Disclaimer: The characters from Fushigi Yuugi are the creations and property of Yuu Watase and related enterprises. The characters from Doctor Who are the property of the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC). I do not own them and do not make any profit from this fiction except for my own enjoyment in spending time with them.

However, all original characters in this story DO belong to me and may not be used elsewhere without my permission.

****

Chapter 9. A Simple Gift

The boy-emperor of Konan cupped his chin in his hand and pondered the vagaries of fate, his eardrums thrumming from the level of noise erupting just in front of his throne. Not two minutes earlier, he'd been pacing agitatedly before his throne, cursing the restrictions of his position as emperor. His exalted status prevented him from rushing out to assure himself of the Lady Joss' safety, placed in doubt due to the conflicting reports regarding the two escaped prisoners. However, all concerned parties were now gathered before him, shouting at him and one another--and he was no closer to the truth of the situation than before.

"Heika, I wish to report that we no sooner entered the Lady Joss' quarters than we were attacked by these--"

"Attacked? That is a blatant exaggeration! I merely asked Houjun to--"

"As Protector of the Girl From Another World, I can tell you, Heika, that these ignorant dolts attacked us first!"

"Listen, Sai, this is all one huge mix-up; I never meant to imply that the Doctor--"

"Sachiko, you baka girl, stop talking as if you're the only one protecting Joss-san!"

"Heika, with your permission, I will immediately confine the prisoners to our most secure prison cell under constant guard."

"Excuse me," the emperor interjected into the overlapping arguments.

"Sad to see that the old cliché holds true; no good deed goes unpunished. I truly regret telling Houjun to release you soldiers--"

"No one's going to prison, damn it! I'm the Lady Joss, and I forbid--!"

"You'll have to go through me, first, you stupid clod of a soldier! I'm Sachiko of Kawagishi Village, and I challenge you!

"And I, Makoto!"

"And I, Yoshio!"

"Fusege!" The cry echoed around the throne room, freezing all combatants into immobility. No one was more startled than the Doctor, turning a wide-eyed look on his companion, his mouth opening and closing a few times in spell-induced silence.

Saihitei sighed and nodded at the magician in gratitude. "Thank you, er…"

"Ri. Ri Houjun."

"Yes. Thank you, Ri-san." The golden gaze turned on the silent tableau before him. "I intend to hear from each one of you--one at a time. Ri-san, you may release them under the strict understanding that they will speak only when requested."

"Hanase, kudasai!" Houjun was impressed by the young emperor's command of the situation, but the Doctor was somewhat less pleased, turning a reproachful look on his companion.

"Houjun, I really can't believe that you--"

"Doctor, hush."

"But it was me that you--!"

"Doctor, please."

"I mean, after all this time together--"

"Doctor!" Houjun raised his hand threateningly before his face.

"You can't be serious!"

Houjun raised an eyebrow, and the Doctor subsided, "Oh, very well," muttering under his breath about take-charge companions, asps and bosoms. Houjun noted that Lady Joss seemed more entertained than irritated by his control over the contentious group, suppressing a smile at the Doctor's ruffled feathers.

Saihitei called the sergeant of the guard to the throne. There was a rising murmur of disgruntlement from the rest of the group, but a cold glare from the emperor and a raised hand by the magician brought the situation back under control. After one-half hour of questioning of all concerned parties, Saihitei finally felt he was in at least tenuous possession of the facts of the situation.

"Very well. It seems that there has truly been some confusion regarding the relationship, or lack thereof, between the Doctor and Lady Joss. We therefore recognize the Doctor and Ri-san as friends of Lady Josselin, thus friends of the Crown as well. We offer our apologies for their incarceration at our hands and extend an invitation to them to remain at the Imperial Palace as our honored guests for as long as they may wish. I designate the diplomatic suites in the east wing of the Palace for their use."

The Doctor beamed, all traces of ill humor gone. "Thank you kindly, Heika, but we do not expect to impose upon you for very long. Our mission calls us to continue our travels within the next two or three days, so we will need only as much time as it will take for the Lady Josselin to ready herself to accompany us."

Joss grinned happily, but Saihitei felt something in his chest drop to the floor. He struggled to maintain his equanimity. "You are welcome, Doctor, to anything the Lady Joss may require." He rushed ahead with his words before grief could close off his throat. "If you will please excuse me, I believe I will retire for the night. It has been a very tiring day." Saihitei rose quickly and nearly bolted from the throne room, his personal guard moving hastily in his wake.

The Doctor stood surprised for a moment at the emperor's abrupt departure, but Joss' eyes suddenly darkened in sympathetic pain. "Oh, damn," she breathed. "We were supposed to go on a quest together to find you two. Guess this really put an end to the poor kid's plans."

"No. It isn't just disappointment over cancelled adventures. It's the bitter knowledge of the loneliness he will face again." The words were quiet and sad, and the speaker turned and also silently exited the throne room.

Joss stared in surprise after the retreating figure of Houjun. The Doctor placed a hand on her shoulder. "Well, let's wait and see if two lonely souls can reach out to one another. That's what we're here for, after all." Catching Joss' eye, he gave her a wink.

****

The next morning found Saihitei wandering disconsolately around the palace grounds, his personal guard trailing him at a distance after having been snapped at for treading on the emperor's heels. He shivered slightly in the chill air; the sun was still low in the East and had not yet risen over the trees of the Imperial Wood. Mists rose off the large ornamental pond that bordered the Imperial Palace. To his surprise, Saihitei could make out two figures sitting in the chill mists on the banks of the pond, fishing poles in the water. As he approached them, he recognized them as the Doctor and Ri-san, apparently avid anglers. Although he couldn't help feeling a small tug of resentment towards them at their unconscious shattering of his adventurous plans, he still felt that it would be less than gracious to allow them to waste their time.

"Excuse me," he called out to them with his customary politeness. "I'm afraid that there aren't any fish in that pond."

The Doctor looked up, fixing him with a delighted grin. "Just the person I was hoping to see! Good morning, Heika!"

Saihitei felt something thaw in him at the Doctor's friendly greeting. "Good morning."

"Heika, would you mind holding this fishing pole for me for a few minutes? There's something I simply must attend to, but I hate to leave Ri-san out here by himself. He feels somewhat nervous when left alone in strange places."

Houjun turned a startled glance on his mentor, completely confused at this misrepresentation of his character, but caught the Doctor's eye and understood. For some reason, the Doctor wished him to spend time alone with the boy-emperor. "Oh. Yes, please, Heika. I would be very honored if you would join me."

Saihitei stood undecided for a moment. The air was still chilly, and he had almost a thousand affairs of state screaming for his attention.

At that moment, the Captain of his Guard stepped forward, murmuring in his ear. "Heika, please remember that Lord Ashida wishes you to meet with him regarding--"

Suddenly Saihitei was filled with resentment at the constant demands of his position. Damn it, his friends were leaving and his heart was breaking, but all that the country wanted him to do was give, give, give until there was nothing more left of him! He had had enough!

