Disclaimer: I don't own Fushigi Yuugi.

I'd like to extend my most sincerest apologies towards all the readers. Yes, it's been almost a year since I've updated, and I'm so sorry for that. I'll seriously try to start putting out chapters more often than once a year, if for no other reason than it makes me sad to know I haven't written that much. But thank you all for your patience - I hope this is worth the wait.

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"S-Se-Seiryuu? A Seiryuu Seishi helped us? But… but we're Suzaku Seishi! And the Seiryuu hate us, right?" Miaka stuttered, her head swiveling from Koutoku's prone figure to her Seishi, looking desperately for answers. Saihitei wished he had some to give her.

'My Koutoku was very aware of your Seishi affiliation, and it doesn't bother him at all,' Heisei stated matter-of-factly. 'And as much as I'd like to answer all the questions you have, Kou-chan isn't well. Is there somewhere we can go so that he can get rest or help?'

'Our friend's home is nearby,' Takeshi said, swooping down and landing beside his bondmate. 'It's not too far, and he'll get good protection.'

"Then we better head back now, before the others get worried," Miaka said, standing up and looking for further trouble. "But… how are we gonna to get Koutoku to Kishuku's house?"

The two Suzaku Seishi shared a glance, and Shun'u spoke first. "I'll carry 'em," he shrugged. "Kid prob'ly don't weigh shit. Yer Highness can watch out fer anyone followin' us wit' those eagle eyes o' yers." Saihitei agreed, tucking the fallen flute into his own tunic for safekeeping.

'Everyone ready?'Genrou asked. 'Thankfully, Toshi and the rest took care of the other assassin. We shouldn't have any problems.'

"Just keep tellin' yerself that, Gen-kun," Shun'u snorted. "Maybe one day it'll be true."

The run back took a lot longer; Saihitei figured it to be his unsettled nerves making it seem that way. They returned to find everyone over the age of sixteen awake and restless. Houjun was outside with the ketsu, completing what Saihitei later learned to be a small protection spell over the house. Inside, Kishuku was pacing back and forth, nearly frothing at the mouth with anger. Sou-san was much more composed than his son, standing gravely with Ryuuen and Juan, and was the first to move when he saw the returning crowd.

"What happened?" he asked, clearing a space on the floor for Shun'u to rest Koutoku's body on. Juan immediately went to the boy's side to help.

Saihitei spoke about the woodland incident, and when he had finished a terse Kishuku explained what happened at his home. The remaining Seishi had little problems in dealing with the second assassin, and were more worried for Miaka's safety. By the time Kishuku had finished talking, Juan was almost done examining Koutoku, and Houjun had joined the others in the dining room. The ketsu spoke little, as if unwilling to voice their worries. No one spoke a great deal, letting the comfort of the nighttime settle over their uneasy thoughts.

Finally, the doctor stood up. "There's nothing to be worried about. He is simply low on ki," he said, taking a seat beside Shun'u. "It's nothing a good night's sleep won't cure. Something we all could use, I'm sure."

"I agree, but there's still something we have to discuss, no da," Houjun spoke, then turned to Heisei, perched beside Chie and Takeshi on the windowsill. "Heisei-ketsu, would you be kind enough to tell us about your Seishi, no da?"

The warbler flitted over and set herself onto the table. 'What would you care to know?' she asked cheerfully.

"Well…" Miaka hesitated a moment. "How did Koutoku know where we were, and why did he help us?"

'I can't really answer that in a way you'll like. Not that you won't like the answer' she added quickly 'but that it's not one that'll satisfy you, I'll put it that way. Kou-chan ran away from the Kutou Center about… oh, I'd say about two weeks ago. And we've never really been outside the Kutou borders, so we've been a little lost for… oh, the past two weeks. Kou-chan heard the sound of screaming as we were flying through and he stopped to help. So to be honest, I'm more inclined to believe it was pure chance and fate that brought us to the woods when the assassin attacked you.'

She was right. Frowns sprung up on more than one face.

"If that's the case, why'd ya help us?" Shun'u put forth. "Ya musta known what those Kutou bastards look like, and ya coulda helped him."

'Like I said, we ran away. At this point in time, Kutou is a bad place to be and, I'm ashamed to say, a bad country to be a Seishi for,' Heisei's voice suddenly became soft and serious. 'Excuse my traitorous words, but we can't support the evil that our homeland stands for. And everyone knows that Ayuru-sama is the one who controls the assassins, and we don't care much for him either.'

