Epilogue
"Well, so you have come back to Kutou, after all."
As Myoume pushed back the door of the chamber, a familiar voice attracted her attention and she paused, turning to take in the speaker as a faint smile touched her features. Though he was still in bed, Hyoushin was sitting up, his night clothes covered with a warm robe to keep out the cool night air, and his long, silver hair scattered loose across his shoulders. Somehow, he seemed less of the military commander and more of the tribal Meihi dressed in such a casual way, and as she met his gaze, she saw a flicker of warmth in his amethyst eyes. Her smile widened.
"I had to make sure you were in one piece." She agreed, closing the screen door behind her as she did so. "Because it's my responsibility to ensure you don't kill yourself over something stupid, after all."
"I see." Hyoushin pursed his lips, a thoughtful expression touching his gaze. "Well, if that is the case, I suppose there's little I can do to prevent it."
He lifted his hand, twitching his fingers slightly to indicate that she was to come closer, and as he did so, Myoume's indigo eyes widened in disbelief.
"Your left hand!" She exclaimed, hurrying forward as she grasped his pale fingers in hers. "You can move it!"
"It's not worth becoming so excited over, Myoume." Hyoushin said ruefully, shaking his head. "The movement is very little indeed. And if you would not grab me quite so suddenly - the arm is still quite painful, and I do not wish to aggravate it more than I must."
"Oh." Myoume flushed, obediently releasing her hold as she sank down on the seat beside the bed. "Sorry. I didn't think. But that it's improved even a little way - surely that's a good sign?"
"As you say." Hyoushin inclined his head slightly. "Progress is slow, but I have regained a little, limited mobility since my return here. Of course, it may be the fact that the Emperor has ensured every top physician in the country has been working on the problem...but either way, I am grateful for small mercies. It seems that in time, it may yet heal adequately for me to regain some purposeful use."
"I suppose Kintsusei-sama feels responsible." Myoume reflected, smoothing her skirt over her knees. "He's a truly kind man, too, so that must bother him especially. It's funny, really. You've always spoken of him with absolute faith, and I understand now why that is. He sees you the same way. Emperors don't often have friends who don't abuse the system - but he trusts you, and you him."
"We were lost together, and so we formed a bond, I think." Hyoushin reflected. "As soldiers, under the Shougun's eye. Kintsusei-sama was not a Prince when I met him. He was simply the young boy who had saved me from slavery and given me somewhere to belong. But for the first time of late I've come to appreciate that friendship and what it means."
He sat back against his pillows, absently rubbing his left arm as he did so.
"I did not see Seiryuu fly over Kutou." He said regretfully. "Perhaps as a Meihi and a heretic that is fitting, although I admit I am sorry that I missed the spectacle. Still, from all I have learnt, Kutou was granted peace. And so I am content. However, Myoume, I am sorry for one thing in particular...your brother's passing must hurt a good deal."
"Some." Myoume's gaze softened. "But in the end, he was my brother after all, and I have that to hold on to. I'm all right, Hyoushin. When I took his ashes home...when I told Mother what he'd done, she cried. But it wasn't that she was grieving...she already did that for so long, I think. It was relief, and pride...her son was not a demon after all, but one who helped to save the world."
"So I understand." Hyoushin agreed. "For that at least, you should be proud. And that he protected you - that too is something to be grateful for."
"It surprised me." Myoume admitted. "But it made me happy, that he did."
She sighed, shrugging her shoulders.
"It's over, now." She murmured. "I won't go back to Sairou for a while, I don't think. My family understand that I don't really fit in there, so they're okay with my decision to come back East. It's a long journey, but I stopped in the south on my way back and Chichiri offered to bring me here more quickly. He's currently meeting with Kintsusei-sama on Reizeitei-sama's behalf, but he'd like to see you too, later. After all, he says you still have to help him decipher the herahisa remedy, and so, if you're up to it, he might ask you about that while he's here."
"I see." Hyoushin's expression became one of comprehension. "Then I must of course keep my word. I am not so ill as I was, and I do not mind the company. In fact, I think for once I have come to prefer it. Being on my own is not as attractive as it has been in the past, after all."
He pursed his lips.
"And you? You came back to Kutou simply to make sure I was recovering? That seems overzealous, even for Byakko's prophet."