"Captain," he snapped, abandoning any attempt at his usual calm, adult tones, "I'm taking the rest of the day off! You are to inform Lord Ashida that I will meet with him at my convenience--which will be tomorrow at the soonest. Now leave me alone, for I am going to learn how to fish!" He took the pole from the Doctor's hand and dropped down next to Ri-san, blatantly ignoring the confused milling around of his guard.

The Doctor grinned in delight at the show of spirit in the youth. "Come, Captain, why don't you show me the way to the Imperial Dining Room on your way to Lord Ashida? I must confess, I'm feeling a bit peckish." The Captain found himself swept along by the Doctor, escaping only long enough to signal two of the Guard to keep an eye on the Emperor from a discreet distance.

Saihitei stared angrily at the water, waiting for some kind of remark or rebuke from his adult companion. But there was only silence, and he peeked over to see Ri-san staring dreamily at his fishing line, apparently at peace.

Time passed in silence, and the sun rose over the trees, warming the emperor and soothing his tension. The anger left him as if it were drifting away in the serenity of the setting, leaving him with a feeling of peace tinged with melancholy. Saihitei finally felt ready to address a few remarks to his silent companion, but the magician spoke first.

"It's very quiet here."

"Too quiet--and at times too loud. Either I'm left completely alone with only my thoughts for company, or the whole world seems to be shouting at me, clamoring for my attention!" Saihitei paused, flushing in shame. "I apologize. It's unseemly of me to complain about my lot when so many of my subjects suffer from poverty, disease, and hostile attack. I didn't mean to trouble you with my inappropriate fit of self-pity."

Houjun glanced over at the beautiful boy, his heart clenching in sympathy with the loneliness in Saihitei's gaze as he stared at his fishing line. "The Doctor often tells me, 'We none of us are perfect; that's why we need one another.' He's right, you know. It's ridiculous for any of us to expect to be perfect. Even an emperor needs to accept himself as he is: a human being beneath the crown, a person who needs the same things any other boy of his age needs. Freedom to be himself, a sense of privacy--and friends."

Saihitei bit his lip, afraid to look up for fear of letting the tears spill out of his eyes. This stranger, this gentle wanderer, was the first adult who'd ever spoken to him with such understanding and acceptance of who he really was. The other adults in his life--his advisors, his own mother--had always imposed upon him their expectations of what he should be. They wanted him to be mature, wise, powerful, responsible; they never wanted to see the lost and lonely child beneath the heavy crown. But this mysterious man…well, he was the latest in a sudden influx of strangers who seemed to know him better than his own long-time counselors. He was part of a welcome flood of people who appeared unexpectedly…and just as suddenly disappeared.

Saihitei waited until his throat unknotted so that he could speak. "I had friends. Just recently, I had friends for the first time in my life. But now they're leaving…and I'll be alone once more, and…" A wave of grief choked off his voice.

"You won't always be alone. I know that it's hard for you to believe, but someday, someone will come along, and everything will change." The light brown eyes smiled into his. "I was just like you, you know. I was surrounded by people and yet so alone. No one really knew me; no one was truly my friend. As far as I could see, my life was always going to be like that. Then one day out of nowhere, he appeared--and everything changed. Now I walk a path I never dreamed of, with someone who understands me and accepts me with all my faults, all my secrets--and it will happen for you, as well."

The dark gold eyes were pained, filled with anxiety as they met Houjun's gaze. "But what if this is it? What if this is my one chance to have real friends, and now it's over?"

"It isn't." Houjun's voice was strong and confident. "Didn't the Lady Joss mention that you were waiting for someone: the Girl of Prophecy?"

"Ye-es." Saihitei was suddenly hesitant. He felt that he could trust this stranger, yet the warnings of his mother and advisors still rang in his ears. 'Never let it be known before time that you are a celestial warrior of Suzaku. The future of Konan may rest upon this secret!' Although his entire court knew he anxiously sought the Priestess of Suzaku, they thought it was merely out of concern for the welfare of Konan. Only a select few knew that he was one of her shichiseishi--and Lord Ashida was adamant that the emperor's destiny remain secret, especially in light of what Kutou might attempt if they obtained this information.

"Well, when she appears, your life will change dramatically, won't it?"

"Yes," admitted Saihitei, regretfully deciding to keep his destiny to himself. "I…I hope to help her find the shichiseishi of Suzaku. I hope to gather them here at my court and help them as they set out to summon our god."

A shadow passed across Houjun's face. "A noble purpose," he murmured softly. "An honorable destiny." He realized that the emperor was staring at him, confused by the sudden darkening of his mood. He smiled with an effort. "So you see? The most exciting part of your life is yet to come. You must never give up hope, Saihi…Heika."

"I won't!" Saihitei's voice was vibrant with renewed purpose. "I'll do whatever is necessary to be worthy of her--of all of them! I'll practice my sword kata every day, and study the history and economy of Konan, and learn the tenets of diplomacy and maybe some foreign languages, and--!"

He was interrupted by Houjun's merry laugh. "Very well, Heika, but don't kill yourself in the attempt! You must also learn to schedule some fun into your day; don't forget how to laugh!"

"Oh, no, I'll be sure not to forget that!" Saihitei paused as he registered his over-earnest tones and realized that he was being teased. He grinned back at Houjun. "But as an Imperial command, I would request…no, I humbly ask, Ri-san, that you address me not by my title but by my name, as if…as if we were friends."

"We are friends, Saihitei. And remember, no matter the distance or time spent apart, friends will always remain friends." Houjun reached over and clasped the boy's hand in the same grip that the Doctor used to comfort him.

Saihitei looked down at his hand, startled by the unfamiliar contact, but soon relaxed into his new friend's grip. Suddenly, he gasped in surprise. "The pole! It moved, I swear it! But I didn't think there were any fish in this pond!"

"Well, don't just sit there; start reeling!"

The emperor did as commanded, his brow furrowed in concentration and the tip of his tongue sticking out between his teeth. The fish fought energetically, but soon the novice fisherman triumphantly pulled it up out of the water. Houjun and Saihitei stared at the six-inch-long sunfish as it flipped around on the end of the line.

"Fit for an Imperial feast, do you think?"

"No." Saihitei regarded the undersized fish dejectedly, until he met Houjun's laughing eyes.

"Then…"

"Throw it back!" they shouted at the same time, laughing as they unhooked the fish, tossing it into the air. The sunlight flashed off its scales, glistening in a thousand rainbow colors, as the fish flicked its tail and returned to the freedom of the deep.

****

"Sir!" the sergeant bowed respectfully to the Captain of the Guard. "I have located the Emperor and his, er, new friends. They were at the edge of the East Lawn, just inside the Imperial Wood."

"Very good, Sergeant. Lord Ashida will be relieved to hear of the Emperor's safety. So where is the Emperor now?"

The sergeant looked down in shame and confusion. "Still in the Imperial Wood, sir."

"Why didn't you bring him back? That area is not completely secured!"

"They wouldn't come down out of the trees, sir. Lady Joss threw persimmons at me, the peasant children were exceedingly rude, and the Emperor himself--" The sergeant grew pale as he remembered the Emperor's command. He continued in a choked voice, "The Emperor commanded me to go boil my head! But I thought I should report to you first," he finished miserably.

