Chapter Thirty
"Suzaku no Tasuki. Suzaku no Chichiri. What is it that brings you once again to wake me from my sleep so soon?"
As the glittering form of the fire-mage took form in the stone-clawed chamber, Chichiri bit his lip, eying her quizzical, bronze eyes with a troubled ruby gaze. He bowed his head slightly towards her, holding up his hands in apology as he did so.
"I'm sorry, Hisei-sama. It's my fault." He said softly. "I'm concerned - I wanted your opinion on something that I can't settle in my mind."
"I see." Hisei's glittering eyes narrowed as she turned her head towards him, her flame-like hair flaring out in ghostly waves as she did so. "And this concern of yours relates somehow to Suzaku's power, does it? Suzaku no Shinzahou - I sense the anxiety in the blood you used to wake me. Your comrade is not so troubled, Chichiri - why is it you are?"
"It's Hikari." Chichiri admitted. "Tasuki can't sense auras the way I can, so he doesn't feel it. But I do - and I'm sure...quite sure...that it's her chi I can sense right now. It's only faint, but it's there. And it worries me that it is."
"The girl's gone back to her own world, however." Tasuki added, wrapping a strip of cloth around his still-bleeding palm as he lounged up against the wall of the chamber. "So she ain't our problem now - she's back with Taka an' Miaka, where she belongs. Chichiri's a worrier, that's the problem...he sees a million obstacles where normal people don't even see one."
"It's been my job to for a long time, you know." Chichiri sent his companion a reproachful glance. "As one of Suzaku's, that was my duty - wasn't it? Using my sorcery and my senses to detect danger? I know what I'm feeling, Tasuki, and I know it's not imagination. It's Hikari...but what I don't understand is why."
"Seiryuu no Miko has gone back to her world." Hisei said softly. "The legend has ended, and as all legends must, the Miko has gone back to the place she was born. So it has always been...so it always will be. Her duty was completed when Seiryuu was raised over Kutou."
"See...I told you you were fussing over nothing." Tasuki raised an eyebrow. "Hisei's said it now. The girl's gone. Seiryuu no Miko's done her job. That's the end of it. Ain't it?"
"Seiryuu no Miko..." Chichiri's brow creased as he eyed the mage thoughtfully. "Seiryuu no Miko's duty is over. But...Hikari...she's not just Seiryuu no Miko, is she? She never was. That's why it took us so long to realise what her purpose here was in the first place. She didn't only belong to Seiryuu. She was also Suzaku's, too. Wasn't she?"
"That is an incorrect use of tense, Suzaku no Chichiri." Hisei chided gently, offering him a faint smile. "Sukunami Hikari remains Suzaku's Shinzahou, and that is part of the problem. There is no flaw in your reasoning. Of course, Seiryuu no Miko was sent back to her world. However...Suzaku no Shinzahou...is not the same."
"I knew it." Chichiri pursed his lips, clenching his fists tightly as he contemplated the meaning in the mage's words. "I knew it! This has to do with that...I was sure it did!"
"Someone turned over six pages at once." Tasuki blinked. "Did I accidentally fall asleep an' miss a bunch of stuff, or did you jus' do that irritating thing where you have a discussion with someone without actually usin' proper words?"
"It's what Hisei-sama just said." Chichiri turned to glance at him. "Hikari's done being Seiryuu's Miko. But she's still our Shinzahou. Seiryuu no Miko went home...but Suzaku no Shinzahou doesn't belong in the Miko's world. It belongs here."
"Is that what she said?" Tasuki eyed the mage warily. "Okay. Say I believe your translation - what about it? Hikari was always the Shinzahou, right? She's always been in that world, not this one, and it's never been an issue. Why is it one now?"
Chichiri frowned, moving across to the wall of the chamber as he absently brushed his fingers against the star-studded wall painting.
"Because to raise Seiryuu, Hikari used what Suzaku had sealed inside of her." He said softly. "Until she came here, her Suzaku magic was dormant. Locked away where even she didn't know about it. That's how Suzaku himself made it, when she and Mayo returned to that world. But this time, that didn't happen. The power of all four Shinzahou was used to raise Seiryuu and save Kutou. Three of those Shinzahou disappeared after the summoning. Suzaku no Shinzahou didn't. Instead she left this world through means known to us...she went back to Taka and Miaka, and is now in a place where that kind of magic shouldn't be."
Tasuki narrowed his gaze, and Chichiri could tell he was thinking this over carefully. At length he sighed.
"If you're sayin' what I think you're sayin', this ain't gonna be one of those things we can just not tell anyone an' hope it'll go away, is it?" He asked quietly. "I may've missed the boat, but it sounds like you're implyin' she'll blow up that world, if she stays in it. An' maybe Miaka an' Tama t'boot."
"Not that extreme, I hope." Chichiri shook his head. "But you're on the right track. Suzaku's power is a dangerous weapon in untrained hands. It doesn't belong in that world in the first place - the two things are incompatible, which is why Tamahome had to sacrifice everything to become Sukunami Taka when he chose to stay with Miaka. Mikos can come to this world and cross the divide. That's why Hikari arrived here so easily. But she also had the added factor of dormant divine magic twisted through her soul. There's no separating her from that - it fused with her spirit before she was born. And now it's awake - now she's aware of it - it can't be sealed away again. At least, I imagine it can't. Not now she knows its there."
He glanced at Hisei for confirmation, and the mage slowly inclined her head.
"Again your line of thought is correct." She agreed quietly. "Suzaku no Shinzahou is not something which can be left unattended in the Miko's world."
"So what can we do about it?" Tasuki demanded. "Shit, and I thought we'd done running around all over the place tryin' to fix stuff for a while! She's in that world an' we're in this. Even if she does have Suzaku inside of her, it's not like we can go an' hoick it back here. Chichiri said it himself - the two can't be separated. So...?"
Hisei spread her hands, scattering ash on the floor around her feet as she did so.
"Suzaku no Shinzahou belongs in Kounan." She said evenly. "Sukunami Hikari was Seiryuu no Miko, but she is Seiryuu no Miko no more. Her duty is over. Therefore the path seems clear. She is Suzaku's, just as you are. Logically, therefore, her proper place is also here."
"Her proper place?" Chichiri's eyes widened in dismay. "You mean...permanently? That even though we sent Hikari home, she...she can't stay there?"
"That is what I'm saying, Chichiri. Yes."
"But..." Tasuki faltered, anger flickering in his bronze gaze. "Look here, stop spoutin' shit like that at us an' explain, will you? You're tellin' us that that kid has to leave her world an' her family behind - hell, be parted from them forever, because she helped us out an' saved the ShijinTenchishou from disaster? Because she did us a good turn, dammit, her whole life is now skewed an' she's gonna be parted from Tama an' Miaka forever?"
"She is Suzaku no Shinzahou." Hisei said simply. "Those die were cast before she was born. It was Suzaku no Miko's decision to entrust the God's power in something so dear to her. There isn't anything that can be done about it now. There's no need to get cross with me, Suzaku no Tasuki. These are not my rules. I am only explaining how it is...I am as helpless to change it as you are...especially in this form."
"If we brought Hikari back here...somehow...and used her Suzaku power to raise you...then she wouldn't have as much of it, would she? If we did that, would she be able to go home?" Chichiri hazarded, and Hisei sighed, shaking her head.
"You wish to keep a child with her family, and it does you credit - both of you." She said sadly. "I share your blood, so I share that wish. But I am also Suzaku's tool, and I must speak for him before anything else. Even if you did such a thing, Sukunami Hikari is already changed by events. Little by little, that world will reject her - and she it. Without control of her power, she could cause harm - great harm -to the structure of either world. You have seen Suzaku and Seiryuu and the destruction they wrought over the city Tokyo when Hongou Yui and Yuuki Miaka faced Nakago's wrath. You were both there, then."
