Disclaimer: All that usual stuff.

Special Disclaimer: Hey! It's Houki here! I really wish to thank MercuryMoon for finally adding my love to her story.

And not even on my demand! Actually a bit though, but anyways.... Thankies! (I will have my own account under the name of Houki Seishuku soon, so be sure to check it out!...hehe –Sorry for the small commercial, on with the story-):

Chapter Seven – To a Star

 Hotohori sat on the throne, listening idly to his advisors tell him he needed to find a wife soon. He sighed and closed his eyes, pushing back his bangs. Would they ever stop badgering him? Didn't they know he was only going to marry one person? Finally he slammed his hand down on the arm of his chair. "The only woman I shall ever marry is Houki! Either that, or a woman more beautiful than me!"

The advisors were shocked into silence. "But Your Highness-!"

"Silence!" Hotohori rose from his throne. "I am going to the gardens," he said through clenched teeth. "And I don't want to hear any more nonsense about a marriage for the rest of the day." He stormed out and headed straight for the gardens, muttering to himself. It wasn't like him to explode like this, and he wasn't quite sure what had brought upon that sort of violent reaction. He sighed. Later he would have to apologize, although it really did irritate him when they asked so many inane questions like that.

Something appeared under his foot and Hotohori raised his robe so he could see what it was. It was a hat. What more, it was rising with every passing second. He almost screamed, but managed to hold it in, stumbling backwards in the process so his hat slipped off.

The figure had risen fully from the ground now and tipped his hat at Hotohori. Light blue hair was revealed, showing a slight mohawk, and he caught a glimpse of a familiar-looking scar.

Hotohori swallowed. "Hello Chichiri. Nice day to pop up."

.........

Later in the day, Chichiri and Hotohori were in the conference room. Hotohori still hadn't recovered from meeting his old friend again so suddenly and in such a manner, but on the outside, he was his usual composed self.

Chichiri had set his hat on top of his bag and was thinking to himself. Hotohori looked him over sadly. His friend's garb was still the familiar old one, but with a few changes in the style that matched the fashion of today. His eyes rested on the scar on Chichiri's face and a lump rose in his throat. So even in this life, his friend couldn't find peace.

Hotohori cleared his throat. "How have you been recently?"

"Met up with Taiitsukun again," Chichiri said. "You?"

"My advisors." Hotohori rolled his eyes. "They want me to marry."

He got an eyebrow raise from Chichiri. "What kind of girl are you thinking of now? One like Miaka?"

Hotohori laughed. "That I doubt." A soft look came into his eyes and he rested his head on his hand. "Miaka, she was a one-of-a-kind girl. I doubt I'll see someone like her ever again."

"Or someone with as huge an appetite as her, no da," Chichiri mused.

Both of them chuckled, for neither of them doubted that fact. Hotohori recovered first and smiled. "Chichiri, would you like to pay a visit to the shrine of Suzaku?"

"Of course."

"Come, this way." Hotohori extended his hand, moving it in a halfway circle, and stood. Chichiri followed suit and the two of them left the room.

.......

They, two of the Suzaku seishi, the monk and the emperor. To each other, they were the Well and the Star. Chichiri had always been the best advisor he had, Hotohori thought as they walked. There were of course times he had urged him to marry in the past, but they had been quiet urgings. Now his friend was silent.

The two of them soon reached their destination and as Chichiri bowed before the door of the shrine, he caught sight of the holy sword Taiitsukun had given Hotohori. The bracers Nuriko had worn too were there.

Hotohori noticed what Chichiri was looking at and smiled. "Nuriko's family donated the bracelets, but Tasuki, being his ornery self, refused to part with his tessen. I don't know what happened to Chiriko's scroll or Mitsukake's spirit water though."

Chichiri knew. After all, he had the scroll with him. As for the spirit water... He closed his eyes. Mitsukake had given it to him before he died, but Chichiri didn't know what happened to it. There were still some memories from his past life that weren't quite clear to him.

The two stood in silence before Suzaku's statue as they remincesed about the past. Finally, Hotohori broke the silence. "Let's go."

As they left, neither of them noticed the statue of Suzaku weeping.

............

His Highness seems down, no da, Chichiri thought the next day as he walked through the corridors. He knew he had to leave, but he wanted to find Hotohori first. For a moment, he wished for his mask so he could cheer up the emperor, but even then he wasn't sure how that would help.

He reached up and touched the tip of his staff thoughtfully. Not much had changed in the palace, but some of the trees had been replaced with pillars of some sort. He was about to go closer to inspect them when he heard Hotohori call his name.

"Chichiri! There you are!"

He bowed before the emperor. "Your Highness."

