So, I've got my music, my coke, my sour patch kids, I'm all set to write! I haven't done any of my other updates this week. So feel special that I'm doing this one! Maybe it's 'cause of all those nice reviews.

Teresa: Wait, wait, aren't they supposed to already be in "China"? And they traveled all around too…I guess that aren't any cursed springs in Konan. (I bet they're all hiding in Hokkan—that one seishi who can turn from a guy to a girl is very suspicious indeed.)

Disclaimer: I don't own Fushigi Yugi.

Warnings: Swearing, that sort of thing.

Somewhere Out There

Chapter Twenty-Three

I stood there, in what I was calling the main war room for lack of better terms, and watching the dozens of advisors, army strategists, Doukun, and Saihitei going over maps and forms. Saihitei was making his mark on some emergency edicts and I could tell that they were all busy with the war and I wasn't sure what I should do. I couldn't just stand around but I also didn't know anything about fighting a war, so I didn't think I'd be anywhere near the top of the useful list.

Kishuku was with Miaka as Houjun had suggested that Kutou might send assassins to kill her and should be watched at all times. Maybe I should just go to them. But just then Saihitei turned towards me and gave me a grateful smile before going back to what an advisor was saying. I wondered if in some way, my presence supported him. That made me feel a little bit better and I wished I could have caught his eye again to smile back but I didn't get a chance to.

It was then that Kishuku entered, looking incredibly pale. I wondered if sitting in the rain had made him sick. But there was something in his eyes that told me something bad was going on.

"Ryuuen!" Kishuku rushed over to me.

"What is it? Is it Miaka?" I was instantly alert.

"No, Miaka's fine." Kishuku assured me quickly. "She's with Myojuan, treating the wounded soldiers who've returned. No, a messenger got back and was telling one of the captains that Kutou's army is advancing quickly."

"Yeah, but they're—" I gestured confusedly towards Saihitei and the table of people who didn't seem to have noticed us.

"My family." Kishuku got out, even though he choked a little. "I have to go save them."

"Kishuku!" I went wide-eyed. "You can't go by yourself! That's suicide! What if you run into the Kutou army?"

"Who cares about the Kutou army? If I don't go, they'll be dead!" Kishuku said insistently. "I'm not asking for permission, I'm going, dammit!"

"Of course you are." I nodded and Kishuku looked vaguely surprised. "But you aren't going alone, I'm going with you."

"Kourin, I mean, Ryuuen, you should stay here, look after Miaka, stay with the emperor." Kishuku looked hesitant about taking me along.

"Mitsukake can look after her, we need to go save your family!" I shook my head. I glanced over at Saihitei. I thought of that grateful smile but I knew he would want me to go, because that's exactly what he would do. We had to tell them where we were going but I felt strange just interrupting the meeting. Kishuku did it for me.

"Saihitei, me and Ryuuen are going to my village." Kishuku informed him. Saihitei looked up at him and then over at me. My face was set in a sort of grim determination. "I'm going to get my family and bring them back here."

"Of course." Saihitei nodded his assent. "Please come back to us safely."

"We will." I smiled at him. "And it's cold out there so we'll be expecting tea when we get back!" Some of the advisors looked a little shocked at my sudden casualness.

"On your way back you should stop at a cake shop in town, there's a particularly good one on the main street, about three buildings down from the palace gates." Saihitei's lips were tugging up in a smile.

"As your majesty wishes." I gave him a two fingered salute and Kishuku and I left the room. I glanced at Kishuku's face and knew the time for joking had ended as soon as it had begun.

We have to get his family back safely.

We went down to the stables and were just getting on two horses that had not yet been sent out into the fray when a voice caused us to turn around.

"Where the fuck do you think you're going?" Genrou smirked at us, raising an eyebrow.

"All by yourselves, no da." Houjun was trying to look stern but was having a hard time with his happy mask on.

"We're coming with you in case you couldn't fucking tell." Genrou told us. Kishuku actually smiled then, mostly because there was something that almost brought tears to my eyes as I thought of how close we had somehow become over such a short period of time.

"I'm not sure we should take that many horses." I frowned. After all, the army probably couldn't spare very many at this time. And the war was going badly on our side as it was without four horses suddenly running off.

Houjun grabbed his purple cape and threw it out, laying it down on the ground. He looked at us and then somehow managed to make the smile on his happy mask grow bigger.

"If you'll all just step on my cape, I can take us there instantly, no da." Houjun explained to us. Genrou stepped on the cape and I was a little apprehensive of traveling by cape but I went forward too. Kishuku put a hand on Houjun's shoulder.

"Houjun, I—" Kishuku began and it was clear he was going to thank the monk.

"There's no time for that, no da." Houjun shook his head. "Let's go."

"Come on!" I tugged Kishuku onto the cape and Houjun stepped on as well, hitting the cape with his staff. It began to glow with a bright white light and we began to sink beneath it. It was a rather odd experience, especially for Genrou, who somehow ended up falling over and going down almost upside down. When my head was completely surrounded by white light, I felt strange, sinking further down.

