Soi looked around the dark woods, trying to find out where Ashitare was. She'd been able to slip away from the priestess easily; excusing herself under the pretense that she wanted to take a walk. Thankfully the girl's stomach was still violently spewing out her food and she hadn't been able to come along. She didn't have to know Ashitare was still alive.

Soi stopped when she thought she heard something among the trees. She relaxed a little when she saw the hulking lupine form of her fellow celestial warrior. She pitied him sometimes. Nakago had whipped him often, kept him in chains. Nothing really deserved that kind of treatment all the time. The wolfish creature looked at her curiously. When his human form had died, it seemed that his wolf blood took over.

"Ashitare… don't go back to Nakago." I can't believe I am doing this… "If I set out with the priestess, I will signal you somehow, and after a few days, come with us. I know you can find us." She wasn't sure if the wolf understood her. He sniffed her skirt and started panting rather doggishly. Soi awkwardly patted his head and Ashitare ran off, padding his way into the distance, eventually hidden by too many trees for her to see the warrior any more. After a moment, Soi turned to go back into the palace. She jumped. Leaning against a tree not six yards away was Nuriko, the warrior whose life she saved just last night. He dressed with slightly more masculinity today, but… pink? He smiled at her.

"Hey! Fancy seeing you here!" He said cheerfully, pushing away from the tall cedar. Soi tensed. How much had he seen? He simply smiled winningly at her. Men shouldn't be so… pretty.

"I was just out taking a walk." Soi said stiffly. Nuriko just shrugged.

"It's not my business." He said. Maybe he isn't so bad after all… "Anyway, what do you use to wash your hair? Because I know something that could really make it shine!" Soi's jaw dropped.

"What?" She asked. "What do you mean?" Nuriko giggled. GIGGLED! He had come up to her and whispered confidentially in her ear. As though anyone were here to listen! But she couldn't help being just a little curious. What can a man know about beauty and hygiene that I don't? Despite her better instincts, Soi found herself interested. She prided herself on her knowledge of make-up and beauty techniques, and she could never pass up a chance to use them. Nuriko was looking at her expectantly, awaiting her answer.

"You are a man aren't you?" She said warily. She had seen his chest the day before, bleeding all over the place by the way, but she still couldn't quite believe it. The man chuckled and pulled down his shirt a little bit to reveal a flat chest. Soi could have laughed at her own suspicions. It was still hard to believe.

"In the flesh, but I have the heart of a woman!" Nuriko said, smiling fetchingly. Soi sighed lightly, placing one hand on her hip in a defiant posture.

"And you say you know something to work with my hair?" She said. Nuriko nodded. Soi picked up one end of her hair, inspecting it. There were some split ends. She hadn't noticed that. She appraised the man in front of her before looking back at her hair. What would it hurt? She thought. She turned to Nuriko and gave a half-smile.

"Well man, lets see this technique of yours, hmm?" Nuriko laughed again and took her arm, guiding her back to the palace. He fussed over her hair and make-up the entire way, and Soi wondered what she would be getting out of this strange arrangement.

-------

Chiriko blinked at the closed door in front of him. Mitsukake wouldn't let him come into Yumi's room with him. He didn't know why. She had looked like she was asleep before, but she'd been bruised some. Maybe Nakago had beaten her? That must be it. He wondered why they hadn't summoned Suzaku yet. All of them were here: Tasuki, Hotohori, Nuriko, Chichiri, Mitsukake, Tamahome, and himself.

Chiriko thought he saw the priestess of Seiryu storming past from quite a distance away. A few minutes passed as he stared in the direction she had gone before a loud yelp echoed through the halls. He wondered what that was all about. The young warrior fingered his leaf whistle briefly before tucking it in his sleeve once again. He couldn't hear anything from Yumi's room, so he decided to try and catch a peek. He had barely opened the door a crack when it closed sharply, almost catching his small fingers.

Chiriko frowned. Fine, if they don't want me here, I'll go somewhere else! He thought pensively. He set off through the palace, emerging in one of the many small gardens that dotted the grounds. This one had a few shady trees and large bushes with a small koi pond in the middle. Maybe he should get Yumi some flowers. Girls liked flowers, and maybe it would make her feel better. He selected a few long stemmed lilies, clutching them in his hands but deciding to linger in the garden for a while. He sat down on the bench beside the pond and watched the large orange and white fish swim. It had been a while since he'd been in a garden, what with all the studying he'd been doing for his exams. That was when he realized he was being watched.

He turned his head quickly, looking at the person watching him. It was a young girl, probably his age or a little younger. She was wearing palace livery, and looked to be a kitchen helper or a maid in training. They took the servants in at a young age to teach them properly. He wondered why she was staring at him.

"Are… are you one of the celestial warriors?" She asked hesitantly, looking very shy. Chiriko slowly nodded and she took a few steps forward, bowing a little.

"Oh, no need to do that!" He said quickly. She was making him feel embarrassed. The girl straightened and toyed with the hem of her apron.

"My name is Chiriko." He said, trying to break the ice. The girl looked up and smiled a little, sitting down on the bench a little ways away from him.