Her expression became solemn.
"Without proper instruction, she could cause grave harm to one she loves." She murmured. "Even death. In this world, there are people who understand magic, and the atmosphere is condusive to its existance. There are no such stop-gaps in that world. I wouldn't like to predict what might happen, if nothing was done to stop it."
Chichiri closed his eyes, composing himself for a moment as he fought the uncharacteristic frustration and anger that swirled within his heart.
"Tamahome will never forgive us." He whispered. "I promised to take care of his daughter...and all I've done to her...is..."
"This is not your doing, Suzaku no Chichiri." Hisei reached out a ghostly hand to touch his shoulder, and at the sensation he opened his eyes, gazing up at her hopelessly. "You feel guilt that isn't yours. As I said, nothing could have prevented this. It was already decided before she was born. Suzaku and Seiryuu made a pact between them, after all. You have protected that child, and done so well...you and those who surround you. But you are still guardian of Suzaku's Shinzahou - and that is a duty that is not over yet."
"Not over yet...?" Chichiri stared at her in confusion. "Hisei, even if all the things you say are true, she's in the other world. I don't know how to get there. Hikari's the only one who's managed to cross the divide this time around. I had trouble even making contact...what can Tasuki or I do about it? Your words suggest that I should somehow take Hikari under my wing - maybe even use my sorcery to help train her like I began to do before she went to Kutou. But if she's there, how can I reach out to help her? It's not possible."
"It's notimpossible." Hisei said frankly. "But I want you to understand, both of you, that Hikari's fate is set in stone. If I found a way for you to go to her, you must know that no matter what you try to teach her in that world, it will be to no avail. The fact you can feel her chi now is proof of that. That world is already rejecting her. Little by little, it is recognising that she has changed...that she is no longer the Sukunami Hikari she was before all of this happened. And because of it...she will no longer be able to live in that world. Her life is governed by different rules now. And consequently, she can't stay there."
"Just like Tama, the first time he went." Tasuki murmured, and Hisei nodded.
"Precisely so." She agreed. "I'm sorry to be the messenger, but this is the truth of it."
Chichiri sank down on the ground before Hisei's flame, burying his head in his hands, and for a moment there was silence in the shrine as the sorcerer struggled to get to grips with what the mage had said. Then, at length, he raised his gaze to hers.
"You're telling me that there's a way to reach her, but that in reaching her we'll be tearing her away from her family." He said flatly. "More, that no matter what she or they say about it, we can't waver in that resolve. For Hikari's well-being, and for the safety of the people around her...she has to come back to the ShijinTenchishou. And even if she did - even if I worked night and day to train her to control her magic - the world she was born into won't accept her back?"
"Yes." Hisei gazed at him regretfully. "I'm sorry for it, too. That such a task falls on one whose heart is so receptive to the needs and feelings of others. Yet itmust be you, Chichiri - there is no other who can make the crossing successfully."
"I was afraid it might be." Chichiri bit his lip. "But I still don't see how. And I don't know how to face Tamahome and tell him...any of this. Miaka either. To take their child from them...I can't do something like that. If someone took Meikyo or Eiju from me and told me I'd never see them again..."
He faltered, aware of the tears that had begun to well in his good eye, and he shook his head, forcing them back.
"It's not something you can ask a father to do." He whispered. "Any father. It's just not in me to do it."
Tasuki looked thoughtful for a moment. Then he stepped forward, putting a hand on his friend's shoulder as he met Hisei's gaze straight on.
"Let me go." He said quietly. "I don't like the idea any more than Chichiri does. But I ain't gonna ask him to do somethin' like that...not if it's gonna upset him so much as this. An' I lost Jin, so I understand what it is we'd be askin' of Tama. I should be the one to go...it shouldn't always fall on him."
Hisei glanced from one Seishi to the other, then she smiled.
"Your camaraderie is reassuring." She reflected. "And your feelings are commendable, Tasuki - especially given your own torn emotions. But I'm afraid it's impossible. Chichiri is the only one who can do this. If he doesn't, then noone else can. And if that's the case...I can't guarantee what the outcome will be for Hikari."
"But why?" Tasuki demanded. "Why does it have to be Chichiri?"
"BecauseI'm Suzaku no Shinzahou's guardian." Chichiri said wearily. "That's why, you know. You were trusted with the relic, here on Reikaku-zan. And I had possession of the Shinzahou - Hikari's been in my charge since she came here, after all. So it has...to be me. Because of that."
"Bullshit." Tasuki snapped. "If anything, it was Shishi who first found her - in the land surroundin' my mountain. I gave her over to you, because a mountain full of bandits ain't a good place for a scared outsider to hide out. But that's all - you're readin' too much into it, as usual."
"Chichiri is right." Hisei said softly. "Aside from his situation as the Shinzahou's appointed protector, he is also the only one with enough spiritual power to be able to reach the Miko's world. If his magic combines with the power Suzaku invested in me, it might be possible to create an opening big enough to let him through. More importantly, he has enough spiritual awareness to be able to locate the way back home. Your heart is strong, Tasuki - but your spiritual senses are not. To send you would be to strand you there - providing we could get you there in the first place. I'm sorry - it must be Chichiri. There is no other way."
Chichiri let out a heavy sigh, swallowing hard as he glanced from the mage to his angry, anxious friend. Then, at length, he nodded his head.
"For Hikari's sake, then." He said reluctantly. "For the sake of her and the people around her. Though I don't like what you're asking me to do - even in Suzaku's name. As a Father, I despise it...after all that girl has been through already for our sakes."
"You are just the messenger." Hisei said gently. "I am sorry, Chichiri. But as you say - for her own sake - it must be done. Hikari is a girl of strong and kind heart. If someone she cared about became hurt because of her unmanaged magic, it would torment her. And as time goes on, her changing physical state would make it untenable for her to live there any longer. She is driven by magic, now, as much as by blood and spirit. That world rejects magic...and so the two become incompatible."
Her gaze softened.
"As time moves on, she will suffer for it." She added softly. "Though it seems cruel, this is the kindest act."
Chichiri let out another sigh.
"Very well." He murmured. "There is no other choice, then. I must go. I must look Taka in the eye and tell him the thing every parent dreads. Suzaku give me strength...for Hikari's sake, I'm going to need it!"
The room was still.
For a moment, nothing moved, and Hyoushin felt like he was drifting in a sea of calm, pale colours, not quite real but not quite fantasy.
As he lay there, gazing up at the ceiling above his head, he could feel his senses slowly shifting into place and as they did so, a sharp pain darted up his left arm. He flinched instinctively, and a second barb followed the first as too late he realised that his movement had made it worse. At his jerk, however, there was an exclamation and suddenly a shadow fell across him as anxious dark eyes gazed down towards the pillows.
"Hyoushin?" A voice said, faint and indistinct, but Hyoushin was aware enough to realise it came from the figure standing over him. "Hyoushin...can you hear me?"
"Kin...tsu...sei-sama." As Hyoushin's fogged brain finally made a connection between the speaker and the face, he murmured his visitor's name, seeing relief spring into the Emperor's gaze.
"Thank Seiryuu." He whispered. "Hyoushin...I thought you were never going to wake up."
Hyoushin closed his eyes for a moment, gathering his scattered thoughts. Then he raised his gaze once more to his companion.
