Disclaimer: FY disclaim I.

Notes: Oisha means 'doctor', Kaa-san means 'mother' and nii-chan means 'brother'.

Transition chapter. Nothing too exciting I'm sorry to say. I'm also sorry that this chapter has taken me, uh, more than a month to get out. I've got two more profiles at the bottom of this chapter for you to check out plus musical accompaniment suggestions for some chapters. Yay, I'm getting more detailed! Aaaaanyways, please read on!

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It turned out that Miaka had, among other minor injuries, a minor concussion and Houjun had unfortunately acquired a dagger in his leg.

Once both were in bed and being cared for by Paifu's doctor and a local healer-Priest, the healthier duo adjourned to a nearby room and Doukun began to pelt the elder with various questions and comments about his side of the trip and all the events that took place.

"Hold on for just a second, Dou-kun! Since when did you suddenly become the Keeper of Traumatic Events?" Kishuku asked, causing Doukun to smile lopsidedly.

"Well if you must know, Saihitei-san did ask that I remember everything for when we meet again. He said that one day the people of Konan may want to know all that happened to the Chosen Suzaku no Shichiseishi during their time of greatest victory. And seeing as how I have an exceptional memory and easy access to writing implements, His Majesty kindly requested I take up that position of, uh, 'Keeper of Traumatic Events', as you so put it."

Kishuku raised his eyebrow in disbelief. "You mean to tell me Sai-san's having you write a book on this? Why?!"

"Why not?"

"I mean… it's not like people want to read about us! …do they?"

This time Doukun actually let out a laugh. "Maybe, maybe not. But I do admit, it promises to be a fascinating story. I imagine many would pay to read or hear it." And he watched with an amused expression as visions of ryou began to dance around Kishuku's head. Doukun allowed his fellow Seishi to wallow in the thought of piles of okane before bringing him back on topic.

Kishuku told him everything that happened. He was very reluctant to speak about the more grisly scenes, but Doukun reassured him that what he had to say wouldn't damage the young man for life. No, the incident with Chie and the arrow did that well enough, he thought briefly before returning his attention to the other Seishi. Within an hour, he had committed the entire episode to memory and the floor was open for discussion. By then, Toshi and Chie had joined them with their own questions, though Shonin had opted to be with her bondmate.

'How did you know she was the Miko?' Chie hooted.

"I didn't," Kishuku said honestly. "I just heard shouting and my instincts kicked up to check on the problem. It wasn't until I heard her name that I knew she was our Miko."

'Yuuki means "courage", and doesn't Miaka mean "beautiful red"?' Toshi put forth and Chie agreed. 'Pretty strong evidence in her favor.'

'It's a shame about her village though,' the owl sighed. 'I hope we can help her cope with the forced separation and the painful hand she's been dealt.' By the look on Kishuku's face, Doukun could tell that he had already decided to take that burden upon himself. Then he remembered something.

"What happens when the Suzaku no Miko wakes up in an unfamiliar room? How is she going to take to that, especially if no one is around?"

All four looked at each other somewhat blankly before Toshi said, 'I take it one of us has to go upstairs, then.'

Kishuku bolted up the stairs to the recovery room before either of the ketsu could move, which was a pretty spectacular feat unto itself. Doukun blinked a few times before turning to Chie and asking, "In a hurry?"

She yawned, then clicked her beak and hopped onto Doukun's shoulder and upper arm. He lazily got to his feet and, with Toshi padding alongside them, they left the gathering hall to join the others. Inside the small room on two adjacent beds, both invalids were blissfully asleep thanks to the sleeping drug that helped ease their pain (even though Houjun had refused to drink it at first but got it forced down his throat anyway). Miaka was still colored bruise-blue and her head was cleanly wrapped up, but she didn't seem to look much worse for all the wear she went through. None of the ketsu mentioned a sudden drop in her health or ki, so she appeared well on the road to recuperation. Houjun hadn't suffered quite as much as his Miko, but an assassin's blade to the posterior left thigh was hardly a fun experience. He was lying on his side facing Miaka, since the blade had hit him from behind and they didn't want to put any pressure on the wound. Because of all this, he wasn't going to be doing much more than hobbling for the next few days, even with Seishi healing capabilities.

'He'll just grab his shakujou and use it as a crutch,' Shonin nipped gently at Doukun's thoughts. 'We've lived through worse; my beloved won't let a little cut stop him from calling Suzaku down.'

'Ah yes, I knew I kept forgetting something important about our afternoon jaunt,' the boy grinned cheekily. Luckily Shonin was lying under her bondmate's arm and not anywhere near Doukun or he'd have need for a doctor himself. However… he couldn't help but stare at Houjun now. On the Priest's face Doukun could see a set of thick scars running from as high as his eyebrow to the bridge of his nose where his left eye should be. Apparently his mask (something that Doukun had previously been unaware the Priest wore) had fallen off during the frantic ride to Paifu, and it was only now that they could see his real features. Doukun knew those weren't recent wounds and his insatiable curiosity nearly demanded he ask the ketsu what had happened to their friend. Still, he knew that Shonin wouldn't tell him unless Houjun had said it was all right for her to do so; more out of respect for her Seishi's business rather than her being bound by his words.