"Gi Ayuru?" Saihitei asked sharply.

'Oh yes.'

"Oh, this opens up a whole new world of questions and answers, no da," Houjun said, leaning closer to Heisei.

"Who is this you speak of?" Sou-san questioned.

"The Chief Warrior of the Seiryuu Seishi," Saihitei answered, hiding a bubble of anger that was forming in his chest. "He is a dark, tainted man. I've had the displeasure of meeting him a number of times in court, and any words I could use to describe him aren't poisonous enough."

"So he's evil," Kishuku said.

'Evil's not the best word, but you're on the right road,' Takeshi replied. 'Looking into his eyes is like looking into a piece of ice so thick it could never melt. There's no soul, no morals, no emotions. His motives are based solely upon his own will and whim.'

Ryuuen frowned. "That's impossible. Everyone has a soul, especially a Seishi. Our respective gods chose us, so that has to be proof. … Right?"

Genrou tried to explain the situation. 'You must remember that, despite egotistical beliefs, Seishi are human with human virtues and faults. Just because we ketsu have chosen you as our companions doesn't mean that you're not fallible. If this Ayuru man has had a hard life, even after acquiring his ketsu, then it's not entirely unbelievable that he is twisted by his experiences.'

'By that same token, ketsu aren't perfect either,' Toshi jumped in. 'A ketsu may help foster such feelings, though not necessarily on purpose. Some are so willing to be faithful and helpful to their Seishi that they aren't completely aware of the repercussions their actions may have.'

"Oh that's fuckin' great," Shun'u growled in reply. "A fucked up Seishi with a fucked up ketsu are tryin' ta kill us. As if we don't have enough problems already, let's just toss this onto the shit pile."

'This kind of thing isn't totally new. Almost a hundred and twenty years ago there was that power struggle in Hokkan between Seishi factions over the Emperor's legitimacy. Even the more zealous, destructive side was right on certain points,' Chie pointed out. 'But the basic idea I want to convey is that, even together, a Seishi/ketsu pair cannot be thought of as perfect.'

There was another silence, but surprisingly Juan broke it. "Heisei-ketsu, I have one more question."

'Yes?'

"Now that Koutoku is here… could you guess on his feelings of whether or not he'd like to return to Eiyou with us, or if he'd -"

Before Juan could finish the sentence, a number of the Seishi were loudly voicing their opinions on that subject.

"Shit no! He's a goddamn Seiryuu Seishi!"

"What the hell would we do with him? He's not a pet we can take with us!"

"Do you think he'll even want to come with us?"

Houjun cleared his throat, and with his best paternal voice hollered, "Excuse me!" When he was certain he had everyone's attention, the Chichiri Seishi continued. "None of your rantings are getting us anywhere, no da. It's obvious that most of you" a glance at Shun'u and Kishuku "are not fond of the idea of helping Koutoku, no da. However, it doesn't seem fair to simply leave him here in the countryside when we, as people whose very role is to care for those in this land, should be helping him, no da."

Before an embarrassed quiet could hang over the group, Juan directed the end of the sentence back to Heisei. "Or if he'd prefer to travel through and past Konan."

The warbler tilted her head from side to side, obviously deep in thought. 'I don't know. Kou-chan didn't really have a plan about where we were gonna go - just that he wanted to go to Konan and help.'

"So he didn't come to just run from Kutou," Ryuuen said. "He came here with some purpose, even a vague one." He turned and looked at the rest of the table. "Guys, I think we owe him and Heisei whether we really want to admit it or not."

"What about helping me?!" Miaka huffed. "That wasn't not a good thing?"

"No, it was," he placated their Miko. "But I'm just a little suspicious about how… planned it was. Just as you and Sai-san and Shun seemed hopelessly trapped, he shows up. Bang! just like that."

"It's convenient," Houjun added. "If someone wanted inside information about us, it would be easy to win our trust through kindness, no da."

'You're not saying you think Kou-chan is in league with those evil men, are you?' Heisei demanded, angrily fluffing up.

"No!" Saihitei defended.

"But we can't say for certain that he wants our help," Kishuku pointed out.

'Oye! Humans!'

