Okay, at least no one reviewed in one word…Thank you!

Disclaimer: FY do not belong to me, I say…sad, though…

Ashitare had asked a lot of people. Hokkan, having only ONE official shinzaho, was clueless about the others. He refused to give up. Finally, night had fallen in Hokkan. He knew that without food or lodging, he would not last long. He considered the brothel, but knew it would send him out in half a second. And 'send' was a nice word.

Byakko's shinzaho would be harder to find, and he was not in favour of the hot weather there. Deserts…he shuddered at the thought. He stalked into the forest silently, deciding to spend the night there quietly. As he huddled against a tree for warmth, he heard voices.

"Darn it, Miaka, this country had no freaking clue as to where the Shinzaho is! Nuriko is damned dead, and it freaking pains me to see Miboshi strutting about in her body!" came Tasuki's unhappy comment.

"I can't help it, wolf-boy! If that gay guy got MY body and DIED with it, I have the RIGHT to keep THIS ONE!" Nuriko's feminine voice retorted. Ashitare knew that that was Miboshi.

"I am not wolf-boy, Miboshi!"

"You are lucky I did not call you wolf-MAN instead, wolf-boy!"

"What, I am Ashitare now? I am not Ashitare!"

Ashitare had to wonder just what was so bad about being him. After all, he was a nice guy from top to bottom…and cute too…

"No, no, Tasuki. You are not that ugly freak of Nature…" Miaka consoled Tasuki, patting him gently on the back.

Ashitare had nothing to say to that. He did feel a teeny bit insulted though…what does she mean by 'ugly freak of Nature'? He is handsome in Nature's terms! Too bad the Miko did not appreciate it…

He heard them shuffle away. Ashitare sighed and leaned on the tree, exhausted. No one would get away with it if they woke him up. No one…

…unless it is the Miko's brother.

-

Hotohori began to relax. Actually, being in a brothel was no big deal, unless you had a wife. And not touch the girls. No one wants a pregnant prostitute banging on their doors. Again, they are not short of money; he and Nuriko had a lot to spare. She had thankfully left her purse behind before she disappeared; they had to divide the money amongst themselves and Hotohori did not bring so much on him to provide more than a month's food and lodging for all.

He sighed as he sipped on a cup of wine. Nuriko, dead…he could bring himself to accept it; it was so sudden and it felt wrong. Chiriko and Miboshi would die together, he was sure of it. And Nuriko…if she had used her reincarnation wish to become a girl, then she should die together with Ashitare. He shrugged and turned to Chichiri. "Any news?"

"No, no da…the women never heard of the shinzaho…"

"Oh?"

Hotohori saw a pretty girl, with vivid purple hair, standing over them. "Allow me to introduce myself. I am Kourin. And I am…"

"A prostitute?" Hotohori asked bluntly. Chichiri was silently studying the girl.

She blushed. "No, I am the mistress of this brothel. My husband runs this business. And I do know something about the Shinzaho…but I would like you to do something for me…"

"Say it, my lady. We would gladly do it for you," Hotohori replied. Chichiri continued in his silent scrutiny.

The woman shifted uncomfortably. "You see, a week ago, I was nearing childbirth and there is this young child saving me from being hit from a carriage. I gave birth to a baby boy just a day later. He seemed to be saying something to me. Come and see…you are Celestial Warriors aren't you? I can see that you both are, like that young boy. You both emit the same aura."

She led them to a room behind the living room. As they walked, Chichiri muttered, "You certainly look like her, no da…childbirth? Nuriko…"

"What are you mumbling about?" Hotohori inquired. He shook his head as Chichiri immediately kept quiet.

Kourin opened the door to reveal her baby. He had rose-coloured eyes and a cute, contented smile on his face. He saw them and his eyes widened in shock. He pouted and turned to Kourin for an explanation. "Now, now, don't cry…these are people who come to visit you…"

"What is wrong with him?" Hotohori inquired.

"He is growing too fast, no da. A boy born less than a week shouldn't be able to open his eyes, no da. And he seemed to understand us very well, no da," Chichiri explained. Kourin nodded in agreement.

"This gentleman is right. My baby is growing too fast. Also, I can talk to him and he could understand."

"Hori!" the baby suddenly shouted, when saw who they really were. "Chiri!"

"See?" Kourin said weakly.

They immediately went to the baby's side. "Who are you? How did you know who we are? Are you Nuriko?" Hotohori asked anxiously. Silently, he wished it wasn't. It would prove his theory totally wrong. Chichiri silently watched on, knowing perfectly the cause of the ex-emperor's distress.

The baby refused to answer.

"I would like you to tell me how the boy is faring in Konan. I am worried about him. And also, it will confirm something I have been think of lately," Kourin spoke up. "Then I will tell you about the shinzaho. This information of the boy pertains to my baby."

"Nuriko…" Hotohori choked, "…she…he got well for a while, before disappearing of the face of the Universe of the Four Gods."