But I think I'll know soon enough. I'll just try and be patient.

Deciding against further baiting the fox, he knelt down beside Miaka's cot, across from Toshi and a somewhat anxious Kishuku, and asked Chie if she would mind perching elsewhere for the time - she agreed and flew up to take a nap in an upper rafter.

"Are you all right, Kishuku-san?"

"-kun, Doukun, you can call me Kishuku-kun," he reminded the other. "Though if you start calling me Ki-ku I may be forced to feed you to the squirrels." The Chiriko Seishi smiled and made a mental note to ask Toshi about that later. "But yeah, I'm all right." Both of them were silent for a few minutes; Doukun was thinking of the approximate time it would take for the duo to become mobile again when his thoughts were broken by an uncertain voice. "Hey, Doukun?"

"Yes?"

"Has… I mean, have you ever thought of who the Miko might be? I mean, before we found her, what did you think of her as?"

An odd question… Doukun thought but answered, "I'm not quite sure I understand you. Do you mean, did I have a mental representation of whom the Suzaku no Miko would be?" At Kishuku's nod, he continued. "I suppose I thought of her as a mother-figure; Ishida-san is a good example," he said, referring to the Celestial Suzaku no Miko.

"But you never in a million years would have thought she'd have been a girl only a couple years older than you." It was a statement, an affirmation of unspoken truth.

"I'm not sure I comprehend your meaning, Kishuku-kun. Why do you ask these questions?"

Kishuku gently brushed Miaka's forehead, pushing loose strands of bronze hair behind her ear. "I'm not really sure. Maybe because now that she's really here…" he turned soulful eyes to Doukun, trying to make the boy see. "You never thought she could be just like you- she has to be more than us to be able to hold in Suzaku's power. But now that I see this girl lying here, one who's so young and can really be hurt… I feel disappointed. I can't even describe it, but it's as if I was expecting a treasure of gold and ended up with broken glass." He looked away. "And I hate myself for it, for thinking so low of Suzaku's Chosen Miko. And I keep telling myself that I'm just… just… God, what's wrong with me?!" Kishuku nearly cried out. Toshi rubbed his Seishi's chest with his head, trying to offer comfort that Kishuku wasn't ready to accept.

Oh Kishuku-san… Doukun bit his lip, now grasping those words with painful clarity. His mind spun with a thousand intelligent comments he could make, but finally decided that the best thing he could do was speak with feeling rather than logic. "You're not at fault, Kishuku-kun," he spoke gently. "Do not think that because you had previous beliefs about who the Miko would be that you're doing Miaka-sama an injustice. I have to admit… I didn't believe you and Shun'u told me you were two of the Chosen Seishi. It didn't fit into the mental picture I held of whom these great heroes could be. I know I certainly don't match any storybook hero…

"But that's what makes our story so amazing. We're everyone and anyone. We're not vague ideals; we're not untouchable beings - we're real live people. And that's why the people cheered so hard for us as we rode out of the city, because in some way they're fighting and living through us. The Chosen Chiriko Seishi could have been anyone, and it's the same for the rest of the Chosen Seishi and the Miko. Maybe at first they were disappointed, but I will tell you true that they would rather have a normal Seishi they can talk to rather than a cold, unfeeling statue of perfection they have to admire from a distance." Doukun hesitated, then asked, "Did that help?"

Kishuku sighed. "I think so, at least a little. Maybe I just gotta come to terms with it on my own." Doukun nodded both in agreement and in finality. This wasn't a problem that banked on how much knowledge he could impart; this was a matter of conscience and heart, and no one but Kishuku could change those feelings.

Segueing away from the awkward subject, Kishuku asked how much longer the duo would be out of it. Judging from what the doctor had said before, Doukun guessed that they might be up in an hour due to Seishi healing - Houjun might even be up sooner than that and Miaka-sama was more than likely to follow after him. They talked for a little bit longer just to keep the silence from growing too uncomfortable, to keep what lay unspoken beneath the cover of words.

Doukun and Toshi told Kishuku about the rather uneventful watch they pulled, which quickly became more than exciting when Houjun had 'called to Shonin about the approaching dangers. The rest was easily pieced together; the group moved down the path to find the Seishi duo, found them, and saved their collective behinds when they ran in to help.

"Which I am eternally grateful for, no da," Houjun's weak voice came up from behind. Doukun spun around and saw the blue-haired man was awake, his remaining eye warm and rosewood-brown as he gazed at them.

"Houjun-san!" he cried out, delighted to see him awake and unable to stop from giving the elder man a hug. "I'm glad you're all right." Houjun returned it as Kishuku got up and joined them. "Right, Kishu-kun?"

"You scared the bloody demon out of me, Priest, falling over like that," Kishuku growled down.

"I doubt that," Houjun retorted. "You've got more demon in you than I could possibly hope to exorcise in a lifetime, no da." But his eye was shining with mirth and the two Seishi embraced quickly, unable to deny the relief of seeing each other alive and (relatively) healthy.

'Doing well, Houjun?' Toshi asked politely.

