Uh…yeah. Hey everybody! I know, I know, you want to shoot me dead for my non-updating ways but…well, stuff happens. I'm glad to sit down and try to go on with this story! Heeeeeeey, thanks for the reviews! Glad to know that people are enjoying the story and what not. I know that Ryuuen is very angsty but I'm trying to be realistic and all that good stuff.

For Those Who Complained: Hey, people, I know that the real world chapters aren't as fun to read as the chapters in Konan but you have to remember that Ryuuen doesn't live in Konan, Ryuuen lives in the real world. Plus, Ryuuen needed some reflection time.

Notes: Thanks to the people at the Reflection: A Tamahome Shrine website for your invaluable info!

Mentioned Houjun's 'kasa' which means 'hat' but it feels weird saying 'hat'…

I couldn't decide what color certain a certain seishi's eyes were…in some pictures they look blue and in others, yellow.

Disclaimer: I don't own Fushigi Yugi.

Warning: Angst, more seishi action, and an absolutely adorable Yuiren.

Somewhere Out There

Chapter Nineteen

"I'm hungry." Miaka stated (it was more of an announcement than a real complaint). "I didn't get enough at lunch."

"You ate all of my food!" I exclaimed, somewhat outraged by her statement. "Genrou had to fend you off with his chopsticks!" Even though I was a little ticked off with Miaka for eating that much, I didn't really mind. That meant she really was a hundred percent okay.

I was back in Konan and we were traveling the country again, looking for signs or, well, anything that pointed to the last seishi. We were also heading back to the capitol. Saihitei was the emperor and we did have to keep that in mind. We had been going on without so much as a hint who the next seishi was. Myojuan, the newest member, was a bit more subdued than the rest of us and quiet. I could understand why.

Sometimes I felt sick to my stomach over the idea that I had to tell everyone the truth. And why I couldn't bring myself to do it now was beyond me. I should have been able to tell everyone the truth. But it seemed so impossible all of a sudden. Other times I almost forgot. Almost.

Saihitei could probably tell something was wrong. He kept giving me those questioning looks but he didn't ask me anything. Mostly because we didn't have a spare moment just between the two of us.

Maybe I should just tell him first…the truth…but how will I?

And I should really tell everyone…everyone deserves to know…

"We're not too far from the capitol…probably a day, two at the most, no da." Houjun commented. I noticed a strange look on Kishuku's face that I couldn't quite identify. It was strangely excited and yet at the same time, maybe a little nervous.

"What's with you?" I asked him, leaning towards him as best I could on my horse.

"We're almost to the village I was born in." Kishuku spoke quietly.

"We are?!" I asked loudly. "You were born around here?"

"Does your family live here?" Miaka looked interested in this discussion. "We can go visit!"

"I don't know…we should really be getting back to the capitol as quickly as possible…" Kishuku hesitated.

"We could certainly take the time to visit your home." Saihitei caught my eye and I grinned at him. "I wouldn't ask you to go by your village without stopping to see your family." I thought it was nice of Saihitei to say that, even though I knew he really did want to get back to the capitol and look after his country.

"I bet your siblings are so adorable!" Miaka began to gush. Kishuku looked even more embarrassed until of course Genrou decided to start making ridiculous kissy faces at Kishuku. There was a small fight, which didn't last very long because they were both trying to stay on their horses.

We began to ride to Kishuku's village and I grew sort of anxious to meet Kishuku's family. I remember him mentioning his little brother to me—his name was escaping me at the moment.

As people began to look up and recognize the blue-haired Kishuku and greet him by name, it was obvious we were getting close. Finally, Kishuku stopped in front of a very small house. I saw a small face peek out the window and then excited yells. Was this Kishuku's house?

"Big brother!" The most adorable little girl came running out of the house. She had honey-colored hair and big, sparkling eyes. Kishuku jumped off his horse and caught the little girl in a hug.

"Yuiren!" Kishuku greeted her. It was pretty cute. Miaka was nearly having a cuteness overload as she slid off her horse. We all got off our horses as three more children came out of the house.

"Gyokuran, Shunkei, Chuuei!" Kishuku was practically being smothered in small children but didn't seem to mind. Saihitei put a hand on my shoulder and I looked up, sharing a small smile with him.

"How's dad?" Kishuku said after a bit. The oldest boy, who looked just like a younger version of Kishuku stepped back, trying to look as mature and grown-up as possible.

"Not so good." He confessed.

"I'm sure we can do something about that, no da." Houjun gestured towards Myojuan, who immediately stepped up.

"Let's have a look at him." Myojuan spoke and Kishuku looked grateful. We were led into the house after Kishuku warned his brothers not to touch Miaka. It was a very small house for so many people to be living in it but as I recalled, it was an ancient kingdom of some kind and we hadn't seen too many gigantic houses since we left Konan.

As Houjun started entertaining Kishuku's siblings with what can only be described as magic tricks, I watched Myojuan look over Kishuku's father and then, he used his power to help rid him of the sickness.

"You should be fine in a few days." Myojuan told the older man who was lying on a bed. "I've see this sickness many times. You'll need some more bed rest and I'll leave some herbs for you to mix with hot water and drink every night before you go to sleep."

"Myojuan is really great, isn't he?" Miaka whispered into my ear. I nodded.

"Ah! Fuck!" Genrou's voice made us all turn to see the orange-haired young man, who had sat down near Houjun, having one of his many beaded necklaces tugged on from behind. Yuiren popped her head from behind him, her hand still around a string of bright beads that any young child would be attracted to.

