Three years later...

Ji-na looked in her handheld mirror as she applied lip color to her lips. She rubbed her lips together and then reached for some eye makeup.

"Let me do that," her maid, who was standing beside her, offered.

"No, thank you," Ji-na said. "I'm fine, really. I can do this by myself."

The maid sighed and rolled her eyes. "Ji-na-sama, you know that most noble ladies have someone to do their make up for them."

"Fine, fine," Ji-na obeyed and closed her eyes, rolling them in frustration under their lids while her maid carefully put on the eye makeup.

"Hey, Ji-na," Hikou said, gliding into the room. "I was told to tell you that all your stuff is packed up and ready to go to Konan. The only thing we need left is you."

"YIPPIE!" Ji-na cried, jumping up and frightening the maid. She ran through Hikou and out the door.

"Ji-na-sama, wait!" the maid cried. "I haven't finished putting on your makeup!"

"I don't care!" Ji-na called back excitedly. "I'm going to see Chichiri!"

Ji-na ran all the way out the door, through the front doors of the palace, and hopped into the carriage that was to take her to the dock where her boat was.

"Ji-na!" she heard a stern voice cry. "What in the world are you doing?"

Uh-oh, Ji-na thought. She turned around and faced her mother, who was wearing a very stern expression on her face.

Ji-na looked nothing like her mother. While Ji-na was slender and shapely, her mother was short and not as shapely. Her mother had turquoise hair and liked to put it up in a bun decorated with a colorful headdress. Ji-na's black hair was usually plain and down, occasionally dressed up with the hairpin Chichiri gave Kouran or a comb.

"I was just waiting to depart for the docks," Ji-na said innocently.

The sternness in her mother's face faded. "Without even saying goodbye to your mother?"

Ji-na got out of the carriage and gave her mother a hug. "Goodbye, Mother. When Father gets out of his meeting, tell him I say goodbye."

Ji-na's mother nodded. "Have a safe journey, Ji-na."

"I will," Ji-na said as she stepped back into the carriage. "Goodbye again."

The carriage left with two ghosts, floating behind, unnoticed.

~*~

Chichiri paced around his room nervously. He had slowly been counting down the days till Ji-na's arrival. He hadn't seen her in about a year, and wondered how she had changed. Did she still love him? Had she found someone else? Was she betrothed to some rich man who lived far away?

There was a knock at his door. He ran to it, hoping Ji-na was on the other side. When he opened the door, however, he found himself staring into the face a servant.

"What is it no da?" he asked excitedly.

"A carriage is approaching the main gates. Her majesty, Houki, asked for your presence in welcoming the visitor in the throne room."

Chichiri ran out of his room as fast as he could.

When he reached the throne room he heard a babble of voices that sounded like Ji-na being introduced to the ghosts of the seishi that had taken residence at the palace.

"So you're Nuriko!" he heard Ji-na's voice say. "I've heard so much about you from everyone."

Chichiri's heart skipped a beat when he heard Ji-na's voice. He had always hoped for this moment since the day she parted, and now it was finally happening.

"Ji-na no da!" he called.

"Chichiri!" she called back.

It was as like a dream. Ji-na ran to him so fast she almost knocked him over. He hugged her tightly as his good eye welled up with tears of joy.

After a few minutes of tight hugging and ribs that threatened to give way under all the squeezing, Ji-na and Chichiri pulled away.

"I'm so glad to have you back no da," Chichiri said after he had kissed the top of Ji-na's head. "I missed you a lot."

Ji-na looked up at Chichiri with tears in her eyes, smiling. When her eyes locked onto his the smile gave way to shock.

"Oh, Suzaku."

A/N: O.K., here goes my first chapter in my first sequel. (Though it's not my first, actually. Each chapter of Draco's Story was originally its own story)

Special thanks to...

MRT: Well here's the next chapter!

Faith Patton: I'm so glad you liked the original story! I hope this one is just as good.

Anifuz: Yup! Yay for me!

TOaA: That's because it was just the prologue.