The Captain rolled his eyes in aggravation. "He didn't mean that literally, you idiot! It's just an expression that means 'Go away!' And I'm about to use it on you, with the literal meaning, if you don't leave my sight this instant!"

The sergeant bowed and hastily exited the room. The Captain sighed as he strapped on his weapons belt. "If you want something done right," he grumbled and left to begin the long hike across the wide expanse of the East Lawn.

The first sight that met his eyes as he stepped into the shade of the outlying trees was the graceful form of Lady Ruiko sitting on a blanket in an isolated patch of sunlight. The Captain stood transfixed for a moment, realizing for the first time the serene loveliness of the village miko. She looked up at that instant and smiled at him, and he felt as if something had penetrated the breastplate of his armor and pierced his heart. He felt as if he could do nothing other than stand frozen in place, staring stupidly.

A slight frown of puzzlement crossed the lady's lovely brow. "Can I help you with anything, Captain?"

High up in the trees, he could hear whispers and giggles, reminding him of his purpose in coming out to the woods. He forced his mind away from the dreamy contemplation of the musical tones of Lady Ruiko's voice and managed to rasp out a reply. "I was looking for the Emperor, my Lady."

Suddenly, a cascade of chestnut hair tinted with gold fell from above, nearly hitting him in the face, and the Captain found himself staring into the golden eyes of his Emperor as he dangled upside-down from an overhanging branch. "Is there a problem, Captain?" The velvet tones sounded relaxed, amused, and the Captain realized this was the first time he'd ever heard Saihitei sound so happy. He felt a pang at having to bring the youth back to reality.

"Heika, I need you to accompany me back to the Palace."

"Why? Is Konan falling as we speak?"

"No, Heika, but--"

"Are there more riots at the gates?"

"No, but--"

"Has the Girl of Prophecy made her appearance at last?"

"No, Your Highness, but--"

"Then I'm sorry, Captain, but I'm unavailable to escort you or anyone else to the Palace confines. I'm taking the rest of the day off; you'll just have to find your own way back!"

There were cheers and whistles from the surrounding greenery. The Captain looked up to see all of the Emperor's friends suspended in the branches above. The three peasant youths poked at one another from one tree, occasionally snatching at small transparent spheres that floated down from above, while in another tree, Lady Joss shared a persimmon and a sturdy branch with the Doctor's magician companion. The Doctor himself reclined on a still higher branch, dipping a tiny circular wand into a small bottle and blowing through it to produce the transparent spheres that floated in the light breeze before popping out of existence. For one moment, the Captain was caught up in the magic of the scene--but his sense of responsibility won out.

"I'm sorry, Heika, but I must insist that you return to the Palace. The kingdom needs you to guide them in these difficult times, and the areas outside the palace are not completely secured from intruders. It's not safe for you to be alone out here!"

Saihitei flipped himself back up onto the branch with easy athleticism, a mutinous expression darkening his perfect features.

However, it was the Doctor's mocking voice that rang out. "Oh, the kingdom needs him, his subjects need him… One would think that an entire kingdom full of people could find something to occupy themselves for a single spring afternoon without having to tug at the Emperor's robes! I wonder how they scraped by until the boy learned enough words to lisp out his first edicts. At any rate, Captain, the Emperor is hardly alone; we're all here with him. And if you're so concerned for his safety, why don't you join us? You can guard him from the ground."

"Yeah, join us, Captain," Joss wheedled. "We've got plenty of treats in the basket there, enough to share. Why don't you just sit beside Lady Ruiko and help yourself to a custard roll? They're very…satisfying!"

The Captain flushed at the knowing laughter in Lady Joss' voice, and opened his mouth to object to this plan. However, at that moment, Lady Ruiko smiled at him and patted the blanket invitingly. The Captain instantly abandoned all thought of responsibility, consoling himself that he was only doing his duty by keeping an eye on the Emperor. He unbuckled his sword belt and took the proffered seat next to the new-found object of his heart.

Joss' voice rang out once again. "Oh, by the way, Captain, it sounds stupid to keep calling you 'Captain.' What's your given name?"

"Ken'ichi. Ozawa Ken'ichi." He blushed as he saw Lady Ruiko whisper his name to herself, committing it to memory.

"Well, Ozawa Ken'ichi, let me introduce you to Shimazaki Ruiko, Lady Miko of Kawagishi Village. Now that you two are on a first name basis, we hope you can occupy yourselves and leave us to our fun!"

Joss grinned as she watched Ken'ichi take the first hesitant steps in courting the lady, leaning in towards her as they conversed quietly. "Oh, yeah," she hummed in an undertone, swinging her feet. "Too bad that we're leaving tomorrow."

Houjun turned a quizzical look on her. "Why? Just a few hours ago, you said that you were looking forward to--"

"Oh, I'm not talking about us. I'm talking about them. Didn't you see it happen, Houjun? Love at first sight! Well, maybe second or third or fourth sight, but what does it matter? It's still Loooove!"

Houjun felt that strange sense of bemusement that possessed him whenever he spent time with Joss. She treated him with easy familiarity, as if they had been friends for years. Of course, she seemed to treat everyone with that same familiarity: assigning them nicknames, pushing them around, remarking on whatever caught her attention, no matter how personal.

"What, why aren't you eating? D'ya want to waste away to nothin'? Here, I'll take one last bite, and then it's all yours." Holding onto an overhead branch for support, she leaned over and bit into the persimmon he held, then licked the juice off her lips. "C'mon, c'mon, eat up!" She grabbed his hand and guided the fruit to his lips. He bit into it, thinking "indirect kiss," and fought back a blush.

Joss continued to remark quietly on the couple below. "I mean, am I like the only person who has eyes around here? Did you catch that, Doctor?"

"Naturally," the velvet tones floated down from above. "'Tis Spring, 'tis bonny Spring, and time to fall in love!"

"Who said that?"

"I did."

"I mean, who said it originally? Shakespeare? Byron? Tennyson?"

"Oh, I don't know! I can't seem to keep track of these things anymore; they're all just men in funny pants. Who knows? Maybe it is original."

"Doubtful," muttered Joss.

Houjun fought down another thrill of jealousy at the secret language that Joss and the Doctor seemed to share in their little sparring interchanges. He decided that the best way to combat his jealousy was to join in the conversation. "I don't understand. It seems that they're having a pleasant conversation, but what makes you call it love?"

"Ah, Houjun, you've come to the right girl for instruction! Lady Joss, Matchmaker Extraordinaire, at your service! Observe, dear student, the hesitance in Ken'ichi's gestures and speech, as if he's thinking over what he's going to say or do before he does it. Observe the body language as he leans in towards Lady Ruiko--who, by the way, is as yet unaware of the exalted status she now holds in his heart. But most of all, observe that which first clued me in to the exciting events unfolding before us: observe his eyes."

Houjun squinted at the couple, straining to catch a glimpse of what Joss was describing. "I still don't see anything different about his eyes; he's not blinking too much or frowning or--"

"No, no, no, not the motion of his eyes; it's the look in his eyes! He's looking at her as if she's something…wonderful!"