"As well as to be expected, no da," he said. "But enough about me; how is the Miko?"

"She is still asleep, but she doesn't look to be in any sort of pain," Doukun told him. "Kishu-kun and I were discussing the possibility of her mental state being rather unstable when she awakes." Houjun nodded, encouraging him to continue the explanation. "From what we know, her village was ravaged and she, along with her brother, were chased into the forest. There she was knocked unconscious, her brother was injured, and a trio of cloaked men was about to kill them when Kishuku jumped in and saved them. But now that she is here and away from her family-"

"-Then she may very well take our rescue effort to be a kidnapping one, no da," Houjun sighed, stroking Shonin's fur as he thought aloud. "Which would be a bit problematic…"

'Oh you think?' the vixen added wryly. 'Why don't you let us ketsu try talking to her?'

"What makes you think the ketsu would be any better at handling this situation?" Kishuku questioned, then at the looks of the two carnivores hastily added, "Not that you wouldn't do a good job, but if she won't be all that comforted to see some unfamiliar humans, then what makes you think she'll take the sight of a leopard, a fox, and an owl staring at her any better?"

'He's got a point,' Chie yawned, having awoken from her brief nap. 'Dou-kun, which do you think would be better to do for her?'

Falling back to his Seishi talent, Doukun went through all the different possibilities and combinations of actions they could do before settling on one specific course to follow. "Kishu-kun, why don't you stay beside Houjun-san and I'll wait at Miaka-sama's bedside? Because I'm younger she won't see me as a threat, whereas you may be perceived as one even if that is not your intent. I would also suggest that Toshi stays a distance from her, if only because he too looks somewhat intimidating."

'Me? Intimidating? You must be joking!' the leopard grumbled indignantly, but still stalked to Houjun's side and away from Miaka's possible line of vision.

Doukun couldn't suppress a slight smile as he continued. "It may also be prudent for us to expect that she will want to escape after coming to consciousness. If necessary, the ketsu could 'speak with her or, if she does become hysterical, convince her to sleep again until we can get a doctor to care for her. Houjun-san, do you know anything else we can do?"

The Priest did have something small to add. "When she awakens, is it possible for one of the ketsu to call a doctor into the room, no da? Not only to check her vital signs and other symptoms of injury, but also to be here if she indeed does become hysterical, no da."

'We can do that,' Toshi said. 'But what do we tell her when she's sufficiently calmed? "Hi, we just took you from your family and now you're going to help us save Konan as the Chosen Suzaku no Miko even though I'm sure you have unimaginable mental and physical trauma to deal with right now." I doubt it would go over well.'

That elicited a chuckle from all those present. See? We do have a sense of humor, even in such a serious moment, Doukun thought lightly. "Perhaps we'll try wording it differently, no da," Houjun grinned. "Maybe not quite as blunt as that, but I think we can get the point across well enough, no da."

'That's hardly my worry right now - we just have to make sure she actually wakes up. So if it's all the same to you I'm going to fetch a doctor right now,' Shonin said, sauntering over to the doorway. 'Both you and the miko-sama are going to need one soon. I'll be back in a bit!' And she disappeared through the open screen.

"How long have I been sleeping, no da?" her bondmate asked.

"Oh… a few hours," Kishuku shrugged. "I'm surprised you're not still feeling the drugs or the pain."

A dry look spread over Houjun's face. "I didn't say I wasn't - I just wanted to know how long I had to heal, no da."

"From what the doctor said, you should be ready to walk within a few days," Doukun piped in helpfully, standing up and taking his place next to Miaka-sama's bed. "I don't know about riding, though. I may have hurt you more than helped when I got you into the saddle."

"It was either help me ride or leave me behind. I'm quite thankful you chose the former, no da."

Doukun smiled to himself as he looked over the miko. She was still asleep but he could see her face start to twitch and move as consciousness returned to her mistreated form. "I think she may be waking up," he said, trying to hide his growing excitement without jolting her awake. The other males craned their necks to see what was happening, hope and curiosity coloring their ki.

The girl made a face and slowly peeked through her eyelids, squinting against the light filtering through the windows with a painfully confused look. Finally she opened them, took one look around the room and its inhabitants… and began to cry. "They're dead, aren't they?" she choked out. "Kaa-san, Nii-chan, Yui… I… I don't even know what happened!" and she clamped a hand over her mouth as a fit of sobbing overtook her.

In any other situation, Doukun would have been relatively unruffled by her reaction. However, the sight of the young woman crying - specifically the girl that was supposed to be his miko - wasn't something he was fully prepared to deal with. Even Kishuku and Houjun were stunned silent, completely thrown off by her reaction.

'Well don't just sit there!' Chie bit into his mind. 'Talk to her!'

I'll try… "Mi-mi- Miko-sama, are you all right?" he finally managed to get the words out. "What's wrong?"

She swiped at her eyes, succeeding in only getting the sleeve of her robe wet. "I can't remember! I can't remember what happened and my head hurts and I just wanna go home!" she burst out into a fresh round of crying.