Everyone turned to an exasperated Tama, who had now plopped himself in the middle of the table next to Heisei. 'You guys are always looking for the hard way to do things. Hey, I've got a great idea! Why don't we wait until Koutoku wakes up before we make rash decisions on what is to be done?' he put in. 'It's not like there's much we can do now - I'd kinda like to be asleep right now, but with all this fussing and fighting, that's not gonna happen.'

'I agree with him,' Shonin added. 'Koutoku can tell us more tomorrow and we can get some rest now.'

"I don't know about anyone else," Miaka said, toying with a small cup, "but I'm not sleepy anymore."

Saihitei laid a comforting hand on her shoulder. "Are you all right, Miaka-san? You do not look well."

"I'm not sure how I feel," she replied softly. "After all the other things that've happened… I don't even know if I'm just in shock or I've stopped caring."

No one said anything, but Saihitei could see sympathy in everyone's eyes. He, too, felt quite similar to Miaka; after seeing so many things on this journey, it felt as if there was no deed too dark or evil that could surprise him. A part of him wondered if summoning Suzaku would change anything, and if it would make a difference if it couldn't change the people.

But another part of his mind rallied in noble rage.

Fool! How dare you have such weak thoughts?! Do not give up hope for our land! We are the land, and as long as there is a breath in our body, we will not let these dark deeds go unpunished!

With great briskness, the Hotohori Seishi got to his feet, waking everyone from his or her musings. "We are not getting anywhere with this silent self-indulgence. I, for one, would rather have my ki directed to a worthier source. If anyone would care to find me, I will be pulling Watch around the village." With those words hanging in the air, he swooped up his sword and returned to the outdoors.

Moments later, Kishuku and Ryuuen deigned to join their Emperor, their weapons at hand.

"Nice speech, Heika," the Nuriko Seishi grinned. "Very moving."

Saihitei shook his head. "If we were a better Emperor, such words would not have been necessary. We should understand the situation better, and we should have taken control of it much earlier than we did."

Kishuku gave him a sympathetic look. "Excuse me Sai-san, but you do realize that the reason there are so many of us is so that no one has to hold the burden of saving the country alone, right?"

The words caused a seed of warmth and surprise to blossom in Saihitei's chest. I never thought of it that way. Amazing that it's a truth I didn't recognize before. Perhaps I never realized how much their duty as Chosen Seishi is so much like the duty of the Emperor. The trio walked in easy silence, making one full circle around the village before Kishuku spoke.

"So… I told you guys Hakukou was a good place to visit," he said to no one in particular.

"Yeah, it is. Minus the killer bats and Kutou assassins, it's a nice place to live," Ryuuen lightly joked.

Saihitei decided to spare further awkward questioning and spoke his mind. "Are either of you suspicious of Koutoku's rather timely appearance?"

"Yes!" both answered quite heartily, and looked quite abashed when they almost woke up one of the nearby households.

"Care to expand?"

"Not that I'm not grateful for the help, but how in the world did he know which side to help? I mean, the kid's a Seiryuu! It just doesn't make sense," Kishuku vented as quietly as he could.

"I don't feel comfortable about this whole thing. Outside of being attacked, it seems so deliberate. How lucky are we, the group of Chosen Suzaku no Shichiseishi, being suddenly rescued by a Seiryuu Seishi from Kutou assassins?" Ryuuen frowned, swinging his tetsubo in a lazy circle.

"Yeah, no kidding," the Tamahome Seishi nodded. "But to be honest, I'm not feeling very benevolent at the moment towards anyone, and it's possible that he's not a bad person. We've been attacked so many times that it's easy to see bad ki in everyone we come across."

"Why do you ask, Sai-san?"

"I want to trust him," Saihitei admitted. "He is a Seishi, and for me that means he should be trustworthy Both Koutoku and Heisei seemed very sincere, and I believe it is possible that their help was merely good fortune from Suzaku. In addition, I do not like to make rash decisions about a person. Since I have always been surrounded by counselors who told me their opinion whether I wanted to hear it or not, I am compelled to ask you two what you think."

Both nodded.

"But since we can't do anything until tomorrow, I'd rather not think about it," Ryuuen said. "I'm more psyched that we're finally going home."