"This place...is...where?" He murmured, and the Emperor sat down beside the bed, heaving a sigh as he did so.
"I'm sorry...I wanted you within easy reach of the medics." He said apologetically. "This is a chamber in the old East wing - because it was close on hand for the palace physicians to treat you. I've been worried, and your own quarters are so inaccessible...besides...I didn't want to consign you to a bunch of unsettled soldiers when you were obviously badly hurt."
Hyoushin frowned, as shards of his memory returned.
"Kikei." He murmured, and Kintsusei shook his head.
"It's all over." He said quietly, and from his tone, Hyoushin understood the implication of his friend's words. "Kutou is safe."
"So Hikari was able to be...Seiryuu no Miko after all?"
"She was."
"And Kutou is...saved?"
"Yes. At last." Kintsusei nodded. "But you've been out cold for almost a week, Hyoushin. I was starting to think...Aoiketsu told me everything that happened to you, in the South. And I was horrified...that I could have let something slip my notice. I'm sorry, my old friend. I've used you so much to do my bidding without stopping and sparing a thought for you in all of this. Your life...I've risked it time and time again for the sake of some quest Kikei had me following. It was wrong of me."
He bit his lip, and Hyoushin saw a flicker of the contrite boy in the man's expression.
"I've treated you no better than a slave, even though I advocate freedom." He added gravely. "For this...I am ashamed."
Hyoushin's eyes narrowed, and slowly he shook his head, inching his uninjured right hand across the bedcovers to brush the Emperor's sleeve.
"You must not make that comparison, Heika." He said softly, his voice barely more than a whisper, and Kinstsusei's eyes widened at the gentle, lilting sound of the man's native accent as he spoke. "You listened to me, when I opposed you. You heard what I had to say. If you were only my master, you would have struck me down. You did not. In your eyes I have always been a person, not your property. For this reason I serve you with my life. No other."
Kintsusei hesitated for a moment. Then he smiled, shrugging his shoulders.
"Sometimes I think you would be a far better Emperor." He said absently, and Hyoushin stared, momentarily caught off guard.
"That is a silly observation." He said at length, and Kintsusei laughed.
"That's more the Hyoushin I know." He admitted, relief in his expression. "But I...I am sorry, Hyoushin. For taking you for granted. It was never meant to be that way - when we were soldiers together, you know that I valued you as my equal, then. I think I still do - but I never imagined I'd be crowned King of Kutou. And being an Emperor sets you apart from so much. I've wanted us to stay friends, but it's such a difficult position."
"Not at all." Hyoushin smiled faintly. "An Emperor is still a man. He still thinks. Acts. Feels. There is no difference."
He frowned.
"In this way, it is hard to speak." He added. "Will you help me sit up a little, Heika? I cannot use my left arm, so I cannot do it alone."
"Are you sure?" Kintsusei looked surprised, and Hyoushin nodded.
"Please." He agreed. "If you would."
"Then tell me if I hurt you." Gently and gingerly Kintsusei slipped his hands beneath his companion's body, helping him into a more upright position as he folded the pillows into a more supporting role. "There. Is that better? Your breathing sounds easier – I didn't realise your chest was causing you pain."
"Every part of my body aches at present, but the side where Miramu's arrow pierced is still somewhat tender." Hyoushin admitted. "At this angle, however, I am more able to speak and breathe."
"Then hopefully I won't get into too much trouble with Aishi-sensei for moving you." Kintsusei said ruefully.
"I will tell him it was my request." Hyoushin responded. "And that my Emperor took pity on me and sought to come to my aid."
"You have no idea how I've missed your rationalisation these past few days." Kintsusei said reflectively, sitting back in his seat as he contemplated. "It seems like almost weeks, even, since Kikei told me you were dead. Sometimes I think you're the only true friend I do have...an Emperor's lot is a lonely one, for sure."
"But now Kutou has peace, you can take a wife. Perhaps more than one." Hyoushin suggested. "It will not be so lonely, then."
"One wife. Not many." Kintsusei shook his head. "I won't have the situation my father had - I won't make women suffer like my mother. But yes, it must come now, I suppose. Even so, though, it will be a political match...I think in this respect I rather envy you as well."
"Envy me?" Hyoushin frowned. "To what end?"
"I see." Kintsusei's expression became teasing. "So even with all you can see and reason out, you do not realise."
"Will you not tell me?"
"Mm." Kintsusei paused, then, "You know that Myoume-san came to see you several times before she returned to Sairou."
"Myoume?" Shock glittered in Hyoushin's amethyst eyes, followed by a faint flicker of remembrance. "But..she is...alive? I did not dream it…she was truly there, after all…?"
"Did you think she would not be?" Kintsusei frowned, and Hyoushin bit down on his lip.
"She said she and Miramu would face each other and one of them would die." He said. "Her accuracy being so, I didn't expect it to be otherwise. I thought…these last days I have had flickers of dreams crossing my senses and I was sure that she had reached out to me in the shrine somehow. But her prediction..."
He faltered, shaking his head.
"To be truthful, I am not clear on what is real and what is imagination." He admitted. "When you and I faced one another in the shrine, I was already feeling hazy and not too well. I remember Kikei attacked me, but it is all in bits and pieces from then. I thought I heard Myoume's voice…and felt her touch my senses. But it may have been my delusion…I do not know."
"She did use her power to save you from death." Kintsusei agreed. "You didn't imagine that. Whatever miracle Byakko gave her, she used it to bring you back."
"So it was real after all." A thoughtful look touched Hyoushin's features. "I see. But Miramu…?"
"Miramu took his own life to prevent harm from coming to the girl." Kintsusei said quietly. " Myoume-san took his ashes back to Sairou and her family. But she was disappointed you weren't awake when she left. I think she wanted to speak to you. She did ask if I would object to her returning...and of course, I said it would be fine. We're indebted to her as much as anyone, after all."
"She would come back to Kutou, when her family are to the West?" Hyoushin was confused. "Kintsusei-sama..."
"She said before she left that she didn't think she'd want to stay in Sairou." Kintsusei's gaze seemed to become keener, as he recounted the conversation. "She said she felt more drawn to stay in the Eastern lands, and I saw no reason to get in the way of it."
Hyoushin was silent for a moment. Then he raised troubled violet eyes to his friend's.
"If your insinuations are as I think they are, Heika, it would be better she stay in Sairou." He said softly. "To come back here would serve no purpose for either one of us...as I'm sure you well know. I am unlike other men in many regards...and I have too many burdens of my own to deal with. Myoume has suffered plenty already. I will not have her suffer more."
"Hyoushin..." Kintsusei hesitated, then he shook his head. "No. That's not right, is it? Hyoushin is the name I gave you, but it isn't the name your mother did."
"It is my name, now." Hyoushin assured him. "I lied to you, perhaps, when I told you I could not remember my past life...but that I recall it does not mean I wish to be given that name again."
He sighed.
"I am not so stable as I should like to be." He admitted. "My thoughts and memories are too vivid and I can no longer suppress them. They must be faced and dealt with, because I cannot live this half-existence any more. More, I do not want to. My mother always taught me that life was to be lived, no matter what the pain involved. So at last I mean to follow that...to deal with my history and, I hope, put it in its rightful place."
He looked regretful.
"I have been unfair to you, also." He acknowledged. "I served you as my Emperor, but I concealed my history and true name from you, and used my loyalty as an excuse to expect you to make all my decisions for me. I was afraid to act or think too much on my own ends – but when I was exiled, I was forced to do so. I was fortunate, finding aid in the South. My judgement I am sure has been amiss in many regards. It has upset the balance in my mind…I thought I had controlled everything and moved beyond the things I feared, but they are not gone after all. I have not yet dealt with them – I have just confined them until the time I am no longer strong enough to do so."