'Chie, I don't know what to do!' he sent his frustration back at the owl. Spinning in place, his face a portrait of helplessness, Doukun looked to see if any of the others could do anything. Thankfully Kishuku nodded as he quickly stood up and slid next to Miaka.

"Miko-sama…" the Tamahome Seishi spoke in a calm voice, trying to get her to relax. "Miss, it'll be all right. I saw your brother; he's alive and said your mother was too."

Her eyes suddenly focused on Kishuku's face though they still retained a hint of glassiness. "You saw my nii-chan? Are you sure?"

"I did. He told me that your village was in trouble and for me to, uh, take care of you," he explained lamely. "I don't really know too much…"

"Please! Please tell me!" she turned her whole body and grabbed his shirt. Then her eyes rolled into her head and she lost her stomach all over Kishuku's tunic. Oh that's going to stain… Doukun winced, but quickly helped Kishuku pry her fingers from his tunic and lay her back down into a less hazardous position.

"I'm sorry…" she murmured to the sopping Seishi. "I just… the nausea hit and I-"

"It's all right, it's not like it's never happened before," Kishuku sighed, wiping her mouth with his sleeve.

"Miss, you've been injured and we don't want to upset you," Doukun said. "Please try not to move so you don't get sick again."

The room's door slid open with a papery whisper and an older man stepped into the room with Shonin waiting outside. "So you're finally awake… both of you," he spoke, his voice cool and businesslike, looking from Miaka to Houjun. "Would you two boys mind stepping outside for a while so I have room to work?" A second glance at Kishuku prompted him to say, "There's a clear stream nearby. I suggest putting it to good use while I take care of them."

Miaka's eyes went fearfully wide at the thought of being left alone, but Kishuku squeezed her hand and promised they'd be back when the doctor was finished. Even so, she still watched them leave with more than a little anxiety in her eyes. Toshi followed the duo and they shut the door, leaving Chie as their only set of ears and eyes inside the room. "Hers are better than mine, anyway," Doukun joked half-heartedly. Kishuku nodded vaguely as he touched his clothes, and then decided to take the doctor's advice and left with Toshi for the outdoors. Shonin sat outside the door, her symbol shining softly as she kept in touch with Houjun. Doukun sat on the floor and let his thoughts meld with his ketsu's since there was little else to do and he didn't like waiting. 'Anything?'

'Besides having a lack of bedside manners, the doctor is rather good. He's checking over Miaka right now,' Chie explained, and Doukun was allowed to see through her razor-sharp vision. He watched as the doctor studied her various senses, put her through a small set of mental tests to check her capabilities, and replaced all her old bandages and dressings. He noted there was a bowl at Miaka's bedside, and the doctor had repeatedly dipped a cloth into it and then covered the girl's forehead and eyes. 'We probably should have used that earlier… but oh well. Now we know.'

During all this, Houjun conversed lightly with Miaka, trying to decrease her confusion and put her at ease. She didn't talk a whole lot, but she wasn't shaking and Chie could hear her heartbeat had slowed down considerably. They also noticed Houjun had put the mask back on, though when he had time to do that Doukun really wasn't sure. When the man finished with her, he examined the Priest's wound, probing and cleaning the injury with experienced hands. Houjun winced a good many times but kept Miaka talking as a way of distraction for both of them. Eventually Shonin joined in the conversation when the Priest began discussing their health with the doctor, and both Chie and Doukun were relieved to see that Miaka was indeed a miko, the symbol of Suzaku upon her forehead as she carried on the conversation with the vixen.

A long time must have passed, because when Kishuku returned his tunic was somewhat dry though the doctor was just cleaning up. Doukun broke the telepathic connection and got to his feet as Kishuku opened the door. He walked in behind Toshi, who went to Miaka with his Seishi as Doukun plopped down between the two invalids. "Can you tell us anything new, Oisha-san?"

"Both are recovering well. Ri-san is coming along nicely but because the wound was aggravated by the ride here it'll take longer than I expected for him to heal completely," he droned, then turned to Houjun. "I'd suggest as little moving or shapeshifting as possible to keep from overtaxing yourself but do some light walking exercises to keep the muscles from becoming too stiff or atrophied. You'll have to stay here at least 2 more days for follow-up of course."

"Of course, no da," the Priest sighed, evidently not happy but didn't look too surprised by that piece of news.

"How's Miaka-san?" Doukun questioned.

"Your sister will be all right."

Doukun's jaw dropped. "She's not my-"

"Please keep going!" Kishuku looped a quick arm over the boy's neck and covered his mouth. Ack! Choking! "What else?"

"The concussion did no permanent damage, though the memory surrounding the incident has not returned and may never return," the doctor said, completely missing the interruption. "She will feel slightly nauseated for the next day or so but that should pass. Her head and other wounded places will be sensitive to touch but those will heal soon enough. Overall her diagnosis is rather positive and she should be ready to leave this time tomorrow."

"All right," Kishuku nodded, finally releasing Doukun's neck. "But this means we still have to wait before heading off to Hakukou."

"We don't have much room in the Hospice but across the street is a small inn in case you need to spend the night," the doctor suggested. "I can give you some time alone but soon we're going to close up to visitors."