"To be honest, I am too," Kishuku smiled. "For the past few weeks, I've been too busy worrying about my family to really enjoy the, uh, experiences I've had. Now that my father is well again and can help the kids with the work, I don't feel so pressed to get money. Not that I won't keep trying to earn more," he added with a wink.

Saihitei looked at his brother Seishi with an open expression. "Kishuku-kun… I would be more than willing to help you support your family financially. If there is some way I can transfer okane –"

"No."

Saihitei's eyes widened in shock. "But it would be no great effort to help –"

"I said no!"

This wasn't the answer he was expecting; yes, he thought that Kishuku would refuse the idea at first, but then finally accept the offer with good grace. Custom dictated that Kishuku wouldn't take it right away, but Saihitei didn't know what to think of the vehemence in the Tamahome Seishi's voice. Saihitei thought his generosity would be appreciated, and that was getting him irritated.

"We are giving you a chance to help your family and you would choose to reject it?"

"I don't need your help, heika!" Kishuku snarled. "Maybe my family isn't as well-off as you've always been, but we're happy and healthy and that's that!"

"Okay, time to stop this!" Ryuuen cut in. "You guys aren't seeing each other's side, being as stubborn as you are, and this conversation is getting less and less fun. Pride is one thing, stupidity is another." Both men turned on the Nuriko Seishi, but they were given no chance to talk. Ryuuen gave Kishuku a push to the northern part of the village, while he turned Saihitei in the opposite direction. "I think it would be a good idea to separate for a little while. You two head in your directions, and I'll walk through the center. Okay?"

Neither answered, preferring to silently seethe. Saihitei quickly shifted into his eagle form, choosing to scout the village from an aerial perspective and, though he refused to admit it, to escape his Seishi brothers. Within minutes though, he felt much better. It was quiet and comforting, and it did his mind good to get away from the tribulations of the land. It was then that he allowed himself to reflect fully upon the night.

Saihitei let himself feel righteously angry at the incident that just occurred. He directed his anger and frustrations at Ryuuen's audacity and Kishuku's inflexibility, but it didn't really make him feel any better. Mostly it drained him, and as he made lazy circles over the village, he let his mind wander back to Ryuuen's words. Yes, he understood that Kishuku was poor and that it was Kishuku's family, but weren't they all family now? If Saihitei wanted to help take care of the children, then it was his right.

Right?

His mind suddenly jumped back to the scene in Chouko, when his eyes no longer worked and his body was wracked with disease. And he remembered how ashamed he felt at having to accept the fact that he was unable to care for himself. Worse – he had to be saved from the demon Shouka. Saihitei actually lost one of the air currents he was riding when he saw the parallel between Kishuku and himself.

We are both proud men; men who have always been the caregivers in our lives. We, the emperor, watched over the people, while Kishuku watched his family. To suddenly be faced with someone who could care for his brothers and sister better than he could must have made Kishuku feel horrible; just as how I felt when I realized I could not care for Shun'u and Ryuuen.

I owe Kishuku an apology for the unintentional pain I caused.

That thought caused Saihitei's stomach to drop; apologies were not his specialty. Still, he couldn't just let the situation sit. There were too many things going on for a rift to suddenly come between any of the Seishi.

Things are moving too fast. First we meet the Suzaku no Miko and enclose the circle of Chosen Shichiseishi, and then her life is put into danger. Worse, it is not even one of her Seishi that save her, but a Seiryuu; an enemy.

Saihitei felt a twinge as he realized that was probably one of the reasons why all the Suzaku Seishi were so unhappy with themselves. It might even account for why the ketsu weren't too forthcoming with their thoughts.

So it's our guilt that is pressing upon Koutoku rather than logic. The fact that the Konan-jin are taught that all the Kutou-jin are evil, being confronted with a young man that is willing to help us did not make any sense. And I am more certain now that we're simply overwhelmed by what's been happening. Thus… 'Takeshi?'

'Yes, beloved?'

'Would you please tell Ryuuen and Kishuku that I am returning to the Sou house?'

'Kishuku is already there, but I'll tell Ryuuen.'

'Thank you, my ketsu.'

He landed right outside the house, noticing that Houjun was already asleep outside with Kohana and Shonin curled beside him. Shifting back, he walked in and saw the Mitsukake Seishi pair resting beside Koutoku and Heisei. Deliberately looking for Kishuku, he bit down a sudden protest from his pride as he saw the other man leaving his sisters' room. The darker Seishi gave Saihitei a cool glance as he passed by. It took a moment for Saihitei to gather his courage, but before Kishuku could head off to his own bedroll, he blurted out, "I want to apologize for tonight, Kishuku-san."