"My name is Hana. I work in the kitchens." She said, seeming a little less shy since he'd introduced himself. Chiriko smiled and nodded. It was good to have someone to talk to his own age.

"So, do you like this garden?" He said, curious. Hana smiled and nodded happily, gesturing all around them.

"Oh yes! I love this spot. I come here on my breaks and day off sometimes. It's very peaceful." She was becoming livelier with every word, taking after her namesake. She did in more than one way. She had dark brown hair, almost black, with bright green eyes. Green eyes? But she's not foreign.

"It… it is a very… pretty place…" He said, for some reason very distracted. Hana smiled at him happily.

"You're really nice, you know?" She said. Chiriko found himself blushing a little. On impulse he handed her the lilies he had picked. She took them with a smile and smelled them delicately, but Chiriko was getting very flustered and embarrassed. He stood up quickly.

"I'll see you later?" It was almost a question. She nodded slowly, looking a little stunned at his sudden departure, but he had already bustled off, trying to get the red out of his face.

-------

Yumi awoke, but didn't open her eyes immediately. She felt so safe in Tasuki's arms. When she was with him, nothing could happen to her. Someone must have changed her clothes, or rather, dressed her, for now she was wearing a loose, comfortable robe. Already, she felt a little better. Yumi opened her eyes slowly and saw Tasuki's brown eyes looking down at her warmly. She tried to smile for him, but she was afraid it came out a little strained.

"Hey, sleepyhead." Tasuki said before leaning down to kiss her forehead. Who was that… that guy? She had to know.

"Do you anything about a guy named Nakago?" Yumi asked, her voice faltering slightly. Suddenly, Tasuki's expression became guarded.

"He's dead." Yumi wondered how much Tasuki knew. She flushed and looked away. "Serves the bastard right…" Tasuki growled. His arms tightened around her protectively. Yumi couldn't look him straight in the eye. He knows. Of course he does. But… I can't remember what happened! I think I passed out… Did he really… take me? Yumi squeezed her eyes shut. The corners of her eyes stung with pent up tears, but she vowed not to let them fall.

"I'm so sorry, Tasuki. I should have…" Yumi changed what she was going to say. "I'm sorry." Tasuki looked at her strangely, thankfully loosening his hold on her, allowing Yumi to breathe again. He looked at her, more serious than she had ever seen him before.

"You have nothing to apologize fer. Whatever happens to you, I want you to know that I still love you." Yumi smiled, though her heart ached. She hurt so much inside.

"Never in my life had I felt so worthless as when Nakago… had his way… with me. I could do nothing! He just did whatever he wanted. The things he said… the way he abused me…" Yumi faltered, realizing that she might be saying too much, but she had to get this off her chest, share the burden.

"Yumi…" Tasuki began, but Yumi needed to finish.

"It was just a part of his plans against Konan…" Yumi bit her lip. Did he take me? I can't remember!

"What do you mean, 'plans?'" Tasuki asked. Yumi smiled ruefully.

"Only a virgin can summon Suzaku. I can never summon Suzaku." There, I said it. Tasuki tensed visibly, but Yumi was glad he was careful not to hurt her. She already hurt so much.

"Are… are you sure?" Yumi could tell that Tasuki didn't want to believe it. She didn't know what to say. He looked away, avoiding her eyes. She guessed that he was trying to make it easier to talk, and she appreciated his efforts, feeble as they were.

"I don't know that there was anything stopping him. I didn't wake up for at least three hours after I lost consciousness. Anything could have happened. But I can't see him letting me get away without taking me." Yumi felt detached, as though she were talking about someone else's troubles, that it wasn't her body that had been violated, but someone else. But to another person, I'M "someone else." The only thing that mattered was that Tasuki was holding her. She tried to blank her mind, listening to the beating of her love's heart while he stroked her hair. There was a small sound, causing Tasuki to move slightly.

"Yumi?" Yumi looked up. Whose voice is THAT? Framed in the doorway to her bedroom stood Megumi, dressed in Seiryu finery. Her mouth was hanging open slightly; her eyes wide and surprised. Yumi tried to answer, but her voice would not comply with her wishes.

"Yumi?"

-------

Megumi was upset. After she had woken Suboshi up he had given her the medication she wanted and shoved her bodily out the door. Okay, maybe I was a little out of line by jumping on him, but he wouldn't wake up! She thought. He wouldn't answer when she knocked and tried to apologize either. So she left. Soi still wasn't back, and she didn't want to stay in her room by herself. She was afraid of being alone.

Megumi had been having weird dreams lately where there were bright lights and loud sounds and then nothing. Nothing at all, and she was completely and utterly alone. When she woke up she would be covered in a cold sweat and usually ended up being sick. The priestess of Seiryu didn't want to be alone.

She wanted to cry. But she wouldn't. Enough people already thought that she was a weak pawn. Megumi wasn't as deaf as the doctors thought she was. She heard the palace servant's whispers when they walked by. They wondered why their emperor was letting Seiryu allies stay in the palace. The ones who knew about her being sick the night before wondered if she was bringing a sickness on them. The ones who didn't know anything first-hand merely passed on what they heard and made up fanatical stories of their own. It made her sick. It reminded Megumi of school.