Houjun quirked his mouth up and said, "Then we'll talk quickly, no da." The doctor bent next to Kishuku and whispered for him to follow, which he did. Doukun watched Miaka's eyes track the Tamahome Seishi's movements like a hawk and was slightly shocked to realize that he could literally see the desire and longing all over her face.

What the… what's wrong with her?!?! Doukun mentally questioned. She doesn't even know him! Not that he's a bad guy, but really!

'You don't have to know someone to be physically attracted to them,' Chie explained, sounding uncharacteristically serious. A slight flush hit his neck and Houjun tapped his arm, as if he knew Doukun needed the distraction.

"We should introduce ourselves to Miaka-san," he whispered, then looked at the miko. "Miaka-san, this is Ou Doukun, the Chiriko Seishi I was telling you about, no da. Upon the rafters is his bondmate Chie and both of them have been looking after you with great care, no da. Doukun, it would give me great pleasure to introduce Yuuki Miaka, a Suzaku no Miko, to you."

Miaka peered up and smiled when Chie winged silently down to Doukun's waiting arm. "Hi. It's nice to meet you," she said shyly, which Doukun returned politely.

'You too, Miaka-san,' Chie hooted pleasantly. 'And just so you know, I love having my chest and head scratched. Just so you know.'

"You beggar!" he reprimanded, bouncing his arm to try and unseat the owl. "Don't be rude!"

Miaka giggled. "Oh, I think she's pretty enough she can get away with it!" She reached out her left hand to Chie and Doukun inched closer with her, satisfying Miaka's curiosity and Chie's want of a good scratching. 'Lucky you're so cute…' he hmphed to the owl, who basked in the attention with little care for her Seishi's disapproval.

"Houjun's been talking to me, telling me about all of you," Miaka said.

Doukun raised an unsure eyebrow. "Please tell me it has been all good."

The miko grinned brightly. "Oh yes! He said you're very intelligent, good at planning, and resourceful. I feel kind of funny talking to someone so smart – I'm not that smart really, and I always feel like I'm going to make a fool of myself."

The Chiriko Seishi couldn't keep the blush down. "Houjun-san's very generous with praise," he mumbled. "But if I was as intelligent as he claims, I would have been able to help you."

Miaka's hand stopped stroking Chie and it moved to Doukun's face, gently brushing the tips of her fingers against his skin. The boy froze in place as they traveled from his chin up to his nose, his cheeks, his eyes, and finally resting on his forehead. What is she doing? She can't be blind… what in Suzaku's name is she doing? But before he could even utter a stutter she said, "No wonder the doctor thought we were related… our eyes are the same color." Doukun focused on Miaka's eyes and saw (with slight alarm) that she was right. They weren't exactly alike – her eyes were golden jade verses his sea green ones – but he found himself getting lost in them all the same.

"My kaa-san said that green is the rarest eye color, that it means hope and healing and growth – like flowers in the spring. But it also means youth and innocence…" she pulled her hand from his face. "Let's just hope our eyes never darken with the loss of those gifts. It's getting harder and harder to find green eyes these days."

Doukun furrowed his brow but said nothing. In those last 30 seconds he found that Miaka's looks completely belied her personality – underneath that youthful expression was a girl more than worthy to be a Suzaku no Miko. Her words, her eyes both told him of her shocking insightfulness and a maturity that, ten minutes ago, he wasn't sure she possessed. Innocence… how ironic that she would speak of such a subject without prompting… it's almost as if she knows me… he found a sudden tightness well in his chest and wondered what she had done to him.

When Kishuku opened the screen it was as if a spell had been broken. Doukun blinked and realized that somewhere during that interaction Chie had flown to the nearest window and watched them with patient eyes. She looks like she knows more than what she's telling me… he thought anxiously. Chie… don't hide from me.

'Never,' was the only reply to his unspoken thought. He wanted to go on but Houjun asked the other blue-haired Seishi, "What did he say, no da?"

Kishuku shrugged in reply. "Not too much. Told me that while we're in here if anything was to happen to these two we're to send an immediate message to him via ketsu-telepathy. He also tried to overcharge for the damn doctors' fee…" he growled. "I let him know what I thought about that. We came to a happy compromise – I'd pay a fair price and he'd get to keep his business and his teeth."

Houjun snickered into Shonin's fur and Doukun grinned proudly – so what if the predator in him came out every now and then? Kishuku took a seat right next to him and looked at Miaka with a soft expression. "Well now that I've finally had a chance to relax, I'd like to introduce myself. I'm-"

"That won't be necessary, Kishuku-san," she blushed. "Houjun-san's already told me all about you, and I'm extremely grateful for your help in the forest. You saved my life, and there's nothing I can do to possibly repay you."

"Sure there is. Got any extra okane on you?" and Toshi swatted his bondmate with a thick paw, knocking Kishuku down. "What?!? I was serious! I need the money back that I used to pay the doc with!"

As if on cue, both Houjun and Doukun sighed in dismay at their riding partner's lack of finesse. "Heika will pay you back whatever you've spent on this ride, no da," Houjun said reassuringly. "I doubt you'll ever have to worry about okane again." That put a smile of rapturous joy on Kishuku's face that in turn brought a small round of laughter from those present.