He hesitated, then,
"I am so tired." He murmured. "I did not realise how long I had been fighting."
"I've never thought of you as a slave. Not once." Kintsusei reflected. "I would rather not think of you as my subordinate, although in political and public circles that's unavoidable. But I think you blame yourself too much for things which weren't your fault. You had good reason to conceal your past from me – I have never tried to pry, because I have never felt it my business to do so. But if you wish to talk to me about it – I will readily listen. We are friends, after all. I will not let this Imperial title stop me from that."
Hyoushin smiled faintly.
"It may yet come to that." He admitted. "Thank you, Heika."
"Well, if it is all I can do, I will do it gladly." Kintsusei reflected. "You need not feel you are inconveniencing me any in that regard."
He shrugged.
"Besides...I see the reason in your words. If you need time and space to deal with those things, so be it. I would not try and interfere. You have more than served your country...perhaps it is time you served your own interests, too."
"Then I must ask of you...one other favour."
Hyoushin pursed his lips, then nodded, as he inwardly made up his mind.
"Kintsusei-heika, my sister Lirayi resides in the northern mountains, in the Meihi village on the slope of Koku-zan." He said softly.
"Your sister?" Kintsusei's eyes widened in surprise. "I didn't realise you had living family."
"I discovered by accident that she had survived." Hyoushin responded. "And I told her that...when the fighting was over...I should like to bring her to Kutou. I will keep my word to go see her, when I am well. But I should like...to be able to..."
"Bring her home? Kintsusei asked gently. "To this place?"
"Yes."
"Well, I think it's high time that Kutou's position on tribal immigration was clarified." Kintsusei said ruefully. "And if she is your family, I would not reject her. You should tell her that she will be most welcome in the East, Hyoushin. Li...Rayi-san, you said?"
"Yes." Hyoushin agreed. "My sister is named "Maiden of Hope - and so she proves to be."
"Li...Ra...Yi." Kintsusei murmured, then he nodded. "Very well. It is not an easy sound to form, but I will endeavour to get it right before I meet her."
He smiled.
"And will you now tell me your own name, Hyoushin? The name you were born with, in the Meihi village to the North? If it is not too painful - I would like to know. If you wish for me to continue calling you Hyoushin, I shall - but I realised when you were missing that I had never known it - and that you might have died with me never having known it. I did not like that thought."
Hyoushin hesitated for a moment, as flickers of memory teased at his senses. Then, slowly, he nodded his head.
"Lilaihi." He said softly. "My name is Lilaihi, Heika. Lila is Meihi for man. Ihi is Meihi for peace. So my mother called me, when she cast the spell that named me."
"Cast the...?" Kintsusei looked blank, and despite himself, Hyoushin smiled.
"The translation does not entirely convey the meaning." He said simply. "In Meihi culture, the name of the child is important...it is meant to be chosen according to the lie of the land and sky at the time the baby is born. The naming ceremony is a ritual by which the mother chooses what their offspring will be called...that name is supposed to guide them, then, for the remainder of their days. The spell my mother cast was Lila Ihi. Man of Peace. My brother was Kali Ri, the Faithful Heart. And my sister, the youngest, Li Rayi - the Maiden of Hope."
He looked rueful.
"And so, perhaps, our paths have proven." He added. "A wiser Meihi pointed it out to me in the mountains, and he is right. I have striven to bring peace to Kutou, despite my experiences. My brother Kaliri died defending my sister's life, loyal to her to the death. And Lirayi kept faith for so many years that somewhere in the world I was alive and would one day find her. It is a powerful spell indeed, Heika - a spell of destiny, perhaps."
"I see." Kintsusei pursed his lips. "It seems that there is a lot about Meihi culture I have yet to learn. I'm sorry for it, too. Your people were annihilated without any attempt to understand their ways or their language. Yet I believe a Meihi remedy saved your life - so there must be things we can indeed learn from them. From you. And I would like to learn more...if you are able to tell me."
"With time, maybe I will." Hyoushin acknowledged. "Before I left for Hokkan, I would have never broached this subject with you or anyone at all. But Rayi is alive. That changes things. I am still somewhat Meihi - I will no longer try to suppress it."
He looked troubled.
"Which means that I must also go back to the place that name spell was cast." He added. "And pay my respects to the parents who died trying to defend us."
"Yes, I see." Kintsusei's expression became grave. "If there is anything I can do to assist you...let me know. After all, that blood is on my family's conscience."
"Thank you - but I don't think there is." Hyoushin owned. "But you owe me nothing. You gave me freedom - and that is enough. Blame does not transcend generations. You have committed no sin against the Meihi people - and will not be so regarded. Shoukitei ordered the slaughter. It is not your wound to mend."
"Yet I'll try to mend it." Kintsusei said resolutely. "I've long since wanted to, but I was always afraid to talk to you about it. You seemed so determinedly closed off to that part of your life. Maybe I suspected you remembered more than you'd told me, but I was also scared to hear the things you might have been through. I was so young when we met - and I didn't know how to help you. So I left it to you, and didn't interfere. Still, now I have an opportunity, and I will be relying on you and your sister too, if she will come. Kutou has a lot of potential - I'm determined that from hereon in its people will be able to utilise that potential and flourish...no matter what their origins."
"Then that is all I need to hear." Hyoushin smiled. "Thank you, Heika. That will help, I think. Their best memorial, after all, is that others can live freely and benefit in the future. They would be content, my parents...that even after what happened then, Kutou is able to change now."
"And forming bonds between peoples, regardless of ethnicity, is an important lesson Kutou has to learn."
"Indeed."
"That goes for Myoume-san, too." Kintsusei continued evenly. "Since I am quite sure she does care about you, Hyoushin. She was very worried, and though she didn't say as much to me, I am not such a naive Emperor that I do not know the signs of a woman forming an attachment to a man. I think she will return to Kutou soon. And when she does...she will want to see you. If you mean to disappoint her - you must do so face to face."
Hyoushin was silent for a moment, digesting this. Then he frowned.
"I think that I…wish to see her." He admitted, startling even himself by the revelation. "So much is working up inside of me that I do not understand...all my emotions are flying freer than they have in years, and I do not know how to manage them as yet. But Myoume is someone...in whom I have begun to trust. I cannot explain how or why, only that she and I are somehow connected, and it is a bond I am not anxious to sever myself from completely."
He sighed.
"Yet I do not wish to bring harm to her, either." He owned. "If it is as you say, Heika, it poses a problem. I am not sure whether I will even retain my sanity, once I face my past. It...isn't something that she should have to worry about."
"I think you doubt her resolution." Kintsusei reflected. "But I suppose that we will see."
He eyed his friend keenly, and despite himself Hyoushin felt faintly uncomfortable at the sudden scrutiny.
"I almost suspect you of some partiality too." He mused. "This 'bond' you forged in Suzaku's country must have been impressive indeed."
"Yes. I suppose that it was." Hyoushin admitted. "I have never felt affection for a woman before, aside from my mother and my sister. It is strange. I am not quite able to define it."
Kintsusei grinned.
"I don't suppose anyone really can, where love is concerned." He reflected, and Hyoushin's lips thinned.
"I would not go so far as to call it that." He said cautiously. "And I trust you haven't said as much to her, Kintsusei-sama. If she feels anything for me, it is a matter of Toroki's duty, or sympathy for my situation. After all..."
"Such talk is not the province of Emperors." Kintsusei shook his head. "No. I would not interfere. Especially not in your affairs - your judgement is, yourself to the contrary, superior to mine. I would only cause trouble."