It caught Kishuku visibly off-guard. He turned around with the most puzzled expression on his face. "Excuse me, heika?"

Saihitei inclined his head to Kishuku in a humbled fashion. "I want to apologize for my words. My offer was not made to make you look like a lesser man. It was made because I want to help lessen the burden that you carry." He paused a second, not knowing what else to say. "I simply… I simply feel connected to all that is in the country, and your siblings deserve the best of what Konan has to give. So again, I apologize."

The house was silent for a good thirty seconds before a hand was laid upon Saihitei's shoulder. "Saihitei-sama… I accept your apology." Saihitei righted himself and stood face-to-face with Kishuku, whose expression was warmer now. "We poor people have our pride, too, and it did hurt to hear you talk about caring for my family better than I could. I admit it - I lashed at you. But I've never been a person to just take someone's money, even from those with good intentions. So… I'm not really sure what I'm trying to say, but maybe we could talk a little bit more about this later. Just to get each other's perspective, you know."

"An excellent plan, Kishuku," Saihitei nodded. "We shall discuss it in the morning, if you are so inclined."

Kishuku grinned. "Maybe. We'll have other things to talk about then. But I just wanted to bring that up."

A lull fell over the two men, and Saihitei inquired about the Sou family.

"All the kids are asleep, and my father went to bed after you left the house. Funny enough, Shun's right outside the girls' room," he explained, adding a grin as he pointed to a reclining redheaded figure leaning against the door. Saihitei couldn't hold back a soft smile.

"And where is Miaka-san?"

"Toshi told me she went and joined Ryuuen and Chie when they made a round past the house. But I'm sure everyone else, including ketsu, is asleep. Like I plan to be."

Saihitei nodded. "I, too, returned for the same reason. So I bid you good night, Kishuku, and let us hope the morning brings better answers than the night."

Kishuku just chuckled. "You're very poetic, Sai-san. See you tomorrow."

The duo separated, and within minutes of returning to his bedroll, Saihitei allowed the luxury of sleep to come upon him.

The morning was a flurry of quiet activity. Ryuuen and Miaka had spent the rest of the night packing for the return trip. Thus, they collapsed from exhaustion under the nearest tree, leaving the other Seishi to take care of the minor details. Once he was brought up to date on current events, Koutoku agreed to join the Suzaku Seishi on their journey back to the Center.

"My home is not my home anymore. I would welcome a place to stay, even if it's only for a short time," he said quietly. Saihitei returned the flute to the young man, who thanked him profusely for watching over it. With that settled, all that was left to do was eat breakfast, pack some water, and say farewell.

The children did not take too well to the final detail - one in particular.

"Nii-chaaaan!" Yuiren shrieked as she saw everyone begin to saddle up. "Nii-chan, don't leave!" The child tackled her brother's leg and held on for dear life.

Kishuku bent down and gave her a hug. "Yuiren, don't cry. I'll come back soon, I promise. I'll even bring you a gift - would you like a new doll?"

"I want you more!"

The look on Kishuku's face was so pained that Saihitei was almost tempted to take the child with them.

Miaka got up and went to Yuiren in an effort to help. "Come on Yuiren, you have to get off now," she said kindly. "I know you don't want him to go, but -"

Yuiren turned and grabbed Miaka around the neck, bursting into loud sobs. "Don't go, nee-chan! We should all be together!"

"Let go of her, Yuiren!" Chuuei scolded. "You're being very spoiled now!"

"NO NO NO NO NO!"

A light and gentle melody floated through the morning air, stilling all voices. Saihitei looked up, expecting to see a number of songbirds perched on the nearest tree. When he saw no birds but Takeshi and Chie, he realized that the sound was coming from a musical instrument. Turning, he could see its source as Koutoku's flute.

"What's he doin'?" Shun'u hissed to Juan, whose simply shrugged.

When Saihitei looked back at Miaka and Yuiren, he almost felt his heart stop when the child went limp in Miaka's arms.

"Aahhh! Yuiren!" she cried out, and all hell nearly broke loose.

"What the fuck are you doing to my sister?" Kishuku shouted, roughly grabbing Koutoku by the collar and pulling his arm back for a punch.