But soon enough Miaka's face and tone went serious. "I'm really extremely thankful you saved me and I know I need to stay here and get well… but I must to go back to my village. I have to know if Kaa-san and Nii-chan are alive and all right. I can't just leave them there – I have to know!"

The trio of Seishi exchanged unsure looks. 'So… who wants to be the one to tell her the news?' Toshi asked.

'Let's wait a day, at least until she gets her bearings back. It would do no good to put her further into shock,' Shonin said. 'But we do have to tell her the truth. Better do it in small doses.'

Doukun agreed and urged Kishuku to speak for them; Miaka seemed to have this burning need to hang off his every word and he was actually the one her brother had spoken to. So Kishuku related his tale back to her, from when he was loping through the forest to the point where everyone was riding back to Paifu. Through it all Miaka had cried only once, only when she heard about her brother asking Kishuku to keep her safe. Doukun found himself almost moved to tears, not just because of the story but also because of Miaka's reaction. Something about her… something made him want to protect her; made him feel that despite being younger than her it was his job to take care of her and shield her from the pains of the world.

Is this right? Is this wrong? Is this even normal?! Doukun's mind whirled with uncertainty. I think… I think Chie and I need to have a talk later tonight…

"You promised my nii-chan you'd look out for me?"

"Yes, I did. And I plan on keeping my word."

If Doukun wasn't paying as much attention as he always did, he would have missed the hopeful smile the played across the curve of her lips. But before anyone else could speak, the same doctor returned and beckoned everyone to leave for the night – the exception being Shonin, which quickly became a much-debated topic.

"I don't care if she's Suzaku himself, she's still an animal. I cannot have those filthy creatures in my remedial rooms overnight."

"She leaves I leave," Houjun stated simply, and although the doctor was quite displeased with the presence of a "filthy creature" sleeping inside the room he figured out he couldn't win this battle. Quick good-nights were exchanged among the group and before Doukun knew it Kishuku had taken him and the ketsu to the inn, grudgingly paid for a small room, and settled down for the night. However Doukun found that he couldn't fall asleep – partly due to the events of the day and partly due to his owlish sleeping habits.

"Toshi?" he whispered to the leopard.

'Nhhhgh?' the drowsy thought was returned.

"I'm gonna go out for a flight. I'll be back before dawn."

Toshi didn't so much as agree as just roll over and go back to sleep, unconcerned over Doukun's nighttime jaunt. Chie was already out hunting and Kishuku had been dead to the world since he hit the pillow. Poor man is exhausted, Doukun thought sympathetically. I'll be back soon though so no point in worrying him. Opening the nearest window the boy shifted and silently winged his way above the village; rising higher and higher until the world was nothing but shades of blue and green and black. He caught himself a small midnight snack – a careless field mouse – but then turned his thoughts inward.

Night eagle, Doukun mused on the name. How apropos, for it is the eagle that rules the sky at day, but the owl that rules at night. This was the time of the day when he felt the freest from the world's disruptions; this was his time, his sky, his everything. And it was now that felt it was time to reflect on Miaka, using the night to guide his thoughts.

She's not like any other girl I've met. There's something childish about her, as if she looks at the world through a child's eyes. Yet… yet I can tell she is not blind to the pains that people go through. From the little I've seen and heard I believe it would be best to infer that although she's aware of pain… she doesn't always acknowledge it. Almost like she wants to live in a perfect world and this one just pushes her away.

He thought about her for just a bit longer then, when he realized how close he was to the edge of Kutou he turned back and thought about Miaka's previous situation. Gliding down he saw a scattering of villages with burnt houses and people huddled around large bonfires – or pyres.

Doukun shivered from that thought. His sense of smell wasn't as keen as the cat or dog Seishis but he could unfortunately see bones gleaming deathly white within the ashes. How sad, he sighed and landed on a nearby branch. These people didn't deserve whatever Kutou did to them. He watched as an older woman sobbed into the arms of a man who looked just as distraught as she was. He saw a little boy, dry-eyed and stiff-lipped, toss an arrow into the fire and pray that his big brother could hunt with Suzaku in the Heavens. And he saw a Priest praying beside the fire, tears running down her cheeks as she called for Suzaku to take care of those who had died and those who had survived.

Had he been human Doukun would have been crying alongside these people, but his owl-mind reminded him that death was nothing to mourn. It is as natural as living, but that doesn't mean I can't hate the fact that these deaths served no purpose, he told his owl-self. Animals kill to feed and to protect themselves; humans kill for sport.

For a moment… he hated himself and hated what his kind was so capable of. But when he looked at the people and heard their cries as clearly as his own thoughts, he knew that they were equally capable of acts of goodness. And that's when he made his decision.

I didn't understand before, what it meant to save this country and these people… but I do now. For everyone that lost someone, for everyone that is loved and has someone to love… I will do whatever I can to save you. I will do my best and more, I will give my heart and soul to my brothers and Miaka. We will win and we will save Konan. That's a promise!

