Between Seishi And Gods

by Kryssa

The Seishi are blessed with ketsu animals that bond to humans and are now called to protect their country and each other by summoning Suzaku. Ch. 20: Despite new and painful knowledge, the Suzakus will head off to Hokkan... after Kishuku goes home.

6. HE'S a Chosen Seishi?

Disclaimer: I disclaim all rights of Fushigi Yuugi. I own anything or anyone you don't recognize as canon.

Warnings: Shun'u language, but nothing to be particularly worried about.

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OK, this is getting to be reeeeeally tedious. Couldn't they at least wait until we got healthy? Jeez… Kishuku thought, fidgeting in his seat and resettling his injured leg. Or maybe they planned it this way, like trapping us here.

Two days had passed since 'The Brawl', as Shun'u so lovingly named it, and both Shun'u and himself boys were well on the road to recovery. Since it was the first time when they were awake and coherent, some of the higher echelon men rounded up Ryuuen, Shun, and himself to have a small discussion about the events of that day. Now really, it wouldn't have been so bad if the men at least pretended to treat the boys like equals. Instead, Kishuku was getting royally sick of the men humoring them and repeating questions to try and get answers they wanted to hear instead of what the boys were actually saying. To further irritate the trio, all the ketsus had been removed from the room, leaving the Warriors feeling open and defenseless.

At the moment, Kishuku was wishing desperately for a reason - any reason - to get away from this nonsense. Shun'u was incredibly "displeased" with the invasion of his hospital room, and Ryuuen acted as if he would bolt at the drop of a feather, sitting on Shun'u's opposite side and glancing at the window with hope-filled eyes. They had been at this question/answer game for almost 2 hours and the fun was wearing thin. Rubbing his eyes with his hand, Kishuku came to a very firm conclusion.

I think I'd rather be fighting the tigers now…

Dragging his attention to the present situation, Kishuku managed to catch a question, and answered. "Again, I don't know who they were. All I know is that they were tigers when I fought them. I didn't know until this morning they were Seiryuu Seishi."

"So none of you have any enemies? No one you can think of that would come after you with such a vengeance?" the blond man asked, definitely the most talkative (and pushy) of the four scribes. "Because for a street battle, that was very vicious and almost personal. There must be some kind of a reason behind it. Perhaps the attacks jarred your mind, or you chose to push away the terrible memories of that day."

"As far as I know, I wasn't hurt and I haven't tried to repress any of my memories," Ryuuen answered politely. "I can say with great certainty that there are no personal connections between myself and the Seiryuus and I'm quite sure Shun'u and Kishuku hold no ties to Kutou."

Kishuku inwardly marveled at the Nuriko Seishi's composure and patience. That was the third time that question came around.

"And none of your ketsu know who they are?" a second asked, repeating another question.

Shun'u spoke this time, his voice surprisingly even. "Nope. I guess the bad guys were shielding or somethin, 'cause Genrou didn't mention nothin 'bout knowin they were Seiryuus."

"I agree," Ryuuen said. "Even Kohana doesn't know more than we do."

That seemed to quell the clerks for a moment. They spoke among each other, as if the Warriors weren't in the room, as if they were children too young to add to their "grown-up" discussion.

Since they were being ignored, Kishuku decided to make the best of it. He leaned over Shun'u's bed and, when Ryuuen saw the others starting a talk, he scooted closer until their heads formed a small triangle.

"I don't know about you two, but I'm ready to shift and run like hell," he said, only half-joking.

"Shit, I'll race ya t' Hokkan, for fuck's sake!" Shun'u hissed.

"Heh, not with those injuries you're not," Ryuuen broke in. "Nice try though."

"Damn…" the redhead cursed, then brightened. "Hey, don't suppose you'd car-"

"-We have a few more questions we feel need to be answered," one of the scribes interrupted them, earning and ignoring the glares of three ticked-off Seishi. "But if you wouldn't mind sitting here for another… hour or so, we should be done by then. Does that sound acceptable?"

A look of intense pain crossed Shun'u's face. Ryuuen let out a sound that could have been a whimper. Kishuku just took a deep breath and tried to keep from banging his head against the nearest wall.

Get rid of them. Suzaku, please, I'll do anything, but please… just make them go away!

And surprisingly, his prayers were answered with the knock on the closed door.

He looked up at the ceiling with a grin.

Thanks for the prompt service!

"C'mon in!" Shun'u shouted before the questions could start up again.