"And here you leave me with a dilemma." Despite himself, Hyoushin smiled. "Whether to risk disagreeing with my Emperor in pointing out his wisdom, or whether to agree with him in admitting his weakness."
Kintsusei stared at him for a moment. Then he burst out laughing.
"That is truly the kind of thing I expect from you." He admitted, when he had recovered himself, and Hyoushin saw the relief burning in his friend's eyes. "But not with that look on your face, Hyoushin. You may be tired - you may feel awash with emotions and sensations and memories you can't yet categorise. But there's something more human in your gaze today than I've seen in a long time. When you faced me before, in the shrine, your expression was alive with many things - anger, betrayal, indignation. Fever mixed with cold fury. But this...is a different Hyoushin. I have so wrongly named you, in hindsight. The identity I gave you only served to make people think you were as cold as ice...even though I've always known there is a loyal man behind the facade, few others have dared to look."
"That has suited me, Heika." Hyoushin assured him. "But it suits me no more. Still, if you do not mind...I am rather attached to the identity you bestowed upon me. Hyoushin is the name that marked the beginning of my freedom. My usefulness to Kutou. I would keep it...if you have no objection."
"Not if you don't. It would be hard to remember to call you anything else, I think." Kintsusei replied. "But the meaning is still harsh. You are not a cold man, after all. I don't want people to persist in believing that you are. The court is already looking at you in a new light - the man who risked everything and faced down a traitor in order to help bring the Miko and save Kutou. When you are fit enough to rise, you will find that much of the wariness about you at court has dissipated into nothing, now they realise what I have always known about your loyalty and your steadfastness. But for you to have such a cold name...it does not suit you. Especially not if you are going to smile more often...that will serve to confuse people, if they meet you for the first time on those terms."
"I am Tou Hyoushin. Hyoushin of the East. Just as you named me." Hyoushin said softly. "But it does not necessarily follow that Hyoushin must be spelt in the way it has been till now - does it? I am a barely literate man when it comes to the complexities of Chinese writing, anyhow. I'm sure there are any number of other characters - perhaps more suitable ones than that for 'koori' - which can be read as 'hyou'?"
"I suppose so." Kintsusei acknowledged. "And I will give it some thought. You're right...how a man's name is scribed is how it will be interpreted. Not how it is spoken."
He patted his friend gently on the arm.
"If you come to it, the character for peace - 'hei' - can also be read 'hyou.'" He murmured. "I believe that would suffice...after all, haven't you just told me that your name in Meihi means "Man of Peace"?"
"So it does." Hyoushin agreed.
"Who knows." Kintsusei shrugged. "Perhaps that's what it meant all the time."
Hyoushin looked thoughtful.
"Eighteen years ago, that foolish priest gave a small boy the family name "Hei", when he chose to bring him into his household and sponsor his upbringing." He said quietly. "That boy died before me, in a fight for what he believed was right. I do not blame him for what happened in any regard, Heika. I am angry that I could not prevent it, but I do not blame either him or Maichu for the circumstances they found themselves in that afternoon. And I should like it very much if the 'peace' that Kikei gave him should now be transferred to my care. In that way, Kayu cannot be forgotten. And even though he lies in Southern soil, I wish to ensure that he is not. He was a boy who was misled - that is an important lesson for all of us."
"So it is." Kintsusei became grave. "I had had the same thought when I suggested it."
He pursed his lips.
"Whatever his flaws and his delusions, I believe Kikei really did see that boy as his son." He added. "Kayu's loyalty was to a man who loved him. For that, I cannot fault him. I believe that I understand - when my mother died, I was alienated and cast out of the palace central court to the soldier's barracks as an unwanted, unfavoured son. I was alone and without purpose or support, but Nakago gave me the chance to find those things. He was a hard man - cruel, perhaps, and maybe he had evil in his heart, too. But he was the Shougun who to this day I still admire and miss. And Kayu's loyalty to Kikei was much the same, in the end."
He smiled ruefully.
"I would have died if Nakago had ordered me to, no matter what the reason." He added. "It is easy to be led astray when you have noone and nothing else to cling to."
"I don't think Nakago led you astray, Kintsusei-sama." Hyoushin shook his head. "And as you said, I think Kikei genuinely was fond of Kayu. He was a bright boy, after all. He...he might have made you a finer minister than soldier, to be truthful, although his skills were well above average. Kikei would have done better putting his ambition into Kayu's development instead of looking to further his own...then maybe so much suffering might have been averted."
"I do not know whether to think Kikei an evil man or a desperate one." Kintsusei admitted.
"I never did like him, nor trust his motives." Hyoushin said slowly. "And I believe, truthfully, that he chose to betray his people and preserve his own life when Shoukitei was Emperor of this land. As a son of a victimised tribe, this is something I find hard to come to terms with. I do not believe him completely bad - but desperation can make a man beyond the realms of redemption."
"I suppose so." Kintsusei sighed. "I wish I had seen it sooner."
"I also." Hyoushin acknowledged. "Despite my dislike, I overlooked him because of the fact he was tribal as I was, and one who had lost his heritage in Kutou's ethnic cleansing. And also because he was in your trust, and so I had no right to feel otherwise. It was an error I regret...if I am truly to serve you properly, I must not be afraid to give you my honest opinion, must I?"
"Decidedly not." Kintsusei shook his head. "As friends or in an official situation, Hyoushin. Be as rude to me as you like - I promise that from hereon I will listen most carefully to everything that you say."
A faint hint of the young soldier boy twinkled in the Emperor's gaze as he said this, and Hyoushin chuckled, causing his companion to start at the unfamiliar sound.
"Is something wrong?" Hyoushin eyed him quizzically, and Kintsusei gathered his wits, shaking his head.
"No." He responded. "I just...never heard you laugh before. That's all. In the eighteen years I've known you...this is a first."
"Well, there is a thin line between laughter and tears." Hyoushin admitted. "And I think it very likely I'll be reintroduced to both sides of that line over the next few months. But still, I will face it. I will overcome it. And then, with luck, I will be able to laugh often. I did, you know - as a child. Before the village was destroyed. I would like to be so again...if it is possible. I can't erase the past - or remove the taints it has left on me. But if I can come to terms with them and move on - maybe then I can live properly. And laugh more. I should truly like to be happy...now that Kutou has peace."
"I think that's a wish every man has." Kintsusei said gravely. "And a good reason to allow Myoume-san to come back here for your sake, if she decides to do so. I think she will, Hyoushin. I think you underestimate her affections, and more, I think you will be a fool if you push her away. Even if the idea frightens you now...even if there are things you have suffered and things you have to face. There is no sense being alone if you do not have to be. Take it from a solitary Emperor, surrounded by ministers and nobles and nothing more. If you can share your life, you should. And if you can reach someone's heart...and let them reach yours...don't pull away from it. Myoume-san is a strong young woman. And determined, too. She may be enough so to manage you, Hyoushin. I think...she just might."
Hyoushin looked rueful.
"We will see." Was all he vouchsafed. "And you are not alone. I have no plans to leave Kutou in the long term, whatever other time I may need to settle my affairs. This is my home. This freedom is freedom you gave me. I would not abandon you so easily."
"Even despite the way I betrayed you?"
"Kikei betrayed us both. I never believed you would act so on your own accord." Hyoushin shook his head. "You take it on yourself too harshly, Heika."