He took off from the branch, this newfound sense of purpose carrying him faster and farther to the group than any earthly wind could have.

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Recently I've been having issues with Doukun since I'm trying to find a good compromise between his intelligent state and his (what I would consider) average 13-year-old state. Thus, if there are a few character discrepancies with Doukun in this chapter please let me know about them via constructive criticism. The same actually goes for Miaka – because she's introduced later than the Seishi in this story, I'm trying to also find a compromise between her "air-headedness" and gradually earned maturity without making it seem to unrealistic or OOC. Again, I'd love some help if you're willing to give it. Thanks a lot for reading!

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Musical Tracks

Chapter 1: Welcome to the Center - Life In A Northern Town by The Dream Academy

-This song could fit pretty much anywhere in the chapter – just a nice little piece that I thought had a good melody line to it.

Chapter 4: Pride of the Warrior - Ojos Asi Dance Remix by Shakira

-This is specifically for the fight scene between the Suzaku and Seiryuu Seishi, starting with the ketsus screaming 'Seishi!' and ending with the trio defeating the tigers.

Chapter 7: Breaking Point - Song Of Solomon by Celtic Visions

-This is played anytime after Chie is hit with the arrow and Doukun is anguishing over her.

Chapter 10: Separation and Resurrection - Here I Am (Instrumental) by Bryan Adams

-This goes best with the beginning scene where the six Seishi are gathered and about to ride to the point when they stop to discuss the plan.

Chapter 11: Fall From Grace, Carry Me Away - Tell Me A Fable by Robert Miles

-Another fight scene song! This one starts when Houjun and Kishuku run to find the miko and ends with them riding down towards Paifu.

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Chie and Doukun

Name: Chie

Species: Barred owl

Gender: Female

Seishi: Chiriko

Personality: A spirited ketsu, Chie's deep love of life is reflected in her need to bring Doukun out of his shell and into the realm of people and animals. She isn't the boisterous type; more like a child who sees the world for the first time every day and needs to experience it over and over. Because both she and Doukun are so young, they are learning a lot from each other and still have much more to learn. She does have the bad habit of forgetting her duties as a ketsu - to teach and guide Doukun throughout his life - because she thinks of him more as a playmate rather than bondmate. But still Chie is incredibly insightful and wise in her own way. She is very aware of the dangers and pains of life but she also knows that if you want to keep your sanity and happiness you have to hold onto the small things. She's always reminding Doukun to "live as if each day was your last, and fly as if you'd never fly again"- to never take things for granted and cherish them while they're here. She does have her occasional hostile moments but they've only served to let Doukun know that anger and aggression are a natural part of having emotions and not always a bad thing. Being a relatively new pair they do have their awkward times, but Chie's working hard to break those walls of insecurity away from Doukun.

Picture: http://owling.com/barrd8.htm

Bondmate: Ou Doukun

Age/Gender: 13/M

Seishi Talent: Doukun's talent is his extreme intelligence. He can take any event and predict all the possible outcomes for that circumstance. Then he can weigh out each outcome, choose the most effective course of action, and follow through with it. Basically, Doukun can fill his mind with all the relevant data for any occurrence and is then able to mentally calculate event probabilities. He also has an eidetic memory and can recall 90% of all that he hears, sees, or reads.

Personality: Though he is perhaps the most intelligent book-wise of the Suzaku Chosen, his innocence and lack of experience with his Seishi talent lend him to become extremely distressed in the midst of chaos. Because he is so much younger and smaller than the others are, Doukun also tends to try and hide behind his books, and thinks of himself as less-than-worthy for the title of Chosen Chiriko. Still, he's a very good-hearted person with an undeniable sense of honor. Though he loves Chie very much, Doukun sees her more as someone to respect rather than someone he can share his fears and joys with, resulting in the fact that he doesn't always let her know what's going on inside his head. He can be playful, due to his youthful and mischievous humor, but he only indulges those feelings when he thinks no one's around. He'll do anything for his brother Seishi, of whom he has quickly warmed up to, and has an incredible amount of admiration for all of them. He's very close to Shun'u, thinking of the bandit as a surrogate brother, and is gradually learning to become more comfortable with his place in the world.

Owl as a Totem: Owl's medicine includes seeing behind masks, silent and swift movement, keen sight, messenger of secrets and omens, shape-shifting, link between the dark, unseen world and the world of light, comfort with shadow self, moon power, and freedom. Owls are meat eaters, which means they can be fierce warriors if challenged or if something dear to it is threatened. It has awareness of all that is around it at all times. It has great intuition: it is the totem of psychics and clairvoyants.

Individuals with this totem are private complex people and don't like others to know what they are really thinking. This can sometimes lead to misunderstandings especially in the area of personal relationships. Their wings, which are extremely soft and thick, allow them to fly silently as they can swoop down on unsuspecting prey. They are able to slip in and out of places unnoticed and can teach us how to do the same.

Their eyes are large and forward facing giving them a wise appearance. Their night vision is so powerful that they can see prey when the light is the equivalent of a candle burning 2500 feet away! Their powers of vision are matched by their almost otherworldly hearing abilities. Those with this medicine are usually gifted with clairvoyant and clairaudient (unearthly hearing) abilities. Souls who are born with this totem have chosen a path that suggests a need to refine and perfect these gifts for the aid of others.