Kishuku perked up even more when he saw a familiar blue head come through the threshold. "Hope I'm not interrupting anything, no da," Houjun smiled curiously.

"Oh, of course not!" Kishuku grinned.

"Not a damn thing!" Shun'u nodded firmly.

"Care for a seat?" Ryuuen chimed in last, standing up to solidify the offer.

To Kishuku's surprise, the registrars quickly stood up and bowed at Houjun with utmost respect. "Ri-sama! We didn't know you were coming today! We would have finished before you arrived!" the blond exclaimed, not meeting Houjun's eyes.

Shun'u caught Kishuku's attention and mouthed "Ri-sama?", to which Kishuku replied with a shrug and gesture that clearly said "beats me".

"Oh, it's no fault of yours, no da. I merely came to chat with these fine young men for a time, no da," he explained quite calmly, apparently used to the intense amount of courtesy being paid to him. "Are you through here, or should-"

"Yes, yes! We are quite through!" one man nodded furiously. The four bowed repeatedly, walking out of the room still bent in half. "Excuse us, Ri-sama. Good day to you."

"And to you too." He bowed politely, waiting until the door had slammed shut before letting out a relieved, "Finally, no da!"

The Warriors broke into laughter, their own thoughts echoed in Houjun's exclamation.

"You get hounded by those bastards too?" Shun'u asked, a fanged grin on his face.

"No, I just spend many of my waking hours with their kind, no da," Houjun sighed, looking quite long-suffering. "And they're not even Seishi, which makes it that much worse, no da. They just can't understand us…"

Ryuuen nodded, as if the pain was shared and very well understood. "I feel your agony, sir. And if I may introduce myself, I am Chou Ryuuen, Nuriko Warrior. I don't believe we've met, though you do look familiar." Moving away from the door over to the left side of the bed, Houjun introduced himself and the two bowed to each other.

Then the Chichiri Seishi took notice of the nearby window. "Would you mind if I opened it, no da? This room is uncomfortably stuffy, don't you agree?"

"Uhm…" Kishuku thought a moment. "Did the docs say it was OK? You know, they were all paranoid last night about Shun here, thinking he'll accidentally catch ill or something."

"Which is stupid," the redhead muttered. "I kin take care o' myself."

"Your shoulders say otherwise," Kishuku retorted.

"Ass."

"Jerk."

Houjun wisely interrupted the duo before the verbal abuse could escalate to anything that would keep them in the Hospice any longer. "Well, I am learned enough in doctoral skills to say both of you look like you need some fresh air, no da. So…"

He opened the window as high as it could go, and within seconds, a wolf and a leopard had jumped inside the room and were embraced by their ecstatic Seishi partners. Genrou had taken up rest across Shun'u's legs while Toshi sat next to Kishuku and laid his head on his Seishi's lap.

Ryuuen had jumped to the open window, looking furiously for Kohana. He nearly fell out of it when she suddenly popped up from underneath the sill and gave him a hug.

"Aaaa!! Damn panda, you scared me to death!"

Kishuku didn't hear Kohana's reply, but when she started to pull Ryuuen out of the window he figured she didn't like being yelled at. Shun'u laughed uproariously as Ryuuen spouted a line of apologies in the attempt to appease his ketsu.

'Missed ya,' Kishuku admitted, petting the leopard's sensitive forehead.

'Sorry I couldn't rescue you, but I'm here now,' Toshi explained, a purr escaping his throat. 'Not that we need to save you from Houjun, but it's the thought that counts.'

Then Houjun, with a magically appearing Shonin by his side, spoke for all to hear. "Sorry to interrupt the amusement, but I need to speak with you about the other day, no da. To begin, I need to apologize to you, Shun'u and Kishuku, and you too, Ryuuen." He bowed low and deeply to the Warriors, kneeling at the edge of the bed with his head shamefully close to the ground. "Please accept the apologies of this foolish man."

Kishuku was stunned stupid - Houjun had done absolutely nothing to him that could warrant such an excuse. Even Shonin was prostrate before them. And poor Ryuuen looked completely thrown off, since he'd never met Houjun until a few minutes ago.

"What the hell for? And would you get up - yer makin me nervous kneelin like that," Shun'u said, his face reflecting the truth of that statement.