"There're better ways ta keep a kid quiet than makin'em go insane!" Shun'u snarled as he reached for the tessen.

But before they could do any sort of harm to him, Miaka said, "She's asleep."

Koutoku smiled sheepishly up at Kishuku. "It was a tune of hypnosis. I figured it would be a kind way to take care of her; even her dreams will be pleasant." The Tamahome Seishi glared at the flautist before releasing him. Saihitei noticed an embarrassed flush go across Kishuku's face as he pushed past Shun'u and himself.

Miaka handed the sleeping child to her father, and Kishuku quickly came up next to his family for a final hug. He kissed Yuiren on the top of her head, ruffled his brothers' hair, and mounted his horse before anything else could happen.

Deciding to try and organize the moment, Saihitei called out for order from his own saddle, and without another word everyone was mounted or had shifted into an appropriate shape. He allowed Houjun to lead everyone out of the village so that Saihitei himself could talk with Kishuku and Shun'u.

'Why do you need to?' Takeshi questioned.

'I would prefer that there be no fighting as we return home. I want to make it clear that Koutoku should not be treated like an enemy.'

'Ah. Well, that shouldn't be too much of a problem. Pay attention.'

Saihitei slowed his horse until it was just a few feet in front of the two Warriors (one of which had Sute affixed to his back) and the Seiryuu musician. He cocked his head and caught a few fragments of the conversation.

"… Wanted to help."

"I know, but it kinda scared me. … Thought you were … hurt Yuiren."

"No!"

A moment of silence.

"… Wanna say sorry … tryin'a hit ya."

"Me too."

"… all right. I understand… younger brother, too."

Saihitei, satisfied with what he heard, stopped eavesdropping and trotted up until he was even with Doukun and Miaka, the latter being uncharacteristically quiet. Hoping he could get the Miko to relax a bit, Saihitei struck up a small conversation. "Miaka-san, are you excited about traveling and coming to Eiyou?"

She smiled shyly. "A little bit. When I was home, my kaa-san wanted to send me to the Center and I didn't want to go. I didn't want to leave my best friend behind, but now that…" Miaka paused, her voice momentarily catching. Doukun and Saihitei looked at her with worry, but then Miaka brightened up. "Now I do want to go. I'm very excited! The Center is supposed to have delicious food, and I can't wait to meet other Mikos and learn a lot from them! It's going to be a great experience!"

"I'm glad to hear that," Saihitei smiled at her, though he hid his concern well. Miaka's cheerfulness was false, that much was obvious, and he wondered how she really felt and what she had meant to say.

We have five days of traveling together until we come to Eiyou. Hopefully, I shall get to know the Chosen Suzaku no Miko more personally during that time. I believe we could both use the companionship.

He reached over and patted her hand, and was rewarded with a gentle squeeze of thanks.

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Name: Yuuki Miaka

Age: 15

Status: Suzaku no Miko

Personality: Miaka loves to eat. Plain and simple as that. The girl is the poster-child for gluttony, and her fondness for eating causes her to get into a few problems, especially when she lets her stomach rule her common sense. Miaka was raised to be dependent on other people to care for her; her mother and brother in the past, and her husband in the future. She has a mind of her own - a willful, stubborn one at that - but she's always relied on other people to care and provide for her. In her defense, she does try to handle problems by herself and her intentions are generally good. However, Miaka doesn't quite know the difference between being self-reliant and responsible for her actions, verses being self-absorbed and shortsighted. Thus, she does things that make her look self-centered, despite the fact that she really is very loving and devoted to the people in her life, and she'll do whatever she can to protect them from danger. She's an incredibly sensitive young girl that feels and lives with all her heart. Her spirit is nearly indomitable, and she faces the hardest challenges with a smile on her face and a spark of courage in her eyes. Because of that, she sees the world with a light-hearted freshness that's untouched by the things she's felt and gone through. She misses her family dearly, but has found Kishuku and the other Seishi to be more than sufficient replacement brothers.