Houjun's own mystical eyes widened, and he flushed red, remembering last night's encounter with Joss while healing her. "But…but that doesn't necessarily mean--"

"Oh yes, it does." Joss' tone was smug. "Trust your instructor; the eyes don't lie!" She looked over at his scarlet countenance and misinterpreted the reason for his embarrassment. "Don't get your knickers in a twist," she advised kindly. "Spying on new lovers is a perfectly acceptable form of entertainment, isn't it, Doctor?"

"Indubitably. At least, that's what my former companions always told me. Wonderful justification for rampant nosiness, I say."

Joss snatched the last piece of persimmon out of Houjun's hand and pitched it at the Doctor in mock anger. The Doctor caught it easily and popped it in his mouth, thus "indirectly kissing" both of them.

"All right," Joss announced, wiping her hands casually on her new silk trousers, "I can take a hint. Let's gather up the young 'uns and head deeper into the woods to give this new couple some privacy. Yo, Sai!"

The emperor looked up from the next tree where he had been giving Sachiko a boost up to a higher bough, and grinned at the familiar bellow. "You called, my Lady?"

"Time to swing out to new horizons!" Joss gestured towards the next set of trees as she pulled Houjun to his feet. "But take care that you don't break your neck, 'cause I don't feel like being executed for Imperial endangerment and treason on such a beautiful spring day!"

****

The next morning found the Emperor's friends in significantly more formal attire and sober state of mind as they prepared to bid farewell to Saihitei and the Imperial court. Saihitei fought the waves of sadness that swept over him as he performed the duties of his office – the last favors that he could bestow upon his friends. He cleared his throat and continued with his proclamation.

"To the brave defenders of the Girl From Another World, Asari Sachiko, Asari Yoshio and Iwasaki Makoto, the Imperial Crown wishes to reward them and their hometown of Kawagashi Village with thirty bushels of rice, six suckling pigs, and ten crates of Imperial ducklings, to be delivered now and on the anniversary of this date each year."

The three teens gaped in awe at the riches they had earned for their tiny village. The Emperor smiled briefly at the stunned silence from the normally noisy youths and continued with the last of his proclamation.

"Furthermore, the Crown wishes to inform these brave warriors that upon coming of age, they will be entitled, if they so desire, to commissions as officers-in-training in the Imperial Army." The eyes of Yoshio and Makoto lit up in joy and excitement, so that they nearly missed the last stunning part of this announcement. "This offer of course extends to the Lady Warrior of Kawagishi Village, Asari Sachiko."

Sachiko froze for a moment in stunned disbelief, then, with her usual impetuousness, rushed up to Saihitei and seized his hand, kissing it fervently. Yoshio merely stood gaping at the thought of his little sister as an officer in the Imperial Army, while Makoto hovered between smiling in delight at his own future and scowling in fierce jealousy at Sachiko's obsession with her emperor.

Saihitei pulled Sachiko to her feet, squeezing her hands and giving her a warm smile before turning her to rejoin her companions. He caught a significant look from Joss, and nodded briefly.

"I would also like to announce that I am assigning my own Captain of the Guard, Ozawa Ken'ichi, to escort my young friends and Lady Ruiko safely back to their home village. Captain Ozawa will also be in charge of setting up a security outpost in Kawagishi Village, which he will be expected to inspect on a regular basis."

Joss grinned and gave Saihitei an enthusiastic thumbs up, while Captain Ozawa at first grew pale, then blushed red at the realization of the frequency with which he could expect to encounter Lady Ruiko in the near future, beginning with three days on the road together. Joss sent a fierce warning glare at the three teens, who nodded in acknowledgement of her earlier instructions to give the two adults as much privacy as they could.

"All right!" whispered Joss to Houjun, who stood quietly beside her and the Doctor. The men were back in their usual clothing, deciding that they all three would assume nomadic disguises once they left the confines of Eiyou. "If Ken'ichi can't press his suit successfully with all these opportunities, then he doesn't deserve to win her!"

"Ah, yes, " murmured the Doctor. "Faint heart ne'er won fair maiden."

"Damn straight!" shot back Joss.

Saihitei cleared his throat, trying to loosen the constriction that had suddenly formed. "As for the Lady Joss," he began huskily.

At that moment, there was a commotion at the entrance to the throne room. A murmur went up from the nobles as a delegation from Kutou forced their way through the crowded room. The ambassador from Kutou stepped forward from a contingent of soldiers clad in Seiryuu blue armor. The Konan Imperial Guards raised their weapons and surged forward in anger at the breach of protocol by the Kutou soldiers in entering the throne room fully armed.

"Stand down!" barked Saihitei. The Imperial Guard drew back but did not lower their weapons, Captain Ozawa moving to their side to take command. The Kutou soldiers appeared nervous, almost spoiling for a fight, although they were severely outnumbered. Their commander, however, seemed cool and unperturbed, sending a bored ice-blue glance at the Imperial Guard.

"Whoa!" said Joss, checking out the brilliant golden hair and graceful build of the tall young commander of the Kutou guard. "That is one seriously gorgeous…" Her words trailed off as the blue eyes turned towards her, as cold and unfeeling as the eyes of a corpse. "Gee-ee-yaahh!" she amended under her breath, shuddering.

"Lord Fujiwara." The emperor's tones were as velvety as ever, although now touched with steel. "May I ask the meaning behind this unannounced intrusion?"

The Kutou ambassador smirked in an oily, self-satisfied way, his rich silk robes failing to conceal his overfed form. "His Highness, the Emperor of Kutou, has sent us to escort the Girl From Another World back to his Imperial Palace, where she will become his most honored…guest."

Lord Ashida started forward in anger. "We sent the reply to Kutou two days ago, explaining that the Lady Josselin is not the Girl of Prophecy!"

"Interesting," purred Lord Fujiwara. "We had never received any reply to our inquiry. Perhaps your falcon met with misfortune."

"Oh, yes?" The Doctor's voice was pleasant. "Then how do you know the message was sent by falcon instead of by courier?"

Lord Fujiwara flushed in anger. "I do not need to answer questions from a lowly gaijin!"

"But I have the same questions, Lord Fujiwara, and you do need to answer me--politely, if you value your neck." Saihitei had removed the velvet gloves, his golden eyes narrowed in anger.

Lord Fujiwara realized that he had overstepped the bounds of diplomacy and now stood in serious danger of losing his life. He began to sweat nervously, as the commander of his guard turned a cold, contemptuous glance on him.

The Kutou commander stepped forward, surprising the ambassador as he took his place. "My Lord Emperor," his tones were flat but unfailingly respectful, "I am under orders from my emperor to deliver the Lady Josselin to his court for a brief sojourn, merely to answer a few questions. Forgive me, but I do not believe this is an unreasonable request under the circumstances. After all, it is the prerogative of the Kutou Emperor to determine whether the lady in question meets the criteria for becoming the Priestess of Seiryuu."

Saihitei flushed in rage at the delicately implied threat, but Lord Ashida placed a restraining hand on his arm. "Heika," he whispered agitatedly. "It is as I feared--we have no choice! The commander is correct; the Kutou Emperor is within his rights to demand an audience with the Lady Josselin."