Houjun lifted his head though he did not get up from the ground. "When I read the scroll, I was overcome with an ominous premonition of danger and I failed to warn you of my feelings. I am not be a far-seer, nor am I clairvoyant, but if I had spoken of it to you beforehand, this event could have been avoided. Or to the very least extent, your injuries could have been averted."

Kishuku shook his head. "I… don't think so. I mean, I understand what you're saying, but I don't think us being hurt could have been avoided. Someone had to be there to take the fall, and I'm glad it was us instead of a couple untrained Seishi or even a crowd of innocents. So please, don't bow and don't look so repentant. You didn't do anything, so there's nothing to be sorry about."

"Right!" Shun'u nodded firmly, and both ketsu joined their mental agreement.

Houjun smiled slightly, then stood up and took a seat at the edge of the bed. "Since you have been kind enough to accept my apologies… I need to talk to you about what happened the day of the fight, no da."

Ryuuen sighed, perching on the windowsill beside Kohana's paws. "We've already done this about a hundred times. Saying it again won't change anything."

"I'm not looking for information about the fight, no da," Houjun said, gathering Shonin to his lap. "These are going to sound like odd questions but… one of you is a Tasuki Seishi correct?"

"Me!" Shun'u raised his hand gleefully, then winced in pain at the strain on his shoulder.

"Then you're a Tamahome," Houjun pointed to Kishuku, and then turned to Ryuuen. "And you're a Nuriko."

"Yup. You got us," Kishuku nodded. "But if I can ask… why? What's it matter?"

"Perhaps it would be best for me to start at the beginning. Would I be correct in assuming you've all heard of the legendary Chosen Suzaku no Shichiseishi, no da," he seemingly drifting from the subject. When greeted by a round of nods, he kept going. "How much do you know?"

They sat in silence for a few moments, bringing up old dusty memories that came from various places, from history books to oral stories and everything in between.

Lemme think… Mikos and Seishi, Seishi and Mikos… "Aren't they supposed to actually bring Suzaku down from the heavens, that with the right grouping of Seishi, the god can be called?" Kishuku volunteered first.

"I heard that the Miko involved is the focal point, and that she's really what matters," Ryuuen put in. "Any Seishi will do, but it's the right Miko that'll actually call Suzaku. Any other one won't be able to keep her mind against the will of Suzaku."

Shun'u shook his head. "Well I heard it don't matter which Seishi or Miko ya got, jes' as long as they can make a deep enough bond to withstand Suzaku's coming, an' that Suzaku enters th' Miko and grants her three wishes."

'It also works that way for the other animal gods. But so far, no one's been able to find their Chosen Shichi,' Kohana piped up.

Houjun quickly intervened before they could get too far from his intended subject. "In many ways, you're all correct in reciting what the ShiJinTenChiSho says about the Chosen Seishi, no da. The summoning requires both a specific group of Seishi and Miko. No one knows if this is only legend, if they would ever come down to save Konan from its pains. At least… not until now."

Ryuuen dropped his feet to the floor with a resounding 'thud', shocked completely speechless. Shun'u and Kishuku sat bolt upright, looking as if they would come down on the older man if no answers were given.

'Oh dear gods, does this mean what I think it means?' Kishuku thought wildly.

'If it does, my beloved, then we had better listen to what Houjun has to say,' Toshi said, trying his hardest to be calm despite the whirlwind Kishuku could feel running through his mind too.

"Does this have anythin ta do with th' scroll?" Shun'u asked, the first to find his voice, though shaky it may be.

"It has everything to do with that, no da. The new ShiJinTenChiSho gave us clues as to which Seishi will be the ones with the ability to call Suzaku, and I believe I may have found most of them, no da."

That one sentence caused the hearts the listeners to stop beating. Kishuku felt as if he'd just been hit right in the stomach and he vaguely noticed Ryuuen actually fell backwards and had to brace himself on the ledge. Even the ketsus had gone perfectly still. Not surprisingly, Shun'u was the first to speak. However, when Kishuku looked at him, there was an odd spark of vitality in his eyes; he'd gone straight passed stunned into outright ecstatic.

"Dammit, don't just sit there! Tell us more! Who is it how'dya know when's th' summoning?" he demanded from the Priest. "And why the hell are ya here with a bunch'a lowly Warriors 'stead of talkin to th' Emperor or Donai-san?

"I have a very good reason as to why I came to you three before speaking to the others, no da. See, there are two characters for each Seishi - the clues, no da," Houjun spoke easily, then looked at Shun'u with an odd seriousness to his face. "They named the Tasuki Seishi a 'blaze runner', no da. Does that mean anything to you, Shun'u?"