At some point though, I was going up, though I wasn't sure when the change had occurred. One moment I was squeezing my eyes shut in excited anticipation that we could quickly rescue Kishuku's family and the next moment I was at the bottom of a pile that consisted of Genrou, Kishuku, and Houjun.

"Ow." I pushed myself up easily, the boys all rolling off of me. "Good landing."

"We're here!" Kishuku pointed ahead of us. We hadn't gotten right inside the hut, instead, we were outside of it, but it didn't sound like just Kishuku's family was in there. There were people crowding in there and we all went forward.

"Let us through!" I ducked down and dodged around people. I felt Genrou zip past me. Show off. "What's going on?"

"Father? Chuuei? Yuiren? Shunkei? Gyokuran?" Kishuku called out.

"Big brother!" Chuuei called out and Kishuku and I saw him next to his father, who was laying down. When we approached him, we could see that he was helping someone apply bandages. "I'm glad you're all here. We need your help. This is everyone that stayed in the village and we're trying to decide what to do."

"We've come to take you back to the capitol." I looked around at the twenty or so people, including children, who were looking curiously at the four of us. "What about everybody else?"

"We can't just leave them here, no da." Houjun's face furrowed in thought. "But the army is coming and a group this size would be too slow to out distance them."

"What about your cape?" I asked. "It's kind of big. If we got everyone to stand on it, and then they put the kids on their shoulders, we could transport them all back."

"I don't think it will be big enough for everyone." Kishuku looked at the four of us.

"Fuck." Genrou added in frustration as he scratched at his wild orange hair in an attempt to think.

"Don't worry, no da. I've got a plan." Houjun told us before turning towards the villagers. "Everyone, stand back!" Everyone backed up considerably and some of them were even forced out of the hut. The cape spread out and I crossed my fingers. "Will everyone please step on the cape please?"

"Put your children on your shoulders or on your back." I ordered and watched as the people did this in a far quicker time than I thought they would. I saw Kishuku putting Yuiren on Chuuei's back and Gyokuran and Shunkei held hands. All that it looked very crowded, we had somehow managed to fit everyone on the cape. Except for the four of us and as I glanced over at the bed, I saw that Kishuku's dad was still laying there. I took a deep determined breath of air that helped me considerably.

"Hold on and don't panic. You'll be teleported to the Imperial Palace no da." Houjun's voice had a calming effect on some of the kids who looked like they might burst into tears. He hit the corner of the cape with his staff and it began to glow again. I looked at all those hopeful faces, which were looking at us like we were heroes, and I realized that we were heroes. At least Houjun and Genrou and Kishuku all were.

And…and maybe me as well. Maybe I'm a hero too.

"Kishuku." We turned towards Kishuku's father who coughed wearily. "You four should go on without me. I'll only slow you down."

"We aren't leaving you!" Kishuku looked almost angry that his father could even suggest it. "We're taking you with us."

"Besides, I don't think you'll be a problem." Houjun took his kasa off. It had been hanging around his neck but now it was out in front of us and I saw that it's inside were suddenly black. "We'll go back in this. Everyone will have to climb through. Your father first, Kishuku."

Although it was difficult for him, Kishuku's father pulled himself up and crawled into the hat, looking a bit skeptical (and I really didn't blame him at the moment as the idea of crawling in a hat wasn't exactly on par with all the science I had been taught in school), and soon his feet had disappeared. Kishuku went right after him, not that I blamed him, he probably wanted to make sure his family was alright.

"You next, Ryuuen." Houjun gestured and as I began to kneel down, the ground began to vibrate. I looked at the two fearfully.

"That must be the fucking Kutou forces." Genrou looked like he might be sick. "That means they've gotten this far…"

"The capitol will be attacked within a day." Houjun looked just as bad. Then he cleared his throat. "Ryuuen, hurry."

Just as I was getting in, I saw Genrou grab Houjun's arm.

"You're not going last." Genrou informed him. I was pretty sure I wasn't supposed to be watching this but I couldn't help but look at the exchange.

"I have to close the spell behind me." Houjun covered Genrou's hand with his own, startling Genrou a little. "I will be right behind you my friend." They were looking at each other and I blushed before quickly scrambling through the hat.

"What do you do when you like someone?"

Looks like that mystery is solved…

When I suddenly crawled out of the black space into the courtyard of the palace, I was relieved to see Kishuku hugging his brothers and sisters, looking happy while his father was being escorted to where Mitsukake was taking care of the sick.

If the Kutou forces would be here in less than a day, we didn't have any time to waste. We had to summon Suzaku now.

The world began to blur and I cursed out loud as I realized that I was waking up. I had to get back. I couldn't stay away, not when something like this was about to happen. I had to see Saihitei and I had to be there so we could all summon Suzaku and save Kutou.

I'll be right back.

We have to save Konan.

Omigod, I can't believe I've actually finished an update! I feel so happy. This is for all you guys who have been so patient. I feel so bad, but I really didn't feel like writing for a long time. Please review!