The blond commander smirked in triumph and waved his soldiers towards Joss. Suddenly, an ash staff was thrust before her, and the soldiers found themselves facing down the furious glare of the dark-haired young man who stood beside her. The Kutou soldiers moved their hands toward their swords as Houjun raised his right hand vertically before his face. The Konan guard raised their weapons in response to the Kutou action, and the three teens rushed forward to join Houjun beside the Lady Joss. A throne room battle seemed imminent, causing some lesser nobles to try to flee the room, while others tried to push forward to see the action. Chaos was beginning to take over, when suddenly an oddly-accented voice rang out.

"Oh, do stand down, all of you. This is simply ridiculous! The Lady Josselin is not the Priestess of Seiryuu--and I have the ultimate proof!"

The soldiers all stood in place, staring at the gaijin stranger who seemed to hold them in some strange spell. The Kutou commander was the first to recover. "If you have proof, you would do well to present it now." The threat was offered in a cool, modulated voice.

"Well, the Priestess of Seiryuu is required to be a virgin, is she not? I can personally attest that the Lady Joss is no such thing – and I am the one to know."

Joss flushed bright red, while the Imperial court stood with their mouths hanging open at the public declaration of such a private matter. The Doctor continued blithely. "Just last night, the Lady graced me with the acceptance of my hand in marriage, as well as…other intimacies."

Houjun choked in disbelief. Saihitei, the three teens, and Lady Ruiko all appeared equally stunned, while the Kutou ambassador grimaced in rage. The commander appeared unmoved, however. "So you expect us just to take your word for this…errr…"

"Bowman," interjected the Doctor, then laughed lightly. "Surely you are not asking for a public demonstration of our affections, Commander…er...?"

"Gi. Gi Ayuru. Forgive me, Bowman-san, but I have not observed any of the behaviors between you that are commonly seen with betrothed couples."

"Oh, that's because we quarreled this morning." The Doctor turned a remorseful gaze upon Joss. "Do forgive me…darling!"

Joss choked. "D-darling!"

The Doctor strode up to her and seized her hands dramatically. "Let's promise never to argue again, my heart's desire! When I think of how I almost lost you!"

"Laying it on a bit thick, Doctor," Joss whispered but gave in before his frantic eyebrow wriggling. The absurdity of the situation provoked her sense of humor. "Oh, no, the fault was all mine, darling…" she searched her mind for a first name for him, "…Rufus!"

The Doctor looked outraged but was forced to cover it up before the perceptive stare of Commander Gi. "Never mind, my love. The important thing is that we never let anything come between us again!"

'Someone's been watching too many soap operas,' Joss thought to herself, but replied just as passionately. "Nothing shall ever part us again, sweetcheeks!" Reaching under his coattails, she pinched him good and hard, and he jumped and yelped.

"Darling," the Doctor rebuked in a trembling voice. "Don't you think we should save these demonstrations for a less public place?"

"But you know I just can't resist those sweet cheeks!" crowed Joss joyfully, circling around for a second assault. The Doctor grabbed her around the waist and pinned her to his side to face the Kutou contingent, frantically slapping her hand away behind their backs.

"This grows wearisome." Commander Gi sounded as bored as ever. "And somewhat nauseating," he added, staring stonily at the maniacally grinning countenances of the betrothed couple. "It's time to leave, Lord Fujiwara."

The Kutou ambassador blustered in anger. "Surely you don't expect us to believe this ridiculous display!"

"But I choose to believe them, Lord Fujiwara, and my scribes have inscribed it in the court records." Saihitei had regained his velvet tones. "Of course, your emperor may contest the legality of this betrothal, but by the time the matter is brought before arbitration, I expect that the D--that Bowman-san and his lovely bride may have some additions to their family."

"Oh, darling Rufus, you promised me at least five children!!" Joss burst out irrepressibly.

The Doctor narrowed his eyes. "Why stop at five? Let's go for ten!"

"But my girlish figure!" Joss wailed in dismay.

Commander Gi turned an icy blue glance on the figure in question. "Too late," he muttered in contempt, then signaled his soldiers to withdraw. Lord Fujiwara had to bustle to exit the throne room under the protection of the Kutou guard.

The Doctor had to hold Joss back as she lunged after them, her fists clenched. "Did you hear what that bastard just said about me?" she snarled.

"Not half as bad as the things you said about me! Rufus, indeed!"

"Well, it was all I could think of at the moment. I was under duress!"

"Duress, is it? Is that what provoked the assaults on my backside?"

"No, that was succumbing to temptation." Joss grinned unrepentantly. "All that velvet; it just begs to be pinched!"

"As I recall, you reached under the velvet!"

"Well, that begs to be pinched even more. Sweetcheeks for real!"

"You are an impossible woman!"

"That's what all the boys tell me." Joss was completely smug.

"Er, Doctor, Lady Joss," Houjun strove to return them to a sense of place, the members of the Imperial court staring at them in shock.

Joss looked up at the stunned countenances surrounding them. "Oh, shut your traps and quit catching flies!" she snapped impatiently. "Haven't you ever seen a young couple in love before?"

Lord Ashida began coughing at the term "young," earning him another glare from Lady Joss. He moved nervously to Saihitei's side, bending and whispering in the Emperor's ear.

"Very well," announced Saihitei. "The Imperial Court would like to officially congratulate the Doctor and Lady Josselin on their betrothal and wish them safe passage on their journey into the blessed state of marriage. At this time, you are all dismissed while I bestow upon them my own personal well wishes."

The nobles of the court filed out, as well as most of the advisors, leaving behind only Saihitei and his friends, the Imperial Guard under Captain Ozawa's command, and Lord Ashida. Saihitei beckoned to his friends to approach the throne.

"I had no idea," he whispered to Joss and the Doctor.

"Don't worry, neither did we." Joss' tone was bitingly sarcastic.

"So this was a ruse?"

"Yes!" hissed both Joss and the Doctor.

"So you didn't really…?"

"No!" barked the Doctor.

Joss scowled at the vehement denial. "You don't have to sound so disgusted!"

"I am not disgusted. I merely do not...I don't usually…it's not my style to…"

"Oh, put a sock in it! You're digging yourself into a pretty deep hole here, Rufus! This was your idea in the first place, remember?"

"One would think that others would show some gratitude for the quick thinking that prevented both bloodshed and a fate worse than death. And stop calling me Rufus!" The Doctor grumbled to himself. "That's even worse than 'Professor.'"

"Doctor." Houjun tried again to separate the combatants, thinking wearily that it was going to be a very long journey if the Doctor and Joss intended to spat the entire time. But the Doctor changed moods with his customary abruptness, bestowing a sunny smile on all present.

Saihitei, however, remained troubled. "Nevertheless, it won't be long before Kutou uses its spies to uncover the ruse. Doctor, are you certain that you won't allow me to assign some Imperial guards to accompany you on your travels?"

"No, but thank you kindly all the same, Heika. I'm afraid that Imperial guards would draw attention to us, thus inadvertently endangering us even more."

"He's right, Heika," Lord Ashida added his sage advice. "It would be best if they departed as soon as possible, for their own safety."