Blaze runner… and Kishuku felt his mouth drop down to the floor. Oh… my… God…

Ryuuen's hand went to his mouth, moving in slow motion as he realized just what Houjun was getting at. "You mean… Shun… is the Chosen Tasuki?" Houjun simply nodded.

Shun'u couldn't even respond. Hearing how close that description hit home left him remarkably speechless. So Genrou spoke for the both of them. 'Houjun-san… you must be joking!' he sounded extremely unsure. 'I mean… you cannot be serious! How do you know? It is not as if we're any more special than the rest of the Seishi here.'

'Perhaps you'd like to see the proof,' Shonin responded firmly, going behind Houjun's back and carefully pulling out the ShiJin from the folds of his cloak with her teeth. 'Show them, beloved.'

Being the only one with the freedom of motion, Ryuuen was the first to go to Houjun's side. "What does it say?!" he jumped on the bed, bouncing all four occupants up and down and earning a glare from Shun'u.

'No, don't move your leg. Houjun can show you in a moment,' Toshi said to his Seishi as Kishuku tried to move for a closer look.

'I want to see now!' he said, trying not to whine. Toshi merely chuckled but didn't move his paw from Kishuku's leg.

"Here. Right under Chirko, no da," he pointed on the scroll. Ryuuen's eyes scanned back and forth before widening and creating an expression so comical Kishuku would have laughed if he weren't feeling so damn nervous.

"It's true…" the violet Seishi babbled. "Shun… I-I-I think he's right. I mean, who else could it be?"

Once again, silence fell upon the room, and Kishuku hazarded a glance to Shun'u. The bandit's face was stark white, sharply contrasting to his fiery hair, and at once the Tamahome Seishi knew the truth.

He's gotta be it. All fire and flare and speed. My roommate is the Chosen Tasuki Seishi. Gods, someone up there has a sick sense of humor.

"Uh… 'scuse me but I think I'm gonna be sick…" Shun'u groaned, flopping backwards onto his bed and covering his face with a limp arm. Genrou nuzzled his neck, giving comfort even though he needed it just as badly. Kishuku turned to Houjun so he could pretend that he never saw the slight shaking that came to his Seishi brother's body.

"This is an awful lot to drop on you, and I'm sorry I couldn't have spoken to you at a better time, no da," Houjun said, sincerity radiating from his words. "I had to speak to all together, to perhaps soften the shock, no da."

Ryuuen looked up and frowned, his eyes flashing dark and angrily. "You like dramatics, don't you?"

The Chichiri Priest spoke simply and freely. "I'm sorry, I don't mean to sound that way, no da. The short and long of it is that I think all three of you, not just Shun'u, are part of the Chosen Suzaku no Shichiseishi."

It actually took a minute for the last seven words to actually sink into Kishuku's head. In fact, when he heard he simply nodded and thought, Hey, that's kinda cool. At least I won't be in this alone. "Well, Ryuu-kun, you wanted blunt and you got it," he grinned at the now speechless Seishi. "Wonder if this means I get bumped up in my classes…" he joked.

And was rewarded with a mental backlash the size of Konan from Toshi.

'Kishuku, you fool! Don't you get it?!?!' he snarled, slamming his front paws into Kishuku's lap and flexing his claws into his Seishi's sensitive skin, his muzzle shoved close to his Seishi's face. 'You're part of the Chosen Shichiseishi! We're the Chosen Tamahome Seishi pair and you're sitting here joking around! Don't you have any sense of respect at all???'

"Hey Toshi, lighten up." All heads turned to Shun'u, who kept his eyes down to the task of smoothing Genrou's fur. "He ain't bein rude or nuthin. He's just a lil' shocked, 'n I'll bet you sticking yer fangs in his face ain't helpin much."

Toshi faced his Seishi again, then brought himself down with indifferent grace, turning his back to Kishuku - an action that caused Ryuuen to hiss with shock. Turning his back to Kishuku meant that Toshi was not acknowledging his Seishi's presence or existence. It was an insult that left Kishuku breathless.

'Toshi, I swear by the gods that I didn't mean anything bad by the comment. It was just a joke! But Shun'u is right… I don't think I could take the pressure of what Houjun said,' Kishuku told the ketsu, babbling words of sheer desperation. 'I'm so sorry if you think I insulted the Chosen Shichiseishi or Ryuuen or anyone. Toshi, you have to believe me! I'm so sorry, I really am! Please, Toshi, please forgive me!'