"Hey, watch your language around my sister." Kishuku came by and scooped Yuiren up, looking protective. It reminded me of myself with Kourin and I found myself smiling sadly.

"She was fucking strangling me." Genrou muttered dejectedly. Houjun patted him on the shoulder comfortingly.

"Your family seems really great, Kishuku." I commented, watching the two brothers chase each other around with Houjun's kasa.

"They are." Kishuku agreed proudly, setting his sister down, who ran off with her sister, and Miaka went after them. He got a little closer to me and leaned down. "I was a little worried…about what you guys would say about this place…it's not very big…"

"You thought we would make a big deal about your house?" I turned on the blue-haired young man in confusion. "You should have known we wouldn't care Kishuku. It doesn't make you any less of a person."

"I-I know." Kishuku shuffled his feet. "I just…"

"Well stop it." I told him, waving a fist under his nose. "Or I'll send you flying. Now come on and let's have a good time with your family." I spoke sternly. I looked over at Saihitei who was near enough to have heard the whole exchange and he was smiling at me.

I wonder if Saihitei wants a family…

"Oooooooh, Kourin! I love this place so much!" Miaka squealed as we were bedding down for the night. The girls were all in one room while the boys were somewhat unfairly squished together. (Houjun assured me they'd all be comfortable). Yuiren and Gyokuran were already fast asleep. "It's like I'm Kishuku's bride…" She went a deep shade of red but still seemed to be off somewhere in dream land.

"Think you're going to fall asleep any time soon?" I asked, trying to fake cheerfulness. It wasn't really working. The whole idea of Saihitei and how he might want a family one day kept going through my head. It was just one more thing…all because I still hadn't said anything.

"Maybe." Miaka was staring out the window. "Say, Kourin…do bats attack people?"

"Why?" I looked through the window sleepily. There were bats in the tree outside. "I don't think so, now come on, go to sleep."

"Do you hear that?" Miaka asked.

"Hear what?" I strained my ears but could hear nothing except some vague scuffling noises from the room next to us and assumed that Genrou and Kishuku were in yet another scuffle.

"That music…it sounds like a flute." Miaka was still listening. "You can't hear it?"

"Nope." I shook my head and put my head back down onto my pillow and closed my eyes, starting to get comfortable.

I think I was about to go to sleep and maybe I had dozed off because I was suddenly awakened by a scream.

"Miaka?!" I jumped up and looked around. Yuiren and Gyokuran were still fast asleep and Miaka wasn't anywhere in the room.

I ran out of the room and into the other seishi, who had obviously heard the noise too.

"Kourin?" Houjun looked at me and I saw that he wasn't wearing his mask for once. "Where's Miaka?"

"She's not in our room." I explained. "That scream sounded like it came from outside."

"Come on!" Genrou took off running and we had to try and catch up with him.

We went around the house and heard Miaka again, by the woods a little ways away from the house. Bats were attacking her from where she had fallen and was now lying on the ground, trying to cover herself with her arms.

Why are bats attacking her?

And why is she outside?

"Rekka Shinen!" Genrou yelled, swinging his tessen. The bats flew away from Miaka for a moment and then came back to attacking her.

"What are we going to do?" I asked the others. But just as one of us might have said something, a shrill, piercing note rang through the air, followed by others.

It was a flute, just like Miaka had described earlier. The bats flew away from Miaka and were running themselves into trees. Miaka picked her head up and a rushed forward to help her up.

"The bats are going crazy!" Miaka looked around as the last of the bats seemed to finish themselves off.

"Whose playing that flute?" Houjun looked around and we spotted, a little bit into the woods, standing on a rock, a young man, playing the flute. He stopped after a moment, pulling the flute from his lips and without looking up, he spoke.

"I'm not sure what caused the bats to act like that—it's very unusual behavior." He looked up at us and we saw that he had blue eyes. His hair was cut short but his bangs were long enough to get into his eyes. They were cut straight and not messily like Kishuku's. That's when we saw the red mark on his left arm.

"Chiriko!" Miaka clapped her hands together. "You're a Suzaku no Shichiseishi!" He looked surprised to see the mark himself and I remembered how none of us knew until the mark showed up.

"I can't believe it!" He exclaimed, walking towards us with a friendly smile. "I had heard rumors about the valiant seishi and hoped to catch a glimpse of them but I didn't think I'd be one myself!"

"Fate has drawn us all together." Saihitei spoke. "We can now summon Suzaku. We'll have to get back to the palace and begin preparations immediately."

"Welcome aboard." I greeted him. "I'm Nuriko—name's Kourin."

"Are you the beautiful lady whose said to have come from another world?" The blue-eyed young man looked even more excited.

"I don't know about that…" I stammered. Was that really the rumor?

"That would be our Kourin." Saihitei made my face feel like it had been set on fire as he took my arm.

"I can't believe this really happened to me! I've been hearing stories… " The blonde-haired boy still looked a little dazed. Then he shook himself. "Sorry, anyways, my name is Bu Koutoku, pleased to meet you all."

I woke up a little while after meeting Koutoku. It was strange to think that the time everyone else had been waiting for had finally come.

I was the only one dreading it…

The truth would have to come out soon.

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I DID IT!!! I've only had this chapter sitting here for like…ever. It feels like forever. Oh well. Dun, dun, DUN! We all know that crazy Bu…gee, wonder what he's up to??? Well, stay tuned! And maybe I'll update sometime before the next century.