'Being Byakko no miko can't be that hard. Maybe if I do what they want me to do, they'll show me how to get back to my world,' she thought some more. She cleared her throat, and looked down at Tatara, who was attentively listening. She then looked back up at the emperor, "Yes. I have come to be Byakko no miko."

Everyone in the room grew silent, and all slowly bowed to Suzuno. One row after another. And then, the emperor knelt down to her. Suzuno stood, staring out at all these royal people and wondering if she could have ever imagined herself here. They slowly stood, and the emperor shook Suzuno's hand. It seemed like a tear almost filled his eye. "Thank you, Byakko no miko."

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The short brown haired girl sat quivering, holding the book. Her face resemebled Suzuno's, but younger. Her hands shook as she read the words aloud.

"Byakko no miko stood in front of the royal consorts, guards, and the emperor, himself, unsure of the future. The long haired boy from the city, stood to her side. His handsom face made Byakko no miko weak at her knees." Yuren stared at the page for a moment, eyes wide open. Her eyes became glossy. "Is Byakko no miko," she paused, "One-chan?" Yuren, luckly, started taking Chinese a couple of years ago as an extra course. She looked around and realized that she was still sitting in her storage room. She stood quickly and ran to a window. She saw numerous girls from her school running because they were late. That's what her and Suzuno would be doing if they had left then like planned.

Yuren looked herself over, and gently tugged at her blue school skirt. She sat down slowly, and again, gently pulled on her skirt. She examined it as if something was wrong. She then shook her head and began reading the story again.

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The bright sun shined through the blinds of Suzuno's bed chambers. She sat on her bed, dangling her feet above the ground, thinking. 'Ehhh... I wish I knew more of this miko business,' she KD scrunched up her nose and then gave out a big sigh. 'What if it was the wrong descision? What if I'll never go back to my world?' She stopped swinging her feet, and then looked down at her school uniform she was wearing. "Yuren," she said quietly to herself, "I wonder if she's ok. She saw me when I came in here." Suzuno then scrunched her nose again and gave out a big huff, "I bet she went running to school and doesn't even care." KD Suzuno began to cry prefusly. "WAAAaaaaaaahhh," she sniffed in, "my family doesn't care about meeeee!" she whined.

"Are you sure about that?" A stern, yet playful, voice came from the opened doorway. Suzuno sat montionless, staring at Tatara. KD Tatara blinked with confusion, not knowing much about women. He smiled and walked over to her bed and sat next to her, "Heeey, you shouldn't think such horrible things of your family. I doubt they don't care about you." He put his hand over Suzuno's hand which she was leaning on for balance. Imidiatly, KD Suzuno began blushing emencly. Tatara looked at Suzuno, then down at their hands. He moved his hand off of hers and noticed Suzuno's blushing going away. KD Tatara slowly put his hand back on, and saw her blush again. He KD did it numerous times.

"Ahheee!! Would you stop?" KD Suzuno yelled while elbowing him to the head.

Tatara rubbed his head, then sat very quietly next to her. He looked back up at her, "What's your family like?"

Suzuno looked up from her dangling feet, and saw that Tatara had concern in his eyes. She gave out a sigh, then looked back at her dangling feet again. "Well, I have a father, and a sister."

"No mother?" Tatara asked.

"No. She died when I was younger."

Tatara got quieter. "I'm sorry."

Suzuno, suprised, looked up at Tatara. She smiled. "It's alright. Don't feel bad. I have the greatest dad in the world to make up for it." She said, smiling even more now. "He works all the time, though, so Yuren and I never see him."

Tatara paused for a moment, "Yuren? Your sister?"

"Yes."

"Byakko no miko discussed her family with the long haired boy from the market, Tatara. Tatara asked of his sister." Yuren dropped the book and began blushing. She didn't understand why.

"When I came to this world, I saw her standing at the doorway of my storage room. Her eyes were glassed over, as if she was going to cry."

"That means she does care," Tatara said, smiling once more.

"Na.. ne?"

"She probably didn't want you to leave. She was scared."

Suzuno stared down at her feet again.

"She seems like a brave little girl for even checking it out."

Suzuno sat in silence, then sighed, and smiled. "She is."

