Author's note: Well, we still have the strange page dividers. Today I'm using "l"s instead of "v"s. I think the "lllll" lines should separate the different world stuff and the "xxxx" should separate the same world stuff, but I've always used "x"s for different world stuff, so I'm keeping it that way. Confusing enough? Ffnet only lets me use letters for dividers, so until it changes, there ya go.

This is a shorter chapter, but I have chapter 8 done, so it won't be long before I have another update.

To Silver Pain: I took long to update, but you sure didn't take long to review! I got it only an hour after I updated. Bravo. Suboshi is actually an easier character to convert to real-world, only because he's been there before, so I don't have to go through a lot of the "Look! A microwave!" stuff.

To Poruporu: Thought I wouldn't write again? C'mon, I'm not THAT lazy.  The Nuriko fic idea I mentioned in 36 is still with me, though as to when or if I'll write it… who knows? Actually, Sakusha and Nashuka don't have any personal ties with their names, but it's cool that you noticed the similarities anyway.

To Chichiri's Wanderer: Yes, Chichiri is here.

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Chapter 7: A Great Collapse? Delineating Existence

"I see…" Chichiri said very seriously, sitting in Hotohori's study along with the other present warriors. "So these symbols appear before an incident like this happens?"

Miaka nodded. "Taka, did you see one before you came here?"

Taka shook his head. "All I remember is going to bed and waking up… well, here… off the side of a road."

"All of the other times, we've seen them." Nuriko explained.

"That's why we need ya here." Tasuki added. "Figure you could use yer all-knowin' power and figure out what or who the hell is messin' with us."

"I don't know if I can, no da." Chichiri pointed out. "I haven't felt any evil presences here, no da. I wouldn't know where to begin."

"Well, as long as you're here we may have an advantage," Nuriko glanced out the window at the darkening sky.

"I'll meditate on it, no da."

"Thank you, Chichiri. You have my gratitude." Hotohori spoke. "I apologize if this has caused you any trouble."

Chichiri smiled. "Don't worry about it, no da. I was on my way to see a friend, but she'll forgive me, no da."

"She?" Miaka repeated. "Chichiri, are you…"

Chichiri instantly went chibi. "No no! It's not like that, no da!"

Nuriko chuckled lightly, but got serious again. "Highness," he addressed Hotohori, "Would it be possible for me to take a leave from the palace again?"

Hotohori looked up. "Is this for Seii and Nashuka?"

Nuriko nodded.

Hotohori consented. "Yes, Nuriko. Chichiri is here now, please take all the time you want." He said gently.

"I'm gonna head back t'my mountain, too." Tasuki said. "My men've probably torn the place up by now… If ya need me, just send him over." Tasuki stuck a thumb in Chichiri's direction.

Hotohori thought for a moment. "Very well. And thank you, all. Miaka, Chichiri, Tamahome… is there anything you need?"

"Oh, we're fine." Miaka said.

"I just need some peace and quiet, no da," Chichiri said, fixing his kesa so that it thoroughly covered his left arm, "so I can concentrate on what's going on, no da."

"I will have a room ready for you immediately. You may be adjourned." Hotohori announced.

Chichiri was the last to stand up, allowing the other four to exit the room.

"It's good to see you again, your highness." He said.

Hotohori nodded. "As you, Chichiri. As you."

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Chichiri didn't waste too much time after the meeting with the emperor. As soon as a servant of the palace took him to a room, he settled in for meditation. It would be nice to rest after so much travel; meditation could be relaxing, but not if Chichiri had a definite goal to reach in doing it… this kind of concentration was mentally straining.

It was pretty dark outside, which made a more serene setting for his task. Chichiri found two candles on the nightstand, lit one of them, and placed it by the foot of the bed. With one hand, he unclipped the clasp to his kesa and slipped it off, fanning the fabric out onto the floor.

His kesa, color still not worn, edges still even, now was just like his mask. It shielded his left arm from the world, from strangers, even friends. He wasn't embarrassed by it at all… but he wasn't embarrassed of the scar over his eye, either. It just wasn't something you showed to people… it wasn't something people wanted to see.

His left hand was motionless, pale, and cold… only a carving of ivory now. From a first glance one wouldn't be able to tell it was false, but it still held its place beneath an indigo cloak.

With his right hand he removed the mask he'd worn for 22 years, sitting on the kesa and placing it beside him. Putting his forefinger and thumb together, he bowed his head, closed his eyes, and searched for what presence was causing his miko grief.

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"Keisuke…. Where are you going?" Mayo asked. They had barely gotten back to the apartment and he was already taking off again.

"I'm going to find that book!" Keisuke announced harshly.

Mayo released Hikari and ran to the door, catching Keisuke's arm before he left. "We already looked everywhere for it, Keisuke!" She objected. "You've searched all over Tokyo! There's no way you'll…"

"I don't care, Mayo!" Keisuke raised his voice a little. "Just take care of Hikari."

Mayo darted in front of Keisuke and slammed the door shut, blocking it with her body.

"Mayo!"

"What is wrong with you?" Mayo shot back. "You've been an irrational jerk for two days! Where do you expect to go to find that book? Tetsuya's already on it, and unless you expect to knock on every door in this damn city, you're not going to find it by stupidly walking out in a rage!"

"Mayo…"

"Why do you care so much!" Mayo's eyes teared up.

"I care because of you!" Keisuke blurted out. "My sister vanishes from her own kitchen, Taka disappears in the middle of the night, what's to say you're not next? You were the priestess of Seiryu, Mayo! Without that book, we don't know anything… we can't do anything!"