"As Emperor, what else should I do but take responsibility for mistakes?" Kintsusei asked softly. "No, Hyoushin, no matter how kind you are – this is somewhat my fault and I will be wiser in future. I trusted Kikei because he shielded me when I was just a boy of fifteen thrust into the position of Emperor. I have allowed that to cloud my judgement these eighteen years. I have since learnt much more – that the children he seemed to support during the war and its aftermath were simply pawns in his bigger picture…his quest for power. Several rebel leaders have connections to one or other of these children, now grown and trying to repay the Priest's kindness. Perhaps even that boy in whose memory you chose to amend your name."
"Kayu." Hyoushin's expression became shadowed, and Kintsusei nodded.
"I asked Aoiketsu to make a full report to me about the fate of Hei Kayu from Aoiketsu, before he left for the south." He said gravely. "Since I did not think that I could ask Maichu to relive such an event for my benefit. Since you were there, I would also have your opinion of Maichu's conduct when you are better fit to give an official report - but I wanted to shield the boy himself as much as possible from further guilt."
He sighed.
"The truth is, I have already pardoned Maichu of his act." He admitted. "Although I suspect it runs too deeply within him for an Imperial word to yet have any effect. You may be cross with me, Hyoushin, but I have also granted him a discharge from his duties here. An honourable one, of course, with the Emperor's thanks and trust maintained. But he asked to be relieved of his position in Kutou's military and without your involvement I granted his request. He and Aoiketsu have already left for Kounan with the girl Shishi and Seiryuu no Miko – but Aoiketsu will return once he has seen them safely there. Maichu…plans to stay in the South…with the bandits on Reikaku-zan."
"I see." Hyoushin looked thoughtful for a moment. Then he nodded.
"Yes, perhaps that is best." He reflected. "The bandits of Reikaku-zan are not rogues or thieves in a traditional sense. Rather they are the protectors of the villagers living in the locale of their mountain – much of their toll goes towards the well-being of the poorer members of those villages. In such a role, I think, Maichu would thrive. Besides, their captain, the Suzaku Seishi known as "Tasuki" is very much the same kind of man as young Maichu is. Indeed, after Kayu's death, it appears to have been something he said that calmed the boy in some way. Returned to him his resolve…yes, I think Maichu will do very well in Kounan, under such tutelage as that. To be here would be to remind him…this way he has a chance to put the memory behind him."
"I'm glad you approve." Kintsusei smiled. "I don't know much about Kounan's bandits, but my impressions of the young girl Shishi were good. She impressed me with her courage and determination – and even her willingness to help us despite the death of her friend. You have been among them, and if you say this then I know I did the right thing. After all, Maichu has sacrificed much for Kutou's sake. It's time he had a chance to live for himself."
Hyoushin paused, then,
"The same for Aoiketsu, I trust." He murmured, and Kintsusei nodded.
"He has become quite the impressive young soldier." He agreed. "Much the adult, no longer the boy. I saw the shadow of his father in him for the first time in the shrine when he defended you to me."
"I am not sure that is something we should encourage in him." Hyoushin admitted. "I believe…he would better stay as Kaiga Aoiketsu than attempt to become Gi Ayuru."
"He's told me that he also wishes to submit his sword and give up his position in the Imperial Guard." Kintsusei admitted, and Hyoushin's eyes widened in surprise.
"He has?"
"He seems to think he's some risk to himself or others, if he should enter battle now." Kintsusei agreed. "But the boy has another goal in mind, and one which I believe you will approve of. He wishes to take the exams and become an official, and I will do what I can to allow him the opportunity. I feel I will finally be able to push through the change in law to allow tribal people the right to sit those tests – and now his origins are known I will do so with haste to ensure no questions can be raised about the boy's right to do so. Besides, I have no doubt in his success. Also, I am under the impression he has met and treated with Reizeitei of the south in person. More, that he has obtained the man's trust. It has made me realise, Hyoushin, how precious that boy is likely to become in the weeks and months ahead."
"I see." Understanding flickered across Hyoushin's expression, and he nodded. "You seek to use that tentative connection to build peace between the South and the East, don't you?"
"Do you disapprove?"
"As a Commander, I dislike the loss of my two most capable men." Hyoushin admitted honestly. Then he smiled. "But as a surrogate father, I wish Aoiketsu to blossom and do his best for Kutou, so my word to Kaiga Ruiren-sama is upheld. No, Heika. I do not disapprove. It will suit Aoiketsu well, to be so connected with a country I believe he has great fondness for."
"A surrogate father." Kintsusei murmured. "I have never heard you term your guardianship that way before."
"I suppose the word has never seemed appropriate before." Hyoushin responded. "But in Kounan…a lot of things changed. That is all I can say to explain it – but Aoiketsu himself has called me thus, and I do not dislike hearing it."
He smiled ruefully.
"If Kikei can be accused of softness where Kayu was concerned, I feel I must confess it as regards that young boy." He admitted. "It was the last duty Kaiga Ruiren-sama asked of me, to help her son grow to be strong enough to help Kutou. But Aoiketsu is not just her son, or Nakago's legacy. He is a skilled young man with a quicksilver mind and a lot of qualities which are all his own. And I believe the innocence and idealism with which he has always tackled everything helped me to find my place at your court. To teach him, I had to become stronger and better, so that he would strive to disarm me. To make him believe in Kutou, I had to believe in it, and everything that we were fighting to protect. And so I became your Commander, and found a position I could do well. Perhaps that is thanks to Aoiketsu, in the end...by trying to keep my word to Ruiren-sama, I became fond of the boy myself. I think, though, it took these circumstances to make me realise that fact more clearly. Not everything in my life has been duty. I have just made it out to be."
He shrugged his shoulders gingerly, mindful of his wounded arm.
"I am foolish, sometimes." He added honestly. "But I will work at being less so from hereon in."
His eyes narrowed.
"You intend, then, that when Aoiketsu is qualified, you will dispatch him to Kounan to sit at Reizeitei-sama's court on your behalf?"
"If the Southern Emperor consents to it, yes." Kintsusei agreed. "I'm sorry it will mean him being so far from court, Hyoushin – but it is too valuable an opportunity to let slip. Any and all ties to the South must be exploited at this stage."
"Aoiketsu is as you said - not a boy but a young man, and I would not clip his wings." Hyoushin shook his head. "He has proven that he no longer needs guidance. I think your choice will be a good one – though I advise you not to tell him of your plan until after he has achieved the qualifications he requires. After all, he will have parted from his girl in Kounan – the memory may distract him from his goal."
"Yes. Seiryuu no Miko." Kintsusei acknowledged. "I'll keep it in mind."
"There is one other connection you may find with the South, also…if you so wish to gain their trust." Hyoushin continued. "Suzaku's warrior Chichiri – the apothecary Ri Hou Jun. He took me in, and treated me despite who and what I was…he also treated Maichu and Aoiketsu with kindness and in the end it was his magic who brought us here to face you. He is not an aggressive man, and he is both shrewd and quick-witted. And he shares a very close understanding with the Emperor Reizeitei – so much so that when Aoiketsu's spying was discovered, Reizeitei-sama was persuaded to take no action against him. If you wish to treat with the South on terms that Kounan's court will respect – I would encourage Chichiri to come here and talk with you in person. He will understand, after all, the will of the Emperor who cannot make the journey himself. Chichiri is well travelled and knows much about Kutou and its culture. If he gives his blessing to a peace agreement – Kounan's court are bound to listen."
"Chichiri of Suzaku." Kintsusei's expression became thoughtful. "I will take that advice and mull over it with some seriousness. It may well be that you are right…since Myoume-san has proven an ally, I must also consider Chichiri-san to be one, too. You trust him, so I will also. I will send word to the Southern Seishi and see whether he will heed my request for an audience. If you think he will come…I will gladly speak with him on Kutou's behalf."