Tatara stared at Suzuno. He could see something was troubling her deeply. He reached for a seed from his necklace, and grabbed Suzuno's hand.

"Na ne?" Suzuno stared at her hand in Tatara's.

He placed the seed into her palm, then put his hand over. Suzuno could feel warmth producing in her palm. She looked down and on the back of his hand was a glowing chinese symbol. "Lasso," she said aloud. Something was happening in between their hands. Tatara smiled at her, then looked down at his hand over hers. He slowly moved it, and in her palm was a fully bloomed rose head. It was a bright yellow rose, full of life. Suzuno's eyes glissened as she stared down at the beautiful flower. She looked up at Tatara again. "How did you--?"

"I am Tatara, one of the seven Byakko seishi."

"Byakko... seishi?" Suzuno was confused.

"Yes... there are seven Byakko warriors who's soul purpose is to protect Byakko no miko, and to help her summon the beast God, Byakko."

"So you are one of them?"

"Yes."

"How did you know you were a Byakko seishi?"

Tatara sighed, then smiled. "When I was young, my father would always tell me the tale of a young girl coming from another world and saving Sairou and it's people. My father cares so much about the people of Sairou, as do I, now. He told me that I would grow up to be a Byakko seishi... every day. It's almost," he paused, and blushed a bit, "a dream come true..."

Suzuno blushed, and immidiatly looked down at her feet.

"... It's almost a dream come true that you came, now," Tatara looked over at Suzuno. She could see him staring at her, so she looked up at him as well. "Sairou needs peace more than ever now. Kotou is trying to take over. Your coming here is like an answer to our prayers."

"...Tatara..." Suzuno mumbled.

Just then, an imperial soldier came to the door. "Byakko no miko, you have been summoned to the Emperor's throne room."

Suzuno looked over at Tatara.

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"Byakko no miko," The emperor stood from his throne chair and began walking towards her, "I am more than happy that you are our miko," he paused, "You quest will began tomorrow."

"My.... quest...?"

"Hai." He turned towards his chair. "To gain the power of Byakko, you must gather the seven Byakko seishi."

"The Byakko seishi? Like Tatara?"

"Tatara? You mean that boy's name is Tatara?"

"Hai, Aiken-sama."

"Then yes, like Tatara. There are seven celestrial warriors that you must gather from all of Sairou. They each have a symbol on their body to represent that they are one of the chosen Byakko seishi."

"You want me to," she paused, "gather the chosen seven Byakko seishi?"

He turned back to her. "Hai. They are: Tokaki. Kokie. Subaru. Ameturi. Karasuki. Tatara. Toroki. You must find them."

She stared out for a moment, then clinched her fist to her side. She looked up at the emperor. "I will!"

They both stood there, then the emperor turned to one of his male consorts. "Prepare horses for her. And armored men."

"Hai, Aiken-sama!" The man walked off.

"You may leave if you wish," the emperor turned and smiled at her. "Explore the palace. I think you will enjoy it."

Suzuno stared at him for a moment, then smiled and ran for the door. "Arigatou, Aiken-sama!" She reached for the handle of the tall throne doors, and opened them slowly. "Aaaahheeee!!" Suzuno squeeled as Tatara fell to her feet. She opened her eyes, and stared down at him, breathing in deeply and slowly.

"Ah!" KD Tatara stood quickly. "There's that--uh," he picked up a leaf quickly from the ground in front of her, "leaf you were looking for cook-san!" He waved at a cook walking by with pots in his arms. The cook looked confused, but just continued walking with the strange look on his face. KD Tatara gave a quick dry laugh and rubbed the back of his head. "Heh heh..."

Suzuno stared at him, and you could see a giggle coming on through her face. Then SLAP! KD Suzuno walked away, laughing insanely, from KD Tatara with a big red hand print on his cheek.

Tatara watched her walk away, and began rubbing his cheek. "Women..." he muttered. He walked slowly behind her.

Suzuno walked around the palace, and into a strange court yard. 'Hmm,' she thought to herself, 'This looks like fighting grounds or something.' She walked towards it more, but then saw that there was a woman fighting a man. "What's going on?!" She almost started to run into the court, but Tatara grabbed her arm. "Na ne?"

"They're only practicing."