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Shonin and Houjun

Name: Shonin - variation on "magic"

Species: Silver fox - Vulpes vulpes

Gender: Female

Seishi: Chichiri

Personality: If Houjun is the big brother of the Seishi, then Shonin could be seen as the big sister of the ketsu. As one of the most resourceful and clever ketsu, she is able to assess a situation, weigh out the outcomes, and quickly come to a decision that does the least amount of damage or harm. She prefers to be the only person acting in such a situation so as to protect those she cares about; she would have herself injured before another. On a number of occasions, Shonin has done things behind Houjun's back, following both her instincts and those of her ketsu friends. This isn't because she doesn't trust her Seishi, but rather she feels that some things must be done regardless of whether or not other people want her to do them. When dealing with faces she's unfamiliar with, Shonin will quickly back away from any conversation and question every comment that is made. Her trust is very hard to gain, especially if she's been privy to a poor first impression. Still, Shonin is a very animated ketsu. She loves being with the new ketsu or Seishi and playing with them before they get caught in the whirl of Center life, reveling in their youthful excitement and enjoyment of life. She's often seen teasing and tussling with the other Chosen ketsu, trying to bring a bit of lightheartedness into their serious situation.

Picture: http:www. Animalsforawareness .org /images /Foxsilver. gif

Fox as a Totem: Fox teaches us to observe the patterns so we learn to instantly trust our inner voice. Allow the wildness of fox to help you walk in knowing and hold clear visions of outcomes. A quick-wit, diplomacy, timing, wildness, feminine magic, knowing when to speak and when to remain silent, silently watching the drama unfold, swiftness of thought and action, the adaptability to exist within a large variety of environments, and swift movement are all attributed to the fox.

Fox is the keeper of the power of invisibility and camouflage, of knowing how to move between the light and the dark, from this world to other realms of existence. Its ability to remain in plain sight and yet unseen is its greatest power. No other creature is able to blend in with its surroundings quite as well as Fox can. It speaks of the need to develop the art of camouflage, invisibility, and shape shifting. It is agile, skilled, and unpredictable.

A fox has a great ability to outwit both predators and prey. Fox teaches us how to slip out of unpleasant situations quietly and unnoticed. Those with fox as a totem are often clever and witty but must remember to keep their crafty and clever nature balanced or it could backfire.

Fox is one of the most uniquely skilled and ingenious animals of nature. Because it is a creature of the night, it is often imbued with supernatural powers. Fox are usually seen at dawn and dusk. Dusk is the beginning of its day, and the dawn its ending. These are the in between times, when the world of magic and the world in which we live intersect. The fox has a long history of magic and cunning associated with it. It can move in and out of situations restoring order or causing confusion depending on the situation. If Fox is your totem, pay attention to the way it moves and follow its lead. This is a powerful medicine to have and those that it belongs to should learn to use its skills for the benefit of all.

Bondmate: Ri Houjun

Age/Gender: 24/M

Seishi Talent: Houjun is gifted with multiple talents, but his natural one is the ability to shapeshift into the image of people he has seen or met. Having studied under Taiitsu-kun for three years, he also learned how to manipulate his ki in various magic actions such as telekinesis, spell casting, ki-sensing, short-distance flight and teleportation, and ki blasts. With his shakujou (staff) and prayer beads, Houjun can amplify his magical powers. Using his kesa (cloak) or kasa (straw hat), he can teleport as far as distant countries and even enter Mt. Taikyoku with them. With Taiitsu-kun's boost all his abilities have nearly doubled in strength.

Personality: As the eldest of the Chosen Suzaku Shichiseishi, Houjun takes his position very seriously. He is the big brother of the group, watching them from the background while Saihitei or Kishuku calls the shots. It's not that he can't handle a leadership position - the status of High Priest is one filled with great authority - it's more that he would rather let the others do the more public leading while he works his subtle magic in the shadows. He's extremely intuitive and usually sees more than people would like him to. He's usually a light-hearted person, preferring to be positive or cheerful, rather than flounder in any of the darker emotions he's come to know, but he can be very quiet and withdrawn at times. He harbors great feelings of guilt that only Shonin is aware of, due to an incident that occurred when he was eighteen, and it's because of these feelings that he's so devoted towards his Seishi brothers and sister. It's as if his loyalty to them is a way of making up to the friends he lost. Houjun's also very blunt when it comes to speaking about the harsh reality of the world. He's not afraid to tell it how it is, especially when he thinks a person needs to hear the truth without padding. He's the one all the Seishi feel they can go to if they need advice in any situation, since they know he will give them a willing ear to listen along with honest words of guidance.