"He will come." Hyoushin said with certainty. "He has a family to protect and a country to which he is tied. His interests are peace and always will be. He went all the way to Hokkan to obtain the remedy for my poisoning, Heika. If Chichiri believes in it – he will come."
"Then I will see to it forthwith." Kintsusei decided. "And see what progress we can make, between ourselves and the South."
It was raining in Tokyo as Chichiri set down in a deserted stretch of street, pausing to catch his breath as he felt the burning haze of Suzaku's divine magic slowly fade into nothing. It was the middle of the day, with most people at work or school, and the few stragglers who were abroad were bent on their own errands, none of them paying much attention to an oddly dressed, scarred stranger who had just emerged in their midst.
For a moment, a giddy, uneasy sensation washed over the sorcerer's body, and he fought to get a grip on it, remembering how disorientating and strange it had been the last time he had come to Miaka's world.
"Like hours of my life have become seconds, and each time I take a breath, my body takes the strain of a thousand more." He murmured, rubbing his temples. "When Tasuki and I were called here by Keisuke-san all those years ago, we didn't have our Suzaku power and the transition was not quite so strange. But I see, now, what Hisei meant. This world isn't conducive to magic. Even with my having complete control over my power, I'm struggling to contain it as I should. When we fought Nakago, that hardly seemed to matter - the desperation was such that I didn't even stop to think about the levels of Suzaku magic we were using. But this world is a dangerous place for anyone who does not have that same control. Hisei is right. Hikari is in danger here - and so are the people she loves."
He dusted himself down, glancing ruefully at his village attire as he realised being inconspicuous would likely be next to impossible. In this street, where there were few people, it was one thing - but as he spread his senses out to search for familiar Suzaku chi, he realised he had not landed quite as close to the Sukunami home as he had hoped.
"But it's not bad, you know. The same city, at least."
He sighed.
"However I feel about this, I have no choice." He remembered sadly. "As a father or not, I have to protect Hikari and I will. Even if it means upsetting those who I called friends so long ago. I must find the resolve to do this, and not waver...if I'm going to convince them, I must be sure myself."
He frowned, raising his fingers as he tried to settle on Hikari's distinctive life force. As he did so, he registered the flaring, inconsistent spark of Suzaku's magic dancing against it, and with a mutter of frustration he realised that the unstable nature of his target's aura was throwing off his accuracy.
"I can't pinpoint her." He murmured. "My magic's bouncing back at me because the signals she's sending out are too erratic and too strong to be properly quantified. Think again, Chichiri. In this world, your power isn't the same as in your own. You have to be careful what you do...you can't risk upsetting things any further."
He frowned, stepping slowly out into the middle of the bustling main street. All around him, people walked and neon signs glittered, and with a sudden roar a contraption that Chichiri vaguely remembered as being a 'car' zoomed past him, sending up spray from the many puddles that were forming around his feet. The rain was becoming heavier, but so focused was he on his task that he did not notice how sodden his clothing was becoming, or, indeed, how many odd looks were cast his way as he moved further and further into the busy area of Tokyo's shopping district.
"If I can't find Hikari, then I have to find Miaka." He reasoned, glancing idly down at the glimmering surface of one of the puddles as he waited to cross the treacherous, vehicle-heavy stretch of tarmac that seemed to be Tokyo's answer to a thoroughfare. "I should be able to do that, shouldn't I? Tamahome's chi has changed, somewhat, and I don't know what I might detect if I tried to search for him. But a Suzaku Shichi Seishi must be able to find Suzaku no Miko, no matter what. That's the best thing...Miaka will be able to tell me where Hikari is, if I can make her understand why I need to know."
At that moment, the lights changed and the crowd of waiting pedestrians surged forward, Chichiri allowing himself to be guided by their flow as he stretched out his Suzaku wits to brush against the distinctive trace of Suzaku no Miko's presence. As he reached the other side of the road, he locked onto what he was looking for, and he darted to one side of the street, clarifying the location in his mind.
"Not far from here." He murmured. "I'm close. Miaka's nearby. Well, considering everything, I didn't do too badly, after all. Okay, Hisei-sama. Suzaku. I'm going to do as you asked me, and hope that I'm forgiven for it in the end."
With that, he drew his hands together, casting himself back into his hat as he focused all his senses on shifting to Suzaku no Miko's location. Oblivious to the attention he had attracted with his strange behaviour and sudden disappearance, he re-emerged in front of a tall apartment building, the rain almost coming down heavily enough now to obscure the name plate from his view.
And yet he knew he had reached the right place, and he hurried forwards, pushing open the door as he made his way inside.
"Hey, ojisan, can I help you?"
A man in a maintenance uniform barred his way, and Chichiri faltered, eying the sudden intruder with a surprised, dismayed glance.
"Ojisan?" The employee raised an eyebrow. "Shit, what are you dressed as? You know, we don't let any old crackpot just walk in here without security clearance - there are kiddies livin' in this complex, and I'd not be doing my job if I didn't keep them safe."
Chichiri gazed at him blankly for a moment, inwardly realising that had Tasuki made the journey, the tessen would already have been out of its sheath and glittering with fire in response to the stranger's challenge.
"But my way isn't the same as Tasuki's." Chichiri decided with a sigh, holding up his hands in apparent surrender. "I'm sorry...I'm not here to cause trouble, you know. I'm a friend of Yuu...Sukunami Miaka and it's her I've come to see. It's very important, you know - and I've travelled a long way. It has to do with her daughter...Hikari."
"You're goin' to have to do better than that." The man shook his head. "You ain't even given me a name, an' dressed like God knows what...you expect me to believe a shady character just on his word?"
"Ri Hou Jun." Chichiri said frankly. "That's my name. And if you don't want me to go any further, I won't fight you - but will you please at least send a messenger to speak to Miaka-san on my behalf? If she knows my name, and that I'm here, I'm sure she'll clear this up. I won't try and go any further on my own, but the message is very important and it can't be delayed."
The man eyed his prey suspiciously for a moment, then he sighed, shrugging his shoulders.
"Fine." He said evenly, grabbing Chichiri loosely around the arm and pulling him into his office, closing the door behind him. "Sit - even though you're wet through, I want to keep an eye on you so I guess the chair'll just have to suffer it. I'll call the apartment - but if Sukunami-san doesn't want to see you, you're goin' right outta here, you understand? No fights or nothin'. I don't want to call the police but I will if I have to."
"I'll do as you say." Chichiri agreed. "So long as you send a message to Miaka...that's all I ask."
"Hrm." The man sent his companion another wary glance, then moved across the office to the far wall, pulling something off the wall and pressing a series of buttons on it as he put it to his ear. Chichiri watched him curiously, idly wondering what such a thing could achieve, but before he could ask the question, the man began to speak.
"Sukunami-san? This is Kajiwari. I'm sorry to disturb you, but I've got a man here saying he wants to speak to you. Won't go away - says his name is Ri Hou Jun an' he's got an important...yes, that's right. Ri Hou Jun."
He paused, casting Chichiri a doubtful glance, then,
"I don't know as you want to see him, to be honest...he's dressed like God knows what. Somethin' out of a cultural play, an' he ain't got an iota of ID on him, by the looks. Still, I told him I'd call you and let you know. What do you want me to do?"
There was another pause, then the man's eyes glittered with surprise.
"Well, if you say so." He said at length. "All right. Understood. I'll do as you say. Goodbye."
He pressed the odd plastic contraption back to the wall, eying Chichiri thoughtfully.