Suzuno looked from Tatara, back to the woman and the man. They were practicing. The woman was throwing punches and the man was catching them. Every 3 hits or so, she'd throw in a kick. She was fast. And beautiful. She had long white wavy hair and beautiful matching eyes. The top of her head had pinned hair. She was wearing the robes of a female royal consort, but she was not wearing the drapes around her face like the others do. "She's so good." Tatara nodded. Suzuno walked slowly closer so she could see the woman in action.

The woman swung right swiftly, and the man barely caught it in time. Immidiatly following, she swung left, and aimed right for his face. He barely caught that one as well. If he had been a second slower, he would have gotten knocked out. Then, she swung her leg around her body and the man tried to quickly turn his arm towards it, but he was too slow. BAM! The man was down on the ground, holding his side and groaning.

"Wow!" Suzuno exclamed loudly. The woman looked over swiftly, and immidiatly gasped and ran for her drapes that were on the ground. "Eh..?" Suzuno watched as the girl threw the cloth around her beautiful face and covered her hair. The girl ran towards the staircase that Tatara and Suzuno stood on. "Na ne..." Suzuno watched the girl running towards her, knowing she'd run right by Suzuno. "No! Wait!" Suzuno quickly jumped in front of the woman, and the girl had to stop.

The girl stared at the ground, and then fell to one knee. "Byakko no miko!"

"Please, stand." Suzuno held her hand out for the girl, and she looked up at it with suprise. The girl grabbed Suzuno's hand, and stood face to face with her. "You're an amazing fighter, miss." Suzuno smiled and tried to praise the girl. But the girl only looked down at the ground again, blushing.

Tatara looked closely at the girl, then BINGO! He snapped his finger. "I've got it!"

Suzuno and the girl both looked up at him.

"You're the girl who told the emperor about Suzuno."

The girl's eyes widened, and she nodded.

"Really?" Suzuno smiled once more at the shy woman.

"Hai, Suzuno-sama," the girl finally spoke solemly. "I saw you when you were running from the guards. I could tell immidiatly that you were Byakko no miko, but I said nothing because of my fear of being wrong to the emperor." The girl finally looked up at Suzuno, again. "Then I saw this man," the girl paused, "Tatara... preaching to the city about it. So, I ran to the emperor and exclaimed that Byakko no miko," the cloth around the girls head fell back and her face was revealed once more, "had come to save us."

Suzuno stared into the girls eyes. She felt mesmorized by the girl's beauty. And her words. Suzuno suddenly smiled greatly and hugged the girl. The girl's eyes widened because she didn't understand Suzuno's sudden happiness. "You can come on the quest for the emperor!" Suzuno said with great optimism.

"Na... ne?" Tatara and the girl both muttered.

"I am supposed to set out tomorrow to search for the seven Byakko seishi. Please, come with me!" Suzuno smiled at the girl, and held her hand in hers.

The girl's eyes began to gloss over. She smiled at Suzuno, then nodded. "If you wish, Byakko no miko."

Suzuno jumped with the girls hands in hers. The girl giggled at Suzuno's entusiasm. Even Tatara, who was dissappointed that he was not shown as much enthusiasm, chuckled at Suzuno. She suddenly stopped. "Ehh.... what's your name?" KD Tatara and the KD girl both fell to the ground.

The girl smiled again, but this time, it was more than just a humerous smile. "My name is Hahm Dourin...," the girl said as she reached over to the railing, and picked up a small hurt black bird. It's wing looked damanged. "But back home...," she placed one hand over the bird, and her hands began to glow white, as well as the bird, "they call me....-- " the bird then look perfectly fine; as if nothing had happened. She let the bird go and it flew off into the sky. "--Subaru!"

"Subaru!" Suzuno and Tatara gasped.

"I am," she looked into Suzuno's eyes, "a Byakko seishi!"

[Insert Fushigi Yuugi Ending Theme]

The drapes around Subaru's head finally blew off in the wind. Her hair glissened in the sun light. Suzuno and Tatara stood, staring at her, in awe.

'So,' Suzuno thought, 'I have two Byakko seishi assembled. Now, five more to find.' Suzuno stared back at Subara again. Her hair blew rapidly beside her, as the day soon came to an end.