"Very well." Saihitei tried to hide the pain in his voice. "Please see to it, Lord Ashida, that they are supplied with everything they need for their journey."

Joss felt her own throat constrict at the Emperor's sadness. She went up to the throne and grasped his hands. "Listen, Sai, everything's going to get better, I promise. That's a personal guarantee from your personal friend Joss. Pretty soon, you'll have so many friends around, you won't even remember me--but I'll never forget you, I promise you that."

"Nor will I forget you, Lady Joss, no matter how many companions I may gain in the future. Please accept an emperor's thanks for your friendship, which I will treasure to the end of my days."

Joss leaned forward and pressed her lips to Saihitei's forehead in a gesture both intimate and maternal, then hugged him briefly before turning away, leaving him his dignity as he blinked back tears. Saihitei raised his eyes to meet Houjun's gaze, taking comfort from the magician's warm smile and encouraging nod.

Meanwhile, Joss was busily ruffling the hair of her three young escorts, then turned to her first friend in this world. Her eyes filled with tears as she pulled Lady Ruiko into a fierce hug. "Without you, I would be hopelessly lost," she whispered brokenly. "Without you, I might well be dead."

"No, Joss-sama, your courage would have seen you through--your courage and the favor of Suzaku, which shines brightly upon you. But I consider myself privileged to have been able to assist you…" Ruiko's voice wavered at this point, "… and to call you my friend. So remember, my dear friend: never lose faith in yourself, nor in Suzaku. Wherever the future takes you, be the light that pushes back the darkness."

Houjun frowned, troubled at the miko's strangely premonitory words, but Joss just hugged her tighter and wept. Finally, she released Ruiko-sama and turned to rejoin Houjun and the Doctor, when suddenly she was seized from behind by two arms and pulled into a fierce bear-hug by someone who was weeping loudly. Joss turned in the embrace, expecting to see Sachiko, but was stunned to find out that it was Yoshio clinging to her and crying. She patted his back awkwardly, murmuring a few confused phrases of comfort while sending a startled glance towards Ruiko.

The miko smiled, but it was Sachiko, scowling impatiently, who finally pulled Yoshio off Joss. "Come on, 'Nii-chan, time for us to go home. Don't feel bad; maybe we'll see Lady Joss again some day." She sent an apologetic glance towards Joss. "Sorry, Joss-san. It's just that Yoshio has such a soft heart and hates to say good-bye."

Joss fought back a smile. "No, it's quite all right, Sachiko. I feel the same way, Yoshio; take care of yourself for me, okay?" Yoshio nodded, still sobbing uncontrollably as he was led away by his younger sister.

Less than an hour later, members of the Imperial guard were clustered anxiously around a tall tree in the Imperial gardens that rose high enough above the confining walls to overlook the city. "Please, Heika," pleaded the sergeant in temporary command. "Please come down out of the tree."

Saihitei ignored him, balancing comfortably on a sturdy branch while staring down at the road that led into the marketplace. He watched the three figures on horseback as they grew smaller in the distance, finally disappearing into the city. He lifted his eyes to track a flight of geese as they flew honking towards a distant pond, then deeply inhaled the fragrance of the Imperial woods that rose behind the gardens.

The sergeant tried once more. "Please, Heika, it's not safe for you to be up so high!"

"Too bad," the boy retorted, taking control of his life for once. "I'm looking out at the city--and if you don't like it…" he paused, trying to remember Joss' exact phrasing, "… you can lump it!"

****

The three riders trotted through the marketplace at a leisurely pace. Joss was mounted behind Houjun, pulling the lead rein on their little mountain pony while the Doctor, on his own horse, frowned at the mirror in his hand. Finally, he reined in his mount just as they entered a slightly less busy street and dismounted, still staring distractedly at the mystical mirror. "It keeps flashing city and girl and boy, never fixing on one for long," he muttered testily. "I'm not certain what it means."

At that moment, there was a rush of movement around him, and something caught his arm, spinning him around. The mirror flew up out of his grasp and landed noiselessly as the figure of a slender boy clutching a satchel disappeared around the next corner. Houjun had just leapt off his own horse to help the Doctor when four more boys shot past them, in apparent pursuit of the first youth.

"Hey!" Joss shouted after them, joining the Doctor and Houjun in looking for the mirror.

"It's not here! It must have fallen in among that first boy's things. We must go after him!"

The three travelers took off in pursuit of the boys, running through the narrow winding streets past startled shopkeepers, peering down dark passageways. Finally they reached an intersection of several twisting lanes. "Split up!" gasped Joss. They each took one of the lanes, Joss trying valiantly to keep going although her sides ached from lack of breath. Finally she was forced to slow to a walk, cursing herself for being out of shape for sprints and marathons. "I hope Houjun and the Doctor are having better luck," she grumbled, then caught the sound of young voices. She ran awkwardly clutching her side until she reached a side passageway. Peering down the shadowed alley, she saw their quarry, his back pressed up against a wall as his four pursuers taunted him.

The youth looked to be about sixteen years old, with large, almost femininely pretty violet eyes and dark violet hair twisted into a topknot. He clutched his satchel defensively as the other boys jeered at him.

"Hey, okama! Lookit the gay boy! Is he gonna cry yet?"

"Where're your pretty dresses, okama? Gonna borrow some from your sister?"

The violet-haired young man tried to back further into his corner. "Leave me alone," he whimpered. "I never did anything to you."

"Lookit the baby cry! Why dontcha fight back, little girl? Or are you scared you might break a fingernail?"

"I'm no okama!"

A large, muscular boy stepped forward, the obvious ringleader of the group. "Oh, but we know all about you; you and your family. You're all a bunch of freaks, just like your sister! Where's your sister, huh?" He shoved the first youth against the wall.

"Hey!" shouted Joss angrily, enraged at the bullying.

The boys turned at her shout, but at the same instant, a slim form darted past her, barrelling straight into the large bully and knocking him violently against the wall. The figure then grabbed two of the remaining three boys by their necks and knocked their heads together. Joss was stunned to see that the new assailant was a slender, pretty girl who looked to be Sachiko's age, her long dark violet hair falling to her waist, a beauty mark just beneath her left eye.

At the same time, the Doctor and Houjun arrived out of breath, taking in the situation at a glance. The three adults held back, letting the young girl sort out the bullies by herself.

The girl let the two boys fall, then advanced menacingly on the last boy. He let out a wail of terror and fled the scene. "Who's the okama now?" she shouted after him, then turned, smirking, to deal with the large bully who was lying crumpled against the wall, groaning in pain. She pulled him to his feet, grasping and twisting his wrist until he shrieked in agony, tears of pain running down his face.

"All right, Gushiken Hideki--or should I say Hideko?" the girl taunted, using the feminine form of the bully's name. "Seems that you're a pretty tough guy, throwing around words like "okama" and "freak." But what's this? I think you might be cry-ing! I think you might be sor-ry! Are you sorry yet, Hideko?" She gave his wrist another twist, eliciting another shriek from the boy.