When Toshi didn't respond, Kishuku felt his heart take a tumble into his stomach. He's never gone off on me like that before. Never! Gods, I feel like such an asshole.

The tension was thick enough to drown in, which was only increased with the other three Seishi/ketsu pairs silently looking on, when he finally received a response.

'I'm sorry too,' Toshi said for all to hear, sounding dull and tired. 'I just… ketsu have known of these Chosen Seishi since before humans could comprehend the notion of a god. To hear my own Seishi, my bonded beloved, make light of this burden embarrassed and hurt me deeply.' He silenced Kishuku's apology with barely a twinge of thought and kept going. 'I know you did not mean to do that, and I forgive your words. I know you, my Kishuku - you hold that kind of levity inside and I love you for it. It was my own pride, my own worries for the precarious future that brought such undeserved anger. Do you forgive me, Kishuku?'

The Tamahome Seishi nearly fell over from relief. "Gods, of course!" he blurted out. He was disappointed that Toshi didn't move or allow Kishuku to hug him or rub his fur or anything, but he could sense the leopard was still slightly on edge and decided not to push anything.

So Ryuuen took the situation into his own hands and thankfully started up the conversation again, though not with an easier subject. "You mean to tell us that we're all part of the Chosen Suzaku no Shichiseishi?" he asked, as if double-checking the fact. "There are hundreds of Seishi in Konan - it is possible you have the wrong ones?"

"I don't think so, no da," Houjun explained. "These characters can't be wrong, and the coincidence of burning the previous ShiJin added with the sudden convening of three Seishi that fit these symbols extremely well is strong proof, no da. Shun'u's was quite accurate and, for you Ryuuen, I assume that "powerful bear" would fit equally as well, no da."

The Nuriko Seishi thought a moment before smiling shyly. "Yeah, kinda sorta…" but then with a wit completely born of his lively personality, Ryuuen stood up and posed for the others, his deceptively lean arms flexing like the branches of a supple willow. "Powerful bear, baby!"

And the rest of the room burst into merry laughter, knowing the tension had been broken. Even Toshi was chuckling deep in his feline throat, for which Kishuku was unduly grateful to hear. Kohana suddenly went out of view of the window, but from the sounds she was making Kishuku decided she must have been laughing so hard she fell down. 'Oh my Ryuuen!' the panda chortled. 'You're such a love!'

"Yeah, well I'm 'blaze runner'," Shun'u butted his way into the conversation. "Ya can't get any better 'n that!" He probably would have been strutting like a peacock except that Genrou wouldn't get off his legs.

'As if we need any more of your ego filling up our breathable air,' the wolf growled impishly, bringing even more laughter to the room. A cross look passed Shun'u's face, but it quickly disappeared as his mind kept drifting onto the distinguished title.

"Uh, Houjun…" Kishuku said politely to the Priest. "I don't suppose you can tell me what the Tamahome Seishi is."

"Of course, no da. It's the 'fighting cat', a title which I believe fits only you and Toshi, no da."

Kishuku tossed the name around his head, a smile widening on his face. 'Fighting cat, eh?' he 'spoke to Toshi, hoping to melt the leopard's icy wall a bit more. 'Even if it's not us, I'd still be proud to know I came very close to being the Chosen Tamahome.'

'We are the Chosen pair,' Toshi said in a profound voice. 'I know it; I can feel it.'

Kishuku didn't answer, but deep inside he understood Toshi's words. I can feel it too. As if something very right just became even better… almost how it felt when we first bonded.

"So do you know the other four Seishi?" Ryuuen asked, breaking Kishuku's train of thought. He began to pace the length of the room, energy levels having skyrocketed with this newfound knowledge. "That would leave the Mitsukake, Hotohori, Chiriko, and Chichiri Chosen. Oh, and the Miko, too. How are we going to find them all?"

"Unfortunately, that is the least of our problems, no da," Houjun said wearily. "Finding them should be simple enough - you three drifted together within days. The problem is what we're going to do when they are gathered, no da."

"So you know the others, then?" Kishuku asked, hearing the subtle hinting in the Priest's voice.

"I do, in fact, know some but not all. I found the Hotohori Seishi, and it was something of a surprise for both of us, no da," he answered. "In fact, I even asked if he would meet us here, and I'd like to wait for him to show up before continuing, no da."