"Overzealous, maybe." Myoume pinkened. "And I'm not sure I'm that any more, either. I still have the mark on my finger - that power remains. But I've had no visions of anything since Miramu died. I don't feel like I'll ever have any again, to be honest. I think that now the world is safe, I don't need to have them. So I'm blind in that respect...and I had to come here because of that to find out how you were."
She eyed him keenly.
"Does it bother you, that I did?" She asked softly. Slowly Hyoushin shook his head.
"Not at all." He assured her. "On the contrary, your company is never unwelcome."
"Good." Relief flickered in Myoume's gaze, and she settled herself more comfortably. "Because I had a lot to talk to you about, too. And I couldn't before I left for Kounan and the West. I had to take Miramu's ashes - that was important and my duty to do by my brother. So I couldn't wait around...still, even so..."
"You needn't justify that act to me." Hyoushin shook his head. "I also have lost a brother, and I do not have either ashes to scatter or a place to visit to pay my respects. I understand the importance of such tangible memorials - of course your first duty was to Miramu and your family."
"Yes, I suppose so." Myoume's eyes softened. "You do understand, because of Kaliri and your people. Even despite everything Miramu did, I had to take him back. You're right - it's the final closure somehow, doing that. I know where Miramu is, now. I could have buried the casket, but Mother and I felt it more appropriate to scatter his ashes on the wind and give him that freedom. He is in a place dear to us as children, and my father who hated him so much when he was alive has agreed to craft a memorial to mark the place."
She shrugged her shoulders.
"Father has a lot of regrets too, so I think this is his atonement for that." She added. "And I believe Miramu's at peace now. Byakko's judgement may be harsh, but it will be fair, and I think...it will be all right."
She sighed.
"But even though that duty couldn't be delayed, you weren't awake when we rode off." She acknowledged. "I was a bit disappointed about that. That I couldn't speak to you - after we left things how we did."
"Things." Hyoushin echoed, and Myoume reddened.
"How much...do you remember?"
"I imagine I remember enough." Hyoushin said evenly. "And have had much time to spare on piecing those memories together into some coherence. I know that you invaded my mind a third time, and dragged me back from the brink of oblivion. You forced your way through my thoughts and made me accept your chi even if I was not open to do so. You should watch that, Myoume - it may become a habit if you aren't careful, and not all people will be so forgiving as I generally tend to be."
"I'm sorry." Myoume looked guilty. "I made you come back when you were so tired...but I had to. I couldn't let you die...I had to help you somehow. Even if it was selfish and because I wanted you to live. I'm sorry that I forced you to...I know it was wrong, but even so..."
"You should not apologise." Hyoushin said with a slight shrug of his shoulders. "I am grateful for your intervention, as it happens."
"Grateful for it?" Myoume looked startled, and Hyoushin nodded.
"When I returned to consciousness, every part of my body ached and my head span with many things." He reflected. "But I am a Meihi, and a Meihi does not seek death. I was too tired to continue, yet again you saved me from oblivion. I think three times you have done this for my sake now. It would be cold of me to be ungrateful, when my continued existence is thanks to your involvement in my life."
He smiled at her slightly.
"You did say that, didn't you?" He added softly. "That your duty was to keep me alive...that was what you told me?"
"I think so...something like that." Myoume agreed. "But if you remember that, then you also remember...?"
She trailed off, aware of the hot warmth flooding her cheeks as she recalled the reckless moments spent inside of Hyoushin's psyche.
For a moment the Meihi didn't answer. Then he reached out his right hand, touching her's gently as he met her gaze.
"There is an old legend among the Meihi." He said quietly. "One that mothers tell their children, over and over, about how the tribe came to be. A legend of a traveller lost in the snow peaks of Hokkan, and how, when he was on the brink of death, he was visited by a maiden of the snow. She saved his life, and took care of him, and from them our people were born. My mother explained it to me when I was just a small boy - that our hair and eyes came from this mysterious lady. In Meihi, the word for snow maiden is 'Bali', and so that is the name given the woman in our legend."
He smiled, and Myoume's heart clenched as she registered the genuine, unreserved nature of the smile.
"When you first came to me, I was in distress." He continued. "I was lost within myself, fevered and mired down in memories. But then this creature appeared to me - this lady in white...and I…for a moment I wondered whether it was Bali, come to rescue me from my fate. You were my snow maiden, Myoume...I was a lost traveller, but you guided me back again. And that last time, in the shrine, you did so once more. To touch something that resonates so deep in my childhood memories...it was comforting, somehow, to not be alone."