In Jonan, she made good grades, and some of the teachers liked her. She even had three friends. But that didn't stop her other classmates from acting nice around her before talking behind her back. No, Megumi was not as deaf as people thought she was. It hurt her so much, when she would hear the things repeated back to her by one of her friends or people she was on relatively good terms with. She knew, and it hurt. This reminded her of school.

Megumi found that wandering the palace halls was becoming a habit for her. Oh well. She wondered which one was Yumi's room. She could stop by there if she knew where it was and tell Yumi to get well soon. Maybe she'd do that. After a few careful questions, she managed to get the information from a maid, though the new rumor would be out within minutes that Seiryu's priestess was trying to kill Yumi or something like that.

Finally, Megumi thought she had the right door. She had raised a hand to knock when she thought she heard something. Looking around she saw nobody was watching her, so she pressed an ear to the door. She heard a faint sound, and something that sounded like the word Nakago. Why was Yumi talking about Nakago? He was in Kutou right now.

Straining her ear, Megumi tried to discern more than the few words. More muffled sounds reached her ears and she cursed quietly, wishing for sharp hearing at the moment. Then they must have been talking louder in there, because she could hear clearer. She recognized one of the voices as Yumi's, and the other as… that man's…

"It was just a part of his plans against Konan…" That was Yumi. Megumi edged a little closer to the door.

"What do you mean, 'plans?'" It was that man. What was his name, Tasuki? She didn't like him. Who did he think he was? Yumi's 'favorite'? Megumi wanted to meet this guy before she started thinking of him as her best friend's boyfriend… or something more, she didn't know.

"Only a virgin can summon Suzaku. I can never summon Suzaku." Yumi's voice was falsely unconcerned. If Megumi knew anything, she knew her best friend. She had to think about that for a moment. She'd led a very sheltered life.

"Are… are you sure?" It was that man again. Was she sure of what? What was she sure of?

"I don't know that there was anything stopping him. I didn't wake up for at least three hours after I lost consciousness. Anything could have happened. But I can't see him letting me get away without taking me." Yumi said with a hint of detachment. Megumi tried to fit it all together. Nakago… virgin… can't summon Suzaku… sure… stopping him… could have happened… get away…take me… It was then that what had happened actually hit her.

Yumi had been raped. A man had taken her best friend against her will. Nakago. Megumi had heard about women being raped on the news, but she had no connections with them. Her mother obsessed over stuff like that all the time, smothering her. But that kind of stuff only happened to somebody else. But to other people, Yumi was 'someone else.'

Megumi didn't realize that she was leaning against the door so heavily until it creaked open. She could imagine what must be on her face right now: disbelief, sadness, shock, and denial. And she wasn't even the victim. She just stood there; staring blankly at Yumi enfolded in that man's arms.

"Yumi?" She said softly, barely audible to her ears, but well enough for anyone else's. Her friend stared blankly at her, like a lifeless doll. She repeated herself, but still got no response. It was like Yumi didn't know her, didn't recognize the friend she'd been around almost all of her life.

Megumi took a hesitant step forward, wanting to comfort Yumi, however meager and lame her attempts could be. Yumi was always the one who had done the comforting, letting Megumi cry and rant and beg for sympathy. Her desire to comfort was cut off abruptly when Tasuki spoke.

"Stay right there, priestess of Seiryu…" He said harshly, full of bitterness and anger. Megumi froze. She recognized that tone of voice. She heard it a lot, back in her world. She'd always wanted to escape from there in a way that didn't involve dying, and coming to this world had seemed like a good thing, but it was just the same as her own world. Harsh, cruel, cold, unsympathetic. She struggled to find a voice to protest. Why shouldn't she comfort her own friend?

"Wh… Why? Why can't I talk to my best friend?" She stuttered, staring through the man instead of at him. She couldn't stand the look he was giving her, full of resentment and loathing. Yumi was looking scared, like a secret had leaked out, and she didn't do anything or speak.

"This is all your fault." Megumi winced and tried to find her voice to protest again. She didn't have any measure of control over Nakago! It wasn't her fault… it couldn't be her fault…
"If you had never come here, you would never have become Seiryu's priestess and this never would have happened. We would have been better off if you had never come here…"

Megumi flinched with each word. It's not my fault… it's… it's not! Her mind protested though her vocal chords did not. Then she realized what he was saying. We would have been better off if you had never come here… Megumi stared, and she could feel her bottom lip quiver. We… him and Yumi… both of them. She took a sharp breath, holding in tears and turned on her heel, pelting out of the room.

She didn't hear when Yumi finally found a voice and called out, asking her to stop and come back, or that they'd talk later. She could feel the hot tears now, streaming down her face. Yumi didn't want her comfort. She had that man, Tasuki, now. What was a friend when you had someone to love you like that? Megumi finally stood in front of the room she shared with Soi. She could feel the bile rise up in her throat. Crying made her sick. She rushed into the room for the basin she had placed in a corner, not caring if she would be alone. Maybe it was better... to be alone…