'Who is it? Anyone we know?' Genrou put forth.

"I think you do," Houjun grinned.

'Oh hoh, no fair shielding!' Kohana pouted, standing in full view again. 'Come on, you can tell us!'

'I keep calling Takeshi, asking him to hurry up. I have a feeling they're being delayed by the same kind of vultures that were here before,' Shonin informed the group. 'But last I heard they should be here in any min-'

A tentative knock at the door interrupted the vixen's telepathic statement. "Ah!" Houjun exclaimed, about to get up when a purple blur barreled past him.

"Memememe! I got it!!!" Ryuuen shrieked excitedly. He reached the door before Houjun could even get his feet to the floor and opened it with exaggerated flourish. Then he saw the visitor, let out a squawk of shock, and ran back next to his other Chosen brothers.

Kishuku had NO idea what to expect, but never in his wildest imagination would he have thought to see Seishuku Saihitei standing there, his favorite animal Takeshi perched genteelly upon his arm. He walked into the room with the utmost elegance in his posture, though Kishuku swore he could have seen a flash of hesitation in those gold-brown eyes. Kishuku had never met the man before, but there was no mistaking it; the Suzaku-perfect robes, the regal face and bearing, even having an imperial eagle by his side…

The Emperor of Konan was the Chosen Hotohori Seishi.

Oh this just keeps getting better and better!!

Houjun stood up and bowed formally. "Heika! Takeshi-ketsu! Many thanks for gracing us with your presence this day!" On the bed, Shonin and Genrou both inclined their heads in a show of respect, while Toshi bowed on his forelegs. The remaining Seishi, however, were too shell-shocked to do more than sketch awkward bows and mumble a greeting. Takeshi took off from his bondmate's arm and landed on the sill next to Kohana, conversing with her as if they'd always known each other.

"It is our pleasure, Ri-san, to see you and meet three other Chosen Shichiseishi," Saihitei smiled to Houjun, his voice nearly knocking Kishuku off his chair with its strength. No wonder people listen when he talks! The Emperor's authority isn't just in his title; the man radiates pure power! But… but it's a warm power, like Suzaku's blessed flames.

Houjun made the introductions around the room, which saved Kishuku from embarrassing himself in front of his Majesty, and made an attempt to return to topic. However, Saihitei seemed more interested in putting the others at ease before starting up any of the discussion matters.

"Please, let's try and get away from such strong formalities. Call me Saihitei-san if you must, but not Heika or Saihitei-sama or any other such title. Our expeditions would be more difficult than necessary if we felt we couldn't speak to one another due to status differences, and our title would only serve as a blatant reminder of said differences," he said, taking the seat on the bed Houjun had vacated. "I would like to get to know everyone on a personal level, not only because it will help in the journeys we'll be taking, but also because…" he reached for the proper words. "Well, I can't say I would like to pass by the chance to truly know the men I will be spending a great deal of my time with."

It was actually a very easy thing to do. Kishuku found his Highness to be an extremely pleasant person to be around, and with all the ketsu around to knock down any remaining barriers it didn't take too long for the five of them to begin chatting as if old friends. Ryuuen had taken up his seat on the windowsill again and Houjun was sitting on the floor between Saihitei and Kishuku. Ketsu were scattered around the room, taking seats on rugs, in laps, or anywhere else they felt comfortable.

I'll bet that there's some Chosen Shichiseishi bond-thingie to help us, Kishuku thought with amusement. It's as if we're meant to be togethe-! and he realized something very important. We are! We are meant to be friends!

'It would be prudent if we were to return to the intended dialogue, my friends,' Takeshi spoke formally. 'We can make time for casual talk later, but Saihitei has needs to which he must attend before the day is out.'

Saihitei sighed and admitted, "Unfortunately, Takeshi is right. We regret that there are matters of which we'd rather avoid but… duty before pleasure."

"Too bad," Kishuku sighed. "Was getting kinda fun, talking with the Emperor and all."

'We'll have more chances, no worries about that, but there is one thing I'm wondering,' Kohana said, then turned to the Priest. 'Houjun-san… are you the Chosen Chichiri Seishi?'

The question surprised the Warrior Trio, evident by their puzzled expressions. Kishuku was about to open his mouth and blurt out, "Of course he is!" when he realized Houjun had never actually implied the fact. He was just sort of there, helping them and offering information without strings attached.