Active at dawn and dusk, owls are sometimes referred to as the night eagle, a messenger from the darkness and a guide through all the mysteries that it contains. It teaches us how to embrace our personal darkness without fear. Owls are sometimes thought to come to those that are about to die. This does not mean a physical death as much as it means the letting go of some part of yourself that is not serving you. Owls with their spectral senses help guide us through the dark tunnels of fear, change and uncertainty to the brilliant light shining at the other end. If the owl appears in your life thank it for its willingness to guide you through its shadowy realm to the other side of promise and joy.

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Takeshi and Saihitei

Name: Takeshi

Species: Imperial eagle

Gender: Male

Seishi: Hotohori

Personality: It should come as no surprise that the bondmate to the Emperor of Konan is an imperial eagle with as much grace and majesty as his species name implies. Takeshi is a proud creature with every right to it - he's intelligent, capable, and levelheaded. He isn't quite as narcissistic as Saihitei, but he certainly has no qualms crowing and preening himself for the public eye. Interestingly enough, he does posses a sense of dry humor that keeps both Saihitei and he awake during boring council meetings or other tedious events. He's quite protective of his Seishi, somewhat similar to that of a gruff father figure, and does worry a bit unnecessarily when something small happens to the young Emperor. Takeshi can be critical of others, making him somewhat biased against those that don't seem to meet his standard of excellency at first glance. He doesn't fault-find Seishi nearly as much as "normal" people, mostly because he feels they don't need the critique since they have their own ketsus to do it for him. Takeshi is a superb hunter and is actually much more at ease with fighting than his bondmate, though Saihitei is known to be an extraordinary swordsman. Recently he's taken to watching over the other ketsu in much the same way Saihitei has been looking out for his Seishi brothers, and found he's enjoying their companionship more than he expected.

Picture: http://www.instnat.be/Soorten/Broedvogels/atlas/Engels/Species/ImperialEagle.htm

Bondmate: Seishuku Saihitei

Age/Gender: 18/M

Seishi Talent: Saihitei has the ability to focus his ki through his sword and harness it in a multitude of ways. He can use it to augment his skill as a swordsman and making him almost unbeatable, he can create a shield around himself and those he's protecting, or he can simply infuse it with ki and make the weapon itself more powerful.

Personality: When one thinks of an emperor, a portrait of Saihitei should come straight to their minds. Royal, impressive, and undeniably honorable he is considered the ideal man and one that a great number look up to. But what most people have a tendency to miss is the fact that, beyond the robes and regalia, he is incredibly warm and benevolent man that rules with remarkable care, responsibility, and maturity tempered by years of experience. However… that doesn't mean he's happy. Because of his high distinction within the kingdom, he was never able to form any sort of friendship or close bonds with people of his own age. Thus, he's incredibly lonely and keeps reaching out for people and it's only recently that his Seishi brothers have come and reached out to him. He prides himself an awful lot on his looks and physical capabilities, a carry-over from when he was growing up and those were the only things that distinguished him from his other siblings. Therefore, he often speaks very highly of himself and comes off as rather narcissistic. He does have a tendency to "cling" to Takeshi, being that the ketsu was the only personage to ever connect with him and he's afraid to lose him. He's relaxed a bit since he met the other Seishi and is now dedicated to helping and caring for them like the family he never had.

Eagle as a Totem: The eagle is a sacred messenger, carrying our prayers to the Creator and returning with gifts and visions for the people. The eagle is incredibly patient. They are often seen perched in a tree maintaining the same position for hours at a time. One of the challenges for those with this totem is to learn how to master this art in every area of their life.

Eagles are good at feeding themselves from the land and still soar to great heights in the sky. They teach us the balance of being of the earth but not in it. They have excellent hearing. Eagles can hunt as much by ear as by sight. To those to whom eagle comes, the ability to hear spiritually and physically will increase.

Eagles have sharp beaks and strong jaws. They remind us to pay attention to our speech and how it affects others. Our words as well as the tone of our voice should be examined. Eagles ask us to maintain a prayerful connection with Spirit, to keep in our minds what is important in life. Maintaining this attitude removes judgement from our consciousness. Without judgement we speak with encouragement and kindness towards others. Lessons associated are part of this medicine.

Eagles have excellent vision. Perched high in a tree they appear to analyze and observe everything. If Eagle has blessed you with its presence in some way, you are being given potent gifts of clarity and vision to use for the good of all people helping to bring forth the light out of the darkness.

Eagle represents a state of grace that is reached through inner work, understanding and passing the initiation tests that result from reclaiming our personal power. It is the spirit of tenacity. It is the gift of clear vision with which one can truly see the things one sees. It is the patience to wait for the appropriate moment. It is to live in balance with heaven and earth.

Eagle reminds you of your connection with the Great Spirit. It tells you that the universe is giving you the opportunity to fly above your life's worldly levels, or above the shadow of past realities. Eagle asks you to grant yourself permission to be free in order to reach the joy that your heart desires.