Houjun started forward, but Joss held him back. "Trust me, Houjun, this kid's got it coming to him! You weren't here for the stunts he was pulling before she showed up."

The girl continued with her lesson. "It seems you have a problem with me, Hideki. Say, 'Yes, Miss Kourin,' understand?"

"Yes, Miss Kourin!" the boy gasped.

"Let me make myself clear: if you have a problem with me, you take it up with me, not my brother. Is this making sense to you yet, Hideki?"

"Yes, Miss Kourin!"

"I hope that this is the last time I need to have this discussion with you or any of your little friends. Because if it's not, the next time I won't be so nice, do you understand?"

"Yes, Miss Kourin!"

"Good. Now make your apologies to my brother and get your ugly face out of my sight before I change my mind about not kicking your ass!"

She shoved the large bully in the direction of the slender youth, who cringed back in fear. But all the bully did was make a deep though unsteady bow, murmuring "Gomen, Chou Rokou."

"That's Chou-san to you, Hideki," corrected Kourin.

"Gomen, Chou-san!" repeated Hideki, then staggered off with his two equally dazed companions.

Kourin finally looked up and noticed the three strangers watching her. Her eyes narrowed for a moment in suspicion, but the Doctor moved forward with his usual ingratiating grin, spreading his hands apart in a non-threatening way.

"Very impressive, Miss Kourin. Normally I don't go in for ultra-violence myself, but I must admit, I can't abide bullies either! However, we're not here merely to applaud your, er, firm re-education of misguided youths. We have a personal favor to ask concerning a possession of ours that had become lost at the beginning of the melee. It's possible that it may have ended up accidentally sequestered among your brother's things."

Kourin glanced over at Rokou, who appeared to be in the midst of a resentful sulk. "Rokou, do you know anything about this?"

"No! I was too busy running for my life to take notice of any stupid gaijin in my way!"

"Manners," warned Kourin softly, in her pleasantly low and husky voice. "Don't be such a dolt, Rokou. The man's asking nicely; the least you can do is take a look through your things."

Rokou shoved his satchel rudely towards the strangers. Kourin rolled her eyes in aggravation. "Go ahead and look through it, Mister, er…"

"Doctor. I'm the Doctor, and these are my friends Ri-san and Joss." He started to rummage happily through the satchel, while Houjun made a polite bow and Joss flashed a friendly smile at Kourin. "Here it is!" The Doctor brandished the mirror in triumph, handing the satchel back to Kourin. Their hands met, and suddenly a startled look crossed the Doctor's features. Almost simultaneously, Houjun's face also registered surprise. Joss frowned, not understanding what was causing such a reaction in her companions, but Kourin seemed suddenly uncomfortable and drew back from the strangers.

She turned and walked over to her brother, handing him his satchel and pulling him to his feet. "Come on, Rokou; let's go home."

But the boy shoved away from her angrily. "I don't need you to walk me home, Ryu…Kourin! I don't need anything from you at all!"

"Maaa-taku! What's your problem now?" Kourin was exasperated.

"You!" shouted her brother, nearly in tears again. "You're my problem! None of this would have happened to me if it weren't for you, you and your queer ways! All you can think about is yourself! You don't care how much suffering you put me and Mother and Father through; no, you just have to go on being a goddamn freak! Well, I might have to live with you--but I don't have to walk with you!" He snatched up his satchel and left the lane at a run.

Joss stared after him in shock. "Talk about ingratitude!"

Kourin just stood quietly for a moment, staring after her brother. "Crybaby," she muttered, but Houjun caught the flash of pain in her eyes. The Doctor was equally observant, his eyes flicking back and forth from the mirror in his hand to Kourin's face.

Joss cracked her knuckles angrily. "Just because his sister's a little stronger than him, he didn't have to be such an assh--"

"Joss!" interrupted the Doctor. "I believe that you're terribly hungry right now. Why don't you and I try to locate a noodle stand while Ri-san escorts Miss Kourin back to her home?"

"I'm not all that hungry, Doctor. I can wait until we all--"

"No, you're positively starving. I can tell by that edge you get in your voice when you've gone without food for too long."

"Well, I do tend to get a little snappish when I'm hungry, but right now, I honestly don't need--"

"Joss." The Doctor gave her a hard look, and she finally caught on.

"Oh, that's right. You're right as always, Doctor. FOOD! NOW!"

Houjun and Kourin flinched at her bellow. "How can you stand to travel with someone who's always hungry?" she whispered to Houjun. Houjun shrugged, unsure of why the Doctor wanted to leave him alone with Kourin but gamely going along with the plan.

However, Kourin was not as cooperative. "Look, I appreciate all the concern, but as you've seen, I can take care of myself. I don't need anyone to walk me home. So, it's been nice to meet you, but--"

The Doctor suddenly snapped his head up and fixed her with an intent green gaze. "All the same," he murmured, his soft words at odds with the intensity of his stare, "it would be nice to have someone to talk to as you walk, wouldn't it? It would be no trouble for Ri-san, I assure you."

Kourin stared into the hypnotic gaze. "I suppose it would be all right…" she conceded hesitantly.

"That's settled! Ri-san, after you return Miss Kourin to her home, we'll meet you back where we first lost the mirror." The Doctor winked at them both, then, grasping Joss' arm, steered her rapidly back down the passageway.

Kourin frowned in confusion. Whatever made her agree to this odd plan? She glanced over at the quiet young man who stood beside her. Was this "Doctor" trying to secure a wife for his shy son? If so, he was in for a huge disappointment. He was destined for the same disappointment if he ended up being the ringleader of a clever group of slavers. But somehow, Kourin didn't think that either of these conjectures was correct. Deep inside, she had the feeling that she could trust these people; she just didn't know why.

She sighed, turning to her quiet companion. "Well, let's go, then. By the way, are your friend's eyes green or blue? They seem to keep changing color."

****

For some inexplicable reason, Kourin found her footsteps turning to the longer, more scenic route home. She and Houjun skirted the edge of the marketplace, wandering along a dirt path that meandered beside open fields of wildflowers. The girl impulsively stopped to pick flowers along the way, gathering a large armful. Every so often, she would catch Houjun looking at her in a serious, puzzled manner, yet he didn't seem to feel the need to break the oddly comfortable silence between them. Kourin let her thoughts drift to the earlier confrontation with Rokou and, without realizing it, began to speak her thoughts aloud.

"He's really not such an idiot as he appears--my brother, I mean. Life's been hard for him these past few years. You see, we lost my other brother in an accident. He was older than me but younger than Rokou; still, Rokou had depended on him for everything. He doesn't know quite what to do with himself ever since Ryuuen died."

Houjun turned his eyes to meet Kourin's, his gaze suddenly keen and sharp. "I lost people I loved not so long ago myself--family, friends. It's strange what such a loss can do to a person. It can make him want to push it out of his life, pretend that it didn't happen. It can make him want to be someone else; maybe wear a mask…or a disguise."

Kourin looked up in shock, her throat constricting in sudden fear. What did this stranger know about her--and how did he know it?