"Well, what makes you think that, no da?" Houjun asked, ever-so-casually.

'Just a guess…' the panda trailed off. 'But you seem to know an awful lot about the Chosen Shichi. I know you're High Priest and all, so maybe-'

"WHAT???" the brawlers exclaimed, all turning to get a better look at Houjun.

"They did not know this?" Saihitei followed their motions of surprise.

"Thank you, Kohana," Houjun growled, hiding his face behind his hand. "I needed this, no da." She replied with a slightly embarrassed, 'Eheheheheh…'

"Not only is th' Emperor of Konan our travelin buddy, but the fuckin High Priest too!" Shun'u sounded far too exasperated for anyone's good. "Shit! Houjun! Why didn't'cha tell us?!"

"It wasn't something I felt was extremely relevant to tell you during the previous conversation, or even during this one, no da. I was not purposely hiding the information from you. Far from it, in fact, for I knew that I had to tell you at some point, but I was more interested in meeting you as equals than as High Priest and Warrior students, no da."

Kishuku looked the man up and down and realized Houjun's outfit was the same as before, making the illustrious overcoat a dead giveaway to his status. The blue-haired man was most definitely the highest-ranking Priest in all of Konan; his only superiors being Haon-sama and Saihitei himself. Kishuku wasn't quite sure how to feel about this new piece of info, but Ryuuen helped clear up the matter.

He spoke, "Like the way this whole conversation could be way more uncomfortable if we kept thinking about how we have two really important people in this room rather than trying to figure out an actual answer to the proposed problem."

"An ignorance is bliss idea," Kishuku jumped in, finally understanding. He wasn't leaving us out because he didn't trust us, he just didn't want us to stop trusting him.

'Pretty much, you guys. All we have to remember is that nothing has changed, and that we're all alike when together,' Shonin supported her Seishi. 'But to get back to Kohana's question, yes, we are the Chosen Chichiri pair. Saihitei and Takeshi are the Chosen Hotohori pair. The only ones left are the Chosen Chiriko, Mitsukake, and the Miko.'

"Any idea who they are?" Shun'u asked.

"I talked to Lau and she thinks her protégé Ou Doukun may be the Chiriko Seishi," Houjun said.

"Doukun?!" the same set of voices chorused in the room.

"You know him?" the other two sent back.

'I see this will be a running gag among our little entourage,' Genrou noted wryly.

"Th' kid?? No way!" Shun'u shook his head.

Saihitei tilted his head. "Why not? Is he not a Seishi like us?"

"Yeah, but he's only 13," Kishuku said slowly. "Kind of young, don't you think?"

'What were the characters for Chiriko?' Toshi asked. 'May as well see how well he fits.'

Houjun was handed the ShiJin by Saihitei and read, "'Wisest owl', no da."

Pause.

"Yup. It works. Doukun's the Chosen Chiriko," Shun'u decided, flinging his arms as high as the bandages would let him.

Kishuku snickered. "Didn't take too much convincing on our parts."

"You know, we can go speak to him later if you like," Ryuuen offered. "I know I've had previous contact with him, and I think these two have also." Both Kishuku and Shun'u nodded in agreement.

Houjun thought a bit and nodded. "That might not be a bad idea, no da. If he knows you, he may be more relaxed and accepting of this difficult truth, no da."

"When we've blown this place, we'll track him down for ya 'n make him understand," the Tasuki Seishi promised.

Oye, poor Doukun.

'Do you know the Mitsukake Seishi?' Genrou questioned.

"I'm not sure, but I believe there's a healer over in Choukou, a northern village, that fits the profile," Houjun mapped out. "None of the Mitsukake Seishi within the Center or Eiyou match it as well as the rest have, but I doubt that will be a problem, no da. If we managed to find six of the seven Suzaku Shichiseishi within the Center and city, we can take up some time to find a single Seishi that's a couple of days away, no da."

"And, dare I ask, what of the Miko?" Ryuuen made the final inquiry.

"She will prove to be the most difficult of all eight to find," Saihitei frowned. "The ShiJinTenChiSho gives no clue or indication as to which Miko she will be."

A collective groan rose up from those new to this fact.

'So are we going to have to gallivant around Konan to find her?' Kohana questioned, sounding both puzzled and irritated. 'Because as fun as that could be, it seems like a very foolish thing for a god to do. Why bother having hints for the Seishi and nothing for the Miko? It just doesn't make sense!'