Mayo's shoulders dropped, her anger dropping from her face.

Keisuke ran his fingers through his hair, frustrated. "I'm at a loss, Ma-chan. I don't know what to do anymore."

Mayo stepped away from the door and put her arms around Keisuke. "Baka…" She breathed, "Why don't you tell me these things?"

Keisuke hugged Mayo tightly and kissed the top of her head. "I'm sorry… but…"

Mayo pulled herself back and met her lips with his. "Go, Keisuke." She gave her permission. "Be safe… I'll watch Hikari."

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"When are you leaving again?" Seii asked, pinning her hair in front of a large mirror near the wash area.

"I'm not sure, actually." Nuriko stepped up and took the pin from Seii, helping her. "I can just lounge around here until they need me, I guess. It's good, though. I need to go over finances with Rokou, and…" He let go of Seii's hair and put his arms around her shoulders, his chin brushing against her neck. "I get to spend more time with you."

"Ryuuen…" Seii blushed.

Nuriko gave her a peck on the neck and released her. "So what's for breakfast?"

Seii checked her hair to make sure it was done, and then gave Nuriko one of her shy smiles. "Well, perhaps some salmon, and eggs from the yard…"

The sound waves of a crying child rang through the house.

"I'll take care of it." Nuriko waved. "You get to cooking that delicious food of yours."

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Elsewhere during that warm Konan-morning, a carriage pulled up to the front gates of the palace, the rider wanting a direct meeting with the Emperor. After revealing his identity, the guards took him straight to Hotohori.

"Good morning, Highness."

"Chiriko?" Hotohori was quick to meet up with the youngest of Suzaku's seishi. "Why have you come to the palace?"

Chiriko smiled. "Well, I'm a celestial warrior too, and I got away from politics long enough to see how Miaka is doing… I also sensed Tamahome's presence."

"You know of his arrival?" Hotohori asked.

Chiriko nodded. "My… ability links me closer to seishi than it does to regular people, I suppose. I felt it two days ago. Are they still here?"

"Yes." Hotohori was quick to answer. "Please, this way." Hotohori lead Chiriko from the throne room personally to Taka and Miaka's chambers.

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"Chi-Chiriko?" Taka stuttered. "You… you don't look anything like what I remember!"

Chiriko returned a lopsided grin. "So I've heard. I didn't realize it was that obvious…"

"Your voice!" Taka laughed.

"Taka, don't be rude." Miaka scolded, though she had had a similar reaction upon her reunion with Chiriko.

With the odd re-introductions over, Chiriko got a turn to speak. "Tamahome, it is very good to see you again. You too, Miaka."

"I need to get used to that name again…" Taka sweat dropped.

"Have you discovered anything new about this mystery?" Chiriko questioned, to Hotohori as well.

Miaka shook her head. "No, but Chichiri's on it."

"Chichiri is here?" Chiriko asked.

"Mmhm. Thanks to you!" Miaka smiled. She looked past Chiriko at the sound of the door opening. Chichiri appeared in the doorway, his masked face a bit worried.

"Chichiri?" Hotohori spoke first. "What is the matter?"

"I… don't know, no da." He said wearily. "It's strange."

The monk instantly had the attention of the other four in the room.

"I can't sense any evil here… not anywhere." Chichiri went on. "But…" He paused, remaining silent for what seemed like eternity. "I can't sense any good either."

"You… what?" Taka asked.

Chichiri tilted his head to the ceiling, as though peering through it and into the heavens. "It's like the world has turned into a blank slate. I can't sense any evil or ill will in the universe, but I can't sense any good ki either. It's something I've never experienced before. I… don't know how to describe it, no da. I can't account for it."

The room was silent. No one knew how to respond to that. Chichiri, the most powerful of the Suzaku shichi seishi, was stumped. If Chichiri couldn't figure it out, then how could they?

It was like death settled on the room.

"There's only one thing to do, no da." Chichiri shattered the silence with his calm voice. "We go to her."

"Her?" Miaka repeated. "You mean…Taiisukun?"

"I feared it would fall to this." Hotohori placed a hand under his firm chin. "But how…"

"I can take us there, no da." He pondered on the method of transportation. "It would be best if we all got there at once, no da. Do you object?" He asked Hotohori.

"Not at all… I would like to attend with you."

Chichiri nodded. He slipped off his kesa and spilled it over the floor. "Hop on, no da!"

The four stepped onto the monk's cloak, the material glowing at their touch. Miaka caught of glimpse of Chichiri's left hand as the magician stepped on as well, but the light surrounded them before she could get much of a handle on it.

It felt sort of like an elevator, being teleported to Taikyoku. Like you were falling to the base floor, but then you just appear there, without having the memory of stopping.

However, what they teleported to was not what they expected.

llllllllll

Miaka gasped, a strong wind washing over her. "What… what happened?" She shouted over the noise of the gust.

The four warriors and their priestess stood in the middle of a barren, rocky wasteland, nothing but rock under their feet and gray sky overhead.

"I thought only people with evil in their hearts couldn't see this place!" Taka pointed out.

"It's true…" Chichiri said, barely even being heard. "but that's not the case here, no da.

"Taikyoku… Taiisukun's energy isn't here." Chichiri took off his mask and held it tightly in his good hand. He realized now that what they were up against was greater than he realized. The feelings he had before now suddenly made sense. "The balance of this world is gone…

"…Its creator no longer exists."