Disclaimer: I do not own any of Takahashi's characters. Though I did see them up for auction on EBay…

AN: I realize that it's been ages since I've updated but I am trying to make a sincere effort to update more frequently. Now that my Midterm Exams are over I'll probably get a better chance to do so.

Sango Stasia

Chapter Five

Not So Grand Familiarity

Last Time –

As soon as she had sat down though, the cat-creature had grabbed her coat and tried to drag her off in the direction of St. Petersburg.

"Stop that! I'm waiting for a sign…"

Giving her a look the cat continued to tug towards St. Petersburg until Sanya's eyes grew wide.

"A sign…"

Now –

Very soon after her somewhat frazzled nerves recovered Sanya had begun to make her way in the direction of St. Petersburg. Barely stopping along the way except to sleep when she was really tired, she got there fairly quickly. Though what she arrived to was not the glamorous St. Petersburg that she had heard of from the few orphans that had been there. Instead it was a gloomy, old looking town with the towns-people to match.

As she walked down the streets various street venders tried to offer her their wares. Smiling politely she declined and with the cat creature, now officially named Kirara, at her feet she looked around for the train station. Though she soon came to find, that due to the rupture in Russia's governmental system, train travel was restricted to only those with papers. And papers were the one thing that Sanya's clever mind couldn't come up with.

As she walked away in a very dejected manner she felt someone's breath on her ear.

"See Miroku, at the Grand Palace…if he can't help you than nobody can. But you didn't hear it from me."

"But I did hear it from you…just now…"

"I mean if anyone asks!"

"Why would anyone ask unless you told them?"

"……………..Young ones these days….honesty I don't know why I bother."

As the woman who had given Sanya the sagely advice looked up she saw that Sanya had already run off in the direction of the Palace.

"BAH! Why do I bother?"

Glancing up at the "Grand Palace" Sanya was surprised to discover two things. One, the Grand Palace wasn't quite so grand anymore. Two, the Grand Palace was no longer open; in fact the entire building had been boarded up.

"Great…how the hell am I supposed to meet this Miroku character if the Palace he's supposed to be in is closed?"

Looking down she realized that Kirara had already squirmed her way in through one of the boards.

"Kirara! Get back here!"

Following quickly after her Sanya managed to squeeze through another two boards.

"Never thought I'd be grateful to Comrade Kikyou for rationing our food."

However the moment that Sanya got a good look at the interior of the Palace she fell to the floor and rubbed her temples. Flashes of beautiful women dancing and fine cloths swirling around swirled through her head.

"So familiar…so familiar."

AN: Review!