"I don't know, no da," Houjun spoke regretfully. "The gods are mysterious in their ways, and I hesitate to make another petition, no da. We can only burn one more ShiJin before our final chance to call Suzaku. If we don't use the opportunities wisely, Konan will be destroyed, no da."

"This is gettin a li'l ahead of everythin, but what happens when we find everyone?" Shun'u asked. "This sounds too easy, like we just need two more people to call Suzaku and 'bam!' We're all set for eternity."

Saihitei chuckled. "The portrait you paint does appear rather simple, but there is more than what we've said. Even if all Chosen Shichiseishi and Miko were gathered, Suzaku cannot be summoned until the country itself is in a state of grace, so to speak."

"State of grace, your Highness?" Ryuuen raised an eyebrow. "Enlighten us."

'Better be quick, Sai, because you have ten minutes before the councilors start tracking you and Houjun-san down with a fervor,' Takeshi warned them.

"Summarized, the country must be in a state where no great evils are taking place," the Emperor spoke quickly. "No death caused through unnatural events, no malicious intent within the minds of those calling Suzaku, etc. There are more rules and instructions to be followed, but those are the two biggest, most emphasized ones."

He kept talking about some of the other qualifications, but Kishuku paid his words no attention. I can't believe it. Even if we find each other, even if we try to summon Suzaku, it only works if the whole country's involved. A whole goddamn country! Full of hundreds of thousands of people, doing hundreds of thousands of things at once! Sweet Suzaku, I don't see how we're going to be able to do this! The sheer vastness of the task ahead of his was enough to make poor Kishuku's head start to pound.

Kind of like the rapid knocking on the door.

"Enter," Saihitei told whoever was on the other side. It opened and revealed a few doctors and some bureaucrats, ready to enter and each looking hell-bent on doing their jobs.

"Tell you what, I'll get out of the way and catch you guys later," Ryuuen said as he turned and put his legs out the window. "See ya!" and he slipped out without a backward glance.

Chicken, Kishuku snorted inwardly. Smart man, though. I'd hate to be here too. And the noise began to override his internal monologue.

"Heika, we have a few things to see you with-"

"Shun'u, we're here to do the routinely checkup-"

A woman came up to Kishuku with a gestured to the wheeled chair she had by her side. "Please, if you'll move into this, I can bring you back to your room for some well-needed rest."

Kishuku managed to slip from his current seat to the mobile one without too much of a hassle. He didn't feel tired, especially after all the exciting news, but he knew better than to argue with the doctors and healer-Priests. They always won.

"I'll talk to you later," Kishuku waved to the others as he was wheeled out. All acknowledged his leaving before turning back to their individual situations. Toshi followed at a light walk, his back leg still giving him trouble.

'It's a good thing we're heading back,' Toshi said, sounding very pensive. 'We need the rest, and even though we like to think we're invincible, the scars on your leg say otherwise.'

'Guess you're right… hey Toshi?'

'Yes?'

'… I'm kind of worried. I mean… what if, after all our work, we couldn't call Suzaku? Then what?'

Toshi didn't answer at first. 'We just have to hope that we do a very thorough job, and that scenario doesn't come to pass.'

'Thorough job?'

'Of course. Why do you think we're traveling all over Konan? Not only do we need to find the Miko and the Mitsukake Seishi, but if we want to be able to bring momentary peace to this country we have to find the root of our problems.'

'You mean Kutou and the ketsu killer.'

'I'm not talking about the Mt. Reikaku bandits, my dear Seishi.'

Kishuku let his head loll backwards in dismay. I can't do this. All this pressure is going to kill us if we don't kill each other first. By the time he reached his hospital bed, he was looking forward to a few hours of mindless sleep. But I wonder… can we really save the country? So much is at stake, with so many people to care for its overwhelming. Can it be done?

He fell asleep dreaming of his family, trying to protect them against the coming war with a faceless monster that he could not defeat alone.

And Toshi was nowhere to be found.

* * *

Note: Saihitei's language is a bit weird. He refers to himself in the personal plural form (we, our, etc) almost reflexively. I think it's because when he's in "full emperor mode", I= the-country-and-people-oh-and-me-too. Thus, I wrote him using "we" for now since he's still relatively uncomfortable in front of the others and doesn't feel like he can be totally informal yet, despite his reassurances to the Warrior Trio.