But Houjun had turned his eyes to the horizon, neatly sidestepping any confrontation. "Something your brother said really struck me: he called you a freak. That's something that I've been called in my life--sometimes by others, but mostly from my own self. It's funny; it hurts worse to hear it from myself than from strangers. Maybe because it seems truer from my own lips."

"You--a freak? Why would anyone call you that? You look perfectly normal to me."

The intense stare was directed at her again. "Looks can be deceiving. Everyone wears masks of some sort, Miss Kourin. Some are just better at it than others." The soft voice went on. "The question is: what makes us freaks? Is it deformity? Strange abilities? Anything that is unique? What does the word 'freak' mean, anyway?"

Kourin looked down, biting her lip as she pondered the question. "I think…I think it means someone who is different…in such a way that he makes other people uncomfortable about their differences. Everyone wants to be alike, after all. Everyone wants to be a part of the same crowd. When there's someone who is obviously different, he makes it so that the rest can't pretend that everyone is exactly like them--and that makes people uncomfortable. It makes some people so uncomfortable that they want to hurt him, make him go away. That's why they call him a freak."

Houjun glanced at the girl, impressed by her insight. She'd given him as much to think about as he had given her, and he hadn't expected that. However, she'd obviously seen much of the darker side of life, just as he had.

"What should we do then, Miss Kourin? Should we freaks go away as requested?"

A pixieish grin was suddenly turned upon him. "Hell, no! Let the world be uncomfortable with us! We have to keep to our uniqueness!"

"You're right. Yet what if we're not ready to let go of our masks…or our disguises?" Suddenly Houjun turned towards Kourin and laid a hand firmly on her silk blouse, pressing down. She gasped in shock at the intimate contact--yet there was nothing sexual in his gaze. There was only understanding: understanding and compassion, as he pressed against the firm flatness of a young man's chest. Kourin's heart beat wildly under the revealing touch, as she was seized with conflicting emotions of fear and relief.

"I think," Houjun murmured, still holding his hand over Kourin's heart, "I think that we should continue to wear our masks and disguises as long as we feel the need. But I also think that we should strive to know our true selves that lie beneath the masks. Only when we learn to be happy with the truth of who we are, can we step out from the shadows in which we hide." He smiled sadly at the violet-haired youth before him. "I'm not preaching at you; I'm hardly ready to shed my own mask yet. I just thought that it was important that you know that someone understands…Ryuuen."

Violet eyes flashed to meet the magician's mystical gaze. Slowly the youth straightened, somehow bringing forth his masculine features from beneath the delicate feminine façade. His jawline grew stronger as he set his teeth, his chin looked firmer and his shoulders slightly broader beneath the layers of silk. Houjun knew that he was now seeing the true Chou Ryuuen who lay hidden, suppressed behind the identity of Chou Kourin.

Ryuuen swallowed the lump in his throat, his voice husky with anxiety. "But what if everything behind the mask is a lie? What if everything I am is just shadows and deception, and there's really nothing there at all? What if Kourin is the only truth there is--and everyone finds out that she's a lie?" He cast his eyes down again. "As you saw back there, they're already beginning to find out the truth."

"Kourin is the truth, and Ryuuen is the truth, and the love that recreates Kourin in Ryuuen is the greatest truth of all. Is love between two people a lie because the outside world says it cannot exist? No; no more than love can be forced into existence because the outside world says it must be so. Love is a truth that only the people who share it can know." Houjun's voice trailed off, his thoughts turning to the his own dark past. "Maybe I need to listen to myself," he whispered. "Maybe I need to accept a love I once found unacceptable."

Ryuuen looked up at the pain in Houjun's voice and caught his hand as it fell away from his heart. He squeezed the hand to comfort him, marveling to himself how close he felt to this stranger who had walked into his life less than an hour ago, closer than he felt toward his own brother. Ryuuen somehow sensed the wounded spirit in the older man. Wounded spirit… kindred heart…

"You need to be a little less hard on yourself," he declared suddenly, out of the blue. Ryuuen grinned at the startled look on Houjun's face. "No, don't try to fool me. If we're so much alike with our masks and secrets, then we're also alike in being relentlessly hard on ourselves while being ridiculously tolerant of others. So if we're going to face the truth about our inner selves, maybe, just maybe, it would be a good idea to also give ourselves a break at times."

Ryuuen couldn't explain the reason behind his sudden attack of high spirits, although he suspected it might have something to do with this strange inner conviction that he was not condemned to spend the rest of his life alone. This inner certainty was a gift from this stranger – this stranger who had appeared out of nowhere and given him the understanding and compassion that Ryuuen's own family could not. He had given Ryuuen hope. A simple gift…a priceless gift.

Ryuuen was startled to see that they were nearly at his front door. On an impulse, he pushed all of the wildflowers into Houjun's arms, then stood on tiptoe and kissed him on the cheek. "Happy Birthday, Ri-san."

Houjun flushed a brilliant red, his mystical eyes opening wide in surprise. "How did you know?"

"I didn't." Ryuuen was smug, back to being a flirtatious girl again. "I felt you deserved a birthday present, and I guess I just lucked out on the day. Today must be my lucky day!" He flashed a cheeky grin and raised a hand in farewell, disappearing into the house.

Houjun stood bemused for a few moments, surrounded by the fragrance of the wildflowers. Suddenly he felt a tap on his arm and looked down into the mischievous, wizened countenance of an elderly man who had been walking past.

The old man waved his stick emphatically at Houjun. "Mark my words, young man: don't let that pretty girl get away! She might be a bit young, but you'd better jump in and marry her before someone else carries her off!"

Houjun was stunned into silence for a moment – then burst into laughter, the absurdity of the situation carrying him away on waves of mirth.

The elderly man grinned in sympathetic glee, watching as the younger man walked off into the distance, still laughing. "Yep," he crooned to himself. "Nothing like Spring to make the youngsters fall in love!"

****

****

Glossary of Japanese terms

Baka - stupid

Heika - Your Highness

Gomen - Sorry

Hanase, kudasai! - Release, please!

Shichiseishi - celestial warriors

Gaijin - foreigner

Maaa-taku! - Really!

Okama - homosexual or crossdresser

*

Author's Notes: (2-19-03) Back at last, as promised! Took a while longer than I had hoped, but Life, the Universe, and Everything, as usual. See, Kris? I toldja I'd be back this week, so I'm expecting some constructive criticism, emphasis on criticism!

For you Doctor Who fans, I threw in an obscure reference from the TV series (and the novels). Did you catch it? Hint: Think Ace! Oh, and criticism is appreciated from you all, too - that means negative comments that I will NOT take offense at, since they will enable me to become a better writer! (Of course, "You suck! Give it up!" is not exactly what I was looking for… hee-hee!)

And for the Fushigi Yuugi fans: well, we've made it past the Star and the Willow, as promised. What's coming up next? Think healer --and one small, scrawny, red-haired, loud-mouthed pain-in-the-ass! I can't wait! (Joss: (scowling) I can!)

Because I've been away from this fic for so long, I'm doing a one-two punch, so Chapter 10 of Bridge will be my next posting. As I've said time and again, I have to get to the climax of this story in order to move on with "Hidden Paths." So, see you soon, Bridge fans!

Ja ne!

Roku