Kourin was confused. "Pardon? Nani?"

Chichiri stepped in. "Nuriko is the boy who saved you, no da. He was saved by a fellow Seishi…no da," he coughed (Ashitare is definitely not a fellow Seishi), "But he slipped out in his weakened state. In the forest, he tried to bring back our friend, Keisuke before suddenly disappearing. His chi was gone. And that came to the conlusion that he is dead…"

"That means…this baby…" Kourin frowned, tears collecting in her eyes. She flung her head down onto her arms and cried. "No, Nuriko is not that boy! I refuse to believe it! Nuriko is supposed to be me! He is supposed to look like me! He is not supposed to be another random boy! He is not…he is not supposed to save me! I specially wished for that! That…we are not related! And that I could live longer!"

"Da?" Chichiri asked.

"Children get two reincarnation wishes…I think we should leave…" Hotohori whispered. He was disappointed. It really was Nuriko then…

Chichiri held up a hand. "Wait…I want to know why he blocked the carriage for you, no da."

Kourin bit her lip. "He is my brother in a last life. He…is my twin, born a year earlier…if only…I had helped him at that time…nursed him back to health…then he wouldn't…"

She lifted up her head, tear tracks still visible. "Why is he in a different body? He is not supposed to look like that…"

"He…switched bodies with Miboshi…no da…"

She nodded. "I don't want to believe…" tears started falling from her rose-coloured eyes. "…that I had killed my brother…I had killed him!"

Hotohori and Chichiri could only leave the room with a heavy heart.

-

Nakago, Tomo and Soi had decided to stop their banter. It was easy. It only took a ki-blast to set law and order. They had started down the mountain. The town seemed to be deserted. Despite the fact, they went down to ask for the Shinzaho anyway. Only the brothel seemed to be a place for lodging. Nakago threw a sidelong glance at the two women beside him and went in.

"Why you little…"

"No, Soi, this way, you will spoil your chances with him! I don't want to see my friend a spinster for the rest of her life!"

"Tomo, now that Nuriko was out of the way, you should be happy to see me angry with him right? You could get him all to yourself then!"

Tomo was furious. She let go of Soi and motioned to the brothel. "Go one then, but don't say I did not warn you."

"Tomo…"

"Look, I did what a friend should do. Look out for yourself when Nakago decides to ignore the engagement…"

Soi sighed. She locked arms with Tomo. "I am glad I have you for a friend."

Tomo turned to Soi. "I like your hair, Soi. Anyone who had nice hair will slide well with me…and I feel very sorry when my friend Nuriko died…"

"SO, YOU JUDGE PEOPLE ACCORDING TO THEIR HAIR, HUH?"

"Oops. I said the wrong thing…" Tomo muttered before running away, with Soi chasing closely behind, calling lightning bolts. "Must find my shin…"

-

"What do you want? We let you come along only because you are the Miko's brother! What's with waking me UP?"

"Ashitare, um, sorry, but, I know where the Shinzaho is…"

Ashitare perked up. "How did you manage to do what I couldn't?"

Keisuke embarrassedly scratched his head. "I went to the temple and I found that the Miko's shoes were kept in Wu Long Temple…on the mountain…"

Ashitare smelt a rat. "And why are you telling me this?"

"I wanted to know where my sister is…" Keisuke said sheepishly. "And I think you can scale up the mountain faster than I can."

Ashitare quickly leapt away in the direction of the mountain Keisuke was pointing to. "You are so right! By the way, you might want to search in the brothel or the temple or even around here; they had just passed by!" his growl of happiness slowly faded.

"Okay then," Keisuke said. "MIAKA, WHERE ARE YOU?"

-

Chiriko rode in front of Mitsukake, surveying the scene in front of him, the beautiful scene. Ice capped mountains and green fields greeted them. "This…is Hokkan…brings a lot of memories…"

"It sure did…"

"Let's go and ask for the Suzaku Seven…or rather five…"

Mitsukake smiled. "Okay…let's go!"

The horse galloped into the country of Snow.

-

Nakago was greeted by a scary sight; girls everywhere, dressing scantily…

"Nakago, no da!"

Shocked out of his wits, Nakago jumped onto the table in fear. He sighed in relief. "I will never live this down if anyone saw me in a brothel…" he muttered warily.

"Sit down, the table is not comfortable, no da."

Nakago jumped down gingerly and made his way to Chichiri and Hotohori. "I drink wine sometimes, but I still prefer tea, no da," Chichiri commented. Hotohori was quiet.

"I myself like wine," Nakago commented as he sat down beside Chichiri.

"As do I. Tomo likes it too."

They looked up to see Soi and Tomo…no, men who looked like Soi ad Tomo. "The Shin always works, anywhere and everywhere…" Tomo smiled. "I never thought a person like me could be in a brothel such as this…let's observe, then perhaps we will open our own…"

"Idiots," Nakago retorted, as the two disguised women giggled.

Just then, all hell broke loose.