"Seems she does know who you are...providing Ri Hou Jun is your real name." He said evenly. "But just to be on the safe side...I'm goin' to stick around till she comes down here an' sees you for herself. Can't be too careful in the city these days...and those clothes..."
"I was working on a special project." Chichiri said pleasantly, relief coursing through his veins as he realised that in a few moments he would see Miaka face to face. "And I haven't had time to change. I'm sorry if I've bothered you, sir - it's good of you to help me out, you know. Miaka and her family are very dear to me."
He offered a faint smile.
"Judging strangers on appearances is a bad habit, after all." He said pensively. "Don't you think that's so?"
Before Kajiwari could respond, there was a knock on the office door, and the man grunted, crossing the floor to swing it open. Beyond stood a woman of about thirty two or thirty three, thick dark hair pulled back from her face in a ponytail and her hazel eyes sparkling with hope and disbelief. At the sight of her, Chichiri was on his feet, and as their gazes met, Miaka let out an exclamation.
"Chichiri!" She cried, pushing past the bemused maintenance man as she flung her arms around the Seishi. "Oh, it really is you! You really are here!"
"Fraid so, you know." Chichiri laughed, disentangling himself from her eager embrace as he held her at arm's length, eying her pensively. "Well, you're still just the same as ever, Miaka-chan...even given the years that have passed since the last time we met. I'm glad to see it. You look well, after all."
"You too." Miaka responded, her eyes sparkling. "Oh, but of all people, I can't believe you're here. Why are you here? I don't understand..."
She paused, casting a glance at the nonplussed Kajiwari, then shooting him a sheepish grin.
"I'm sorry for the trouble, Kajiwari-san." She said apologetically. "Chi...Hou Jun-san is an old friend of the family, and it's been some time since we saw one another face to face. He lives a long way from here, and I didn't imagine that he'd find a moment to come...so it's a bit of a surprise."
"Well, so long as it's all above board and fine, Sukunami-san, I'll leave you to it." Kajiwari held up his hands, giving her a look which clearly meant "It's not my business what weirdos you associate with."
"I'm sorry for any inconvenience." Chichiri bowed his head towards the man. "It wasn't meant...thank you for your help."
"Come with me, Chichiri." Miaka gave his arm a little tug. "Up to our apartment. It's not far. You're soaking wet, and you shouldn't be in those clothes any longer than you have to - especially not here. Then you can tell me why you've come - and everything else, too."
Chichiri did not reply, his heart clenching at the excitement in her voice, but he allowed himself to be led from the office and up the stairwell to the Sukunami apartment.
"I didn't think I'd subject you to the lift, considering everything in this world must seem odd to you." She explained, sliding her key in the door and unlocking it, pushing it back and ushering her companion inside. "I'll go and grab something of Taka's for you to wear - do you want to take a shower or anything? It's really raining like hell outside, and..."
"No...I'll be all right." Chichiri shook his head. "But something less conspicuous to wear would be a help. At least - I'm not staying long. I've come for a specific purpose, and I need to speak to both you and Taka quite urgently. Since Taka's clearly not here - I'd like it if you'd take me to wherever he is. Just as soon as I've changed my clothes."
"Taka's working." Miaka looked surprised. "There's only me here - and I was about to head down town to do some shopping for the evening meal. Oh!"
Her eyes lit up with hope.
"Will you be here then? Will you stay to eat with us? My cooking has improved a lot, you know, from when I was in the ShijinTenchishou, and I'd like to know what you think."
"I hope I won't be here that long." Chichiri shook his head. "Miaka, please...stop it. Stop being so happy to see me...it's making this even more difficult."
"Difficult?" Miaka looked startled, eying him curiously. "I don't understand. You're not glad to see me?"
"Very glad, but it would have been better under different circumstances." Chichiri sighed heavily. "Never mind. Right now...I need to look less of the village apothecary and more like someone who fits into your world. At least, as much as I can."
"Then I'll go find you something fresh." Miaka shrugged. "I'll not be a moment. Just wait there."
Within a short time she had returned, as good as her word, and before long Chichiri had changed clothes, glancing down at himself as he took in the unfamiliar fabrics of Taka's casual attire.
"This feels strange, you know." He murmured, and Miaka laughed.
"You should see yourself." She teased. "You look totally unlike Chichiri, dressed that way. I'll really have to call you Hou Jun, at this rate."
She held out a mirror, but Chichiri shook his head, pushing it away.
"No good." He said frankly. "Or have you forgotten that people from my world don't reflect in your world? We don't exist here, remember?"
"Oh, yes." Miaka sighed, setting down the mirror. "I had forgotten. It's a shame, though. It'd be nice for you to see yourself."
"Can we go see Taka, then, now I'm changed?"
"Why so much of a hurry?" Miaka sat down, gesturing for her companion to follow suit, and after a moment of hesitation, Chichiri reluctantly did as he was bidden. "I haven't seen you in such a long time - it must be almost twenty years - and you want to hurry off right away? Besides, I've had no chance to thank you for taking care of Hikari when she crossed over into the ShijinTenchishou. I know it's thanks to you and Tasuki that she got through it all right and came back safely...we're grateful to you both."
Chichiri closed his eyes, feeling the unfamiliar sensation of tears well up once more, and Miaka let out an exclamation of surprise, hurrying over to take his hand in hers.
"Chi...Chiri?"
"Don't say those things." Chichiri's eyes opened, and he met his companion's gaze with a clouded, hopeless one of his own. "Not until you know why I've come here. You may not want to speak to me, let alone thank me, when you know why I've come. I'm sorry, Miaka. I don't want to be here on this errand. But I have no choice."
"Now you're scaring me." Miaka's eyes became grave. "And...you're crying? Chichiri..."
She reached up to brush away the tears that had begun to fall down the sorcerer's cheeks, shaking her head in confusion.
"I haven't seen you cry since you fought Hikou that last time." She murmured. "What on earth is the matter? I'm not used to seeing you so rattled, Chichiri - what's happened?"
Chichiri sighed, rubbing his temples as he fought to get a hold of his emotions.
"I've come here to see Hikari." He said softly. "As guardian to Suzaku no Shinzahou, I have to speak to her. And to you."
"All right." Miaka frowned. "She's at school, at the moment - but..."
"At school?" Chichiri's eyes widened. "Surrounded by other people...?"
"Yes, of course." Miaka stared at him blankly. "What about it?"
"Then we do need to see Taka and then go find her. As soon as we can." Chichiri was on his feet. "It's not something I can risk delaying...we have to. Please, Miaka. There must be a way to get to Taka's place of work quickly - mustn't there?"
"I have the car." Miaka frowned. "For once, he took the train. So we can drive there. But I don't understand..."
Chichiri took a deep breath.
"The magic inside of Hikari is dangerous if left un-attended." He said quietly. "She has woken it, but she can't control it, yet. People could get hurt, so long as that's the case."
"Hikari...?" Miaka's eyes became fearful, and Chichiri nodded his head.
"It's worse even than that." He said sadly. "Miaka-chan, back in Kounan I have two beautiful children who are my whole world, so I understand all too well how horrible a thing it is that I'm about to ask of you. But even so, I have to ask it. Hikari's magic means it's not safe for her to stay in this world. As time goes on, it'll reject her more and more -and someone might wind up getting hurt. You. Taka. Even Hikari herself."
"What...are you saying?" Miaka paled, and Chichiri felt his heart clench a second time. He sighed.
"I'm saying Hikari has to go back to the ShijinTenchishou. Probably permanently." He said sadly. "Before the magic she has inside of her causes some real damage to the people in this world."