Yep, I'm a newbie…and as for why Nuriko was a man at this time…you'll see…thanks for reviewing!

Disclaimer: I love Fushigi Yuugi for the tragic parts…just kidding! If Fushigi Yuugi belongs to me, then I will make as much money as I could with it! Do I sound like Tamahome?

Ko Reishun leapt nimbly on top of the tiled roofs, carrying Miaka. He stopped when he stepped on a golden-tiled roof. He looked cautiously around with his rose-coloured eyes and gently lowered Miaka into the window located just under the roof.

He realised that there would be no way to safely reach his room with Miaka in tow. The man threw her in, praying fervently to Suzaku that he did not injure her. He winced at the loud crash she made when she contacted with the floor. He silently slipped into the window and was greeted by the comforting sight of his room.

Miaka did not stir. Her Seishi immediately checked for injuries and, thankfully, found none. He laid Miaka on his bed and poured hot water into a basin, deciding to wake Miaka up using water. Though using hot water on Miaka was going to be a bad idea.

Steam rose out of the basin, which was smothered by a soft, cotton handkerchief. He took it out and threw it between his two hands, as it was too hot to be held scrunched up like a normal handkerchief. He slowly made his way to the unconscious girl on the bed, when suddenly, he missed his footing and the handkerchief landed flat (and scorching hot) on Miaka's face.

Needless to say, the Suzaku no Miko's scream of pain echoed through Nuriko's big, grand house. The look on the purple haired Seishi's face was unforgettable. It was mixed with quite a few feelings.

"KO REISHUN!"

"I just saw a mouse in my room, Mother! Nothing much!" Nuriko called out, trying his best to stay calm and composed. He decided to look at Miaka's state, hopefully unburned.

Miaka sat up and peeled the handkerchief off her face. Seeing the man coming towards the bed with a nasty look (at least to her), she huddled towards the corner of the bed, near the wall, hiding her face from view. "Don't come near me, I am married, and…I am not a virgin! I had sexually transmitted diseases! Yeah, that's right! I will give you AIDS! I will…I am ugly! You won't get much pleasure from me!"

"KO REISHUN!"

Nuriko groaned. That's what you get for saving the Suzaku no Miko. "I'm fine, just…reading! Yeah, I'm trying to memorize some parts from a scroll!" she replied, loudly. She then turned to the frightened Miko on the bed, exasperated. It was clear that Miaka thought she was already being sold to the brothel. "Now, Miaka, does my room look like a brothel's room to you? I mean, it might be a little bit more girlish, but it's still a decent room!"

"Nuriko…is that you? What are you doing in a brothel?" Miaka asked timidly. "I never thought you'd come to these places…you are exactly the opposite from the last time I've known you!"

"Argh, Miaka, this is not a place where prostitutes live!" Nuriko said, flabbergasted. Honestly, after eighteen years of not seeing her…once he did, he was reminded of why he had hated Miaka in the first place. She was mighty slow to catch on. "This, is, my ROOM! Oops, forgot to keep quiet…okay, Miaka, lift up your head and look at me. And, please don't shout. I wouldn't want my mother to come on to me."

Miaka lifted up her head to see…Nuriko, of the Suzaku seven! His face was framed with a lovely smile. Joy overwhelmed her. "I thought I would never see you in flesh and blood again!"

She hugged him enthusiastically, him returning the hug, before retracting back to observe him closely. "Wait a minute, I thought…from what Taka said, you are reincarnated as a woman now."

Nuriko straightened from the bed and did a lovely (male) pose. "Ahem, let's just say that I couldn't get go of my masculine side, this time…"

"What? You are a lesbian in this life?" Miaka felt very self-conscious now.

"Not that! I just...you know, journeying with the Suzaku seven had saved me from the boredom I had felt in the harem. It made me realise my true self. The confidence, the freedom, and all that I would never find as a court maiden. Those are what a woman suppressed to get married, you know? Now that I am really a woman, I had to go through the same routine, and get all locked up here, with occasional checks from my mother… just to make sure that I never touched a man."

Nuriko's eyes lit up as she continued. "So, I decided to rebel! I borrowed a set of men's clothes from my servant and escaped through the entrance! I am so happy to be a man again! However, after a while, my father found out, and I was forbidden to even step out of my room. So, I make my way out through the window! And ta da, I found slave traders! I hit them off and…"

Miaka pressed her hands onto Nuriko's chest, stopping her Seishi's chatter. "Oh, so you are really a woman this time round. You look so much like a man I could not even recognise you."

"Now what was that supposed to mean?" Nuriko asked, insulted.

"Nothing, honest!"

Nuriko decided to ignore that last comment. She gathered up all her woman clothes and stepped behind the dressing screen. "So, Miaka, what brings you here?"

Miaka's eyes clouded with tears as she remembered. "Hikari had cancer."

"Cancer? Is that another Celestial Warrior?" Nuriko asked as she stepped out of the screen with long, flowing robes. "Wow, it must be nice to have a Celestial Warrior as a close friend from another world…"

"Stop it, Nuriko! This is serious!"

"Oh, so explain the definition of Cancer," Nuriko offered, putting her make up on and untying her purple hair.

"It's a sickness. First, your hair falls off…"

"Boo hoo!" Nuriko sobbed. "Miaka, Hikari has my total sympathy! Imagine my beautiful hair falling off!"

"Nuriko, she is only six months old."

"Oh, but she would continue to be bald after that right?"

"Nuriko, she only had a month to live!"

Nuriko turned to the weeping Miaka on the bed and sighed. "So, who in world is this Hikari?"

"She is my daughter."

"I never thought you'd have one…I only knew that you had a baby at that time… so, is it painful when you are giving birth?"

"Of course! It is as painful as Taka leaving me!"

"Okay, now I get it. You came back to find Mitsuakake. Either that or you are summoning Suzaku again. Mits is totally out – he would never leave this world without Miss Shouka. But you have to be a virgin to summon Suzaku, you know…"

Miaka sighed in confusion, wiping her tears on her sleeve. "If only Chichiri's here to straighten everything out…"

As expected…

"DAAAAAA!"

"KO REISHUN, IS THAT A MAN'S VOICE?"