Hotohori smiled. "No need for those formalities."

Chichiri nodded. "All right, Your Highness."

Hotohori started to respond, but he noticed the bag over Chichiri's shoulder. "Leaving?"

Chichiri looked up at him, as he was a few inches shorter. "I was wondering, Your Highness. Have you seen or heard from Chiriko recently?"

"As a matter of fact, no. He didn't apply for the exams this time."

Chichiri digested that. "Strange. I wonder why."

Hotohori leaned against the bar. "Perhaps you can ask Tasuki? Last I remember, he was still with the Mt. Leikaku bandits." An amused light came into his eyes. "I heard he was busy flaming trees, so be careful. That straw hat of yours...."

Chichiri laughed. "I'll be fine. Thank you, Your Majesty." He stepped into his hat. "I'll be leaving to greet Tasuki next then, no da."

Hotohori stood and watched his friend leave. He sighed and began to walk back to his quarters.

"Your Highness! There you are!" His advisors ran up to him. "We must return to the subject of your marriage immediately!"

For a moment, he wished he had the holy sword with him.

........

For over five hundred years, the legend of the Mt. Leikaku bandits lived on, sustained by the bandits themselves. Robbers who stole from the rich and gave to the poor, many of the peasants revered them. Now he, Hakuyo, or Genrou as he was known to his men, intended to make their name last forever.

Genrou grabbed his tessen and flung up a few spell cards. "Rekka... Shin'nen!" Fire burst from his iron fan and roasted the wolves that had come to life. He grinned. A job well done.

He walked over to one of the few trees that hadn't been burnt down yet and sat down, thinking of his old friends. How were they in this new era they had been reincarnated in? He knew he was doing fine, better even than he had been doing before, but everyone else? Hotohori, he knew, had been reincarnated to yet again be the Emperor of Konan. Definitely a hard job, but he knew his friend could do the job well. After all, he had the experience from his past life, right? Not everyone could claim that. And what about Tamahome or Chichiri? And Mitsukake and Chiriko? Hopefully Tamahome had found a job that paid him lots of money, for he most likely was a money hog in this life, too.

Genrou found himself wanting to see Nuriko again. The two of them had been extremely close in their past life, and he had wept more than he had ever wept when he died. He wondered if Nuriko had been born a girl or not this time. It was quite an interesting concept. After all, if it happened once, couldn't it happen again?

A warning went through his head and he jumped up. An enemy was near! Looking around, he didn't spot anyone, but that didn't mean they weren't hiding. If they couldn't see him, they wouldn't be able to attack. Therefore... Genrou quickly climbed up the tree and grasped his tessen in his hand tightly. As soon as he spotted someone...

........

There was rain falling down from the skies, pattering gently down on Seiryuu. He looked up, knowing it was a bad omen. At any other place, he would have enjoyed it, being the God of Water, but here, at Mt. Taiyoku, where the Gods themselves controlled the weather, the only feeling he could feel was one of foreboding.

Thoughts ran through his head. How had Tenkou come free? He had been sure Suzaku's Priestess had sealed him for another thousand years. Only five hundred years had passed since she had done it. There had to be some way he had broken free, but how? Was he really that powerful now? Or had someone done the unthinkable and released him like they had done last time? If so, who? And why had it taken them so long to notice?

He wondered about his seishi. How were they? Seiryuu wanted to check on them, to see how they were doing in their new lives, but he remembered what had happened with Suzaku and Byakko. It was a pity Yui hadn't come after Suzaku's Priestess; even a year or two later would have worked out. Things would have turned out differently then. Tomo. He wondered how Tomo was. Tomo was his favorite and it had wounded him deeply when the seishi had turned to Tenkou. However, he had gained favor when he volunteered to help fight against his old master.

Again his thoughts turned to Tenkou. He couldn't help it, but somehow he found himself drawn to his enemy. It was ironic, for he had been the one who wanted to kill the demon most and had sworn to do so after Tenkou had turned the majority of his seishi against him. Perhaps it was the destructive way the demon handled everything, something that was also a part of Seiryuu's personality. Although he tried to hide the malevolent side of him, there were times when it came out, unleashing its fury at anyone who dared cross his path. It always took Seiryuu a while to subdue that side of him and every single time, he regretted what had happened as a result.

The rain continued to fall as if in a never-ending dream on the pensive God, each droplet making a tiny splash in the damp grass of the gardens.

.........

Rather interesting chapter for me to write, seeing as I can't portray the seishi exactly.. Anyways, you have to remember that since the seishi are reincarnations, they will be different from the ones we're familiar with.

If you read this, please review. .. It would be nice to know what people think of this.