He laughed ruefully, and Myoume's eyes widened at the sound.
"I am still Meihi." He acknowledged sheepishly. "And some traditions are difficult to break."
He paused, eying her expression quizzically.
"What is it?" He asked. "You seem somewhat startled - has my story so dismayed you?"
"No...no, not that." Myoume held up her hands, embarrassment in her blue eyes. "It's just...I never saw you smile like that before. Or...laugh. You've never laughed in that way, either. It startled me...like you...you aren't holding in your feelings how you did before."
She smiled.
"I never knew that the Meihi had that kind of legend." She added. "But it makes me happy that they do, and that my intrusions meant something more to you than just me poking my nose in. I don't mind, if you want to think of it like that. Your Bali-sama must have been a special woman, after all - even if she was just a legend, I'm sure there are a lot of people like her who reach out to help others every day. That's why the Meihi are how they are, isn't it? Because of the fact she helped a stranger and saved his life."
"As a boy I wanted to know if it was a true tale." Hyoushin admitted. "Now, I do not mind either way. As you say, symbolically it means something more."
He pursed his lips.
"As for your other remark, does it really so unsettle you, if I do not attempt to conceal my true emotions from you?" He asked softly, and slowly Myoume shook her head.
"No. It doesn't." She replied. "I'm glad to see it, in truth. Too much is bottled up inside of you, and it's not good for you. You can't be strong forever, you know that. I'm glad you're starting to let that guard down...it's healthier, in the long run, that you do."
"Perhaps so." Hyoushin sighed, and Myoume suddenly realised the tiredness that glittered in her companion's gaze. "It is hard, however, to break that barrier down. I am afraid of my past. You know that. And I must...I have to face it, if I am going to be able to go to see Rayi and bring her to Kutou. To have someone around who might speak my true name on a regular basis, and who will tie me back to that history - I must be able to face it without panic. But it seems a big step to take, and I do not know how to take it. Just to relax my guard is not enough. I must...I have to find some finality."
He raised his gaze to hers, and Myoume was once more struck by the depth of emotion swirling in his beautiful amethyst eyes. In that instant she almost thought she saw the angel that Meikyo had so innocently likened him to, and a faint flush touched her cheeks as she realised that Hyoushin was truly a handsome man beneath his scarred face and often closed countenance. For the first time she began to see him in a different way - not as the watchful, impassive soldier but as the gentle tribesman he had never grown up to be. Something about it warmed her, as she registered the fact that she had finally come face to face with the Meihi who had been born with the name "Lilaihi".
"I am afraid of it." Hyoushin repeated, oblivious to her musings as he absently smoothed the bedcovers beneath his fingers. "So to have company is preferable at present to being alone. At first all I did was sleep, but now I cannot just do that. I am recovering, but I am not yet physically or even mentally well enough to rise and partake in any official business. So I linger here, a useless invalid, until my arm is easy enough for me to ride from here and shake the jitters from me by force. It frustrates me that so long after the collapse of the shrine I am still a burden to my Emperor, but I cannot help it. I pushed myself too far in all directions - and it is not simply the will of the physicians or Kintsusei-heika's concern that keeps me confined here. My own will does, too - I am too tired and too unsteady when I rise to spend much time usefully engaged. Worse, I cannot attempt to make any kind of journey whatsoever as yet...and that is something I must do as soon as I am able."
"You intend to leave Kutou?" Myoume looked startled.
"No...but the palace, for a time." Hyoushin responded evenly. "I've decided that the only way I can deal with that past is to face it head on. So I intend...I plan to go to the place I was born. Where my family...died. I have avoided it for a long time, but that is not fair to them - to those people I loved, so long ago. So I will go. It will not be easy...but I will go."
Myoume gazed at him for moment, inwardly making up her mind. She reached out to take his right hand in hers, squeezing it gently.
"Let me come with you." She murmured, and Hyoushin started, staring at her in surprise.
"Myoume?" He asked. "Why would you...?"
He faltered, and Myoume gathered her courage, meeting his gaze honestly.
"If you remember my intervention in the shrine, you must remember what else I said." She whispered. "And I meant that, just as I mean it now. It's how I feel, and I can't change it. I want to help you - protect you, maybe - I don't know. But if you're suffering, I want to help you overcome it. Because I'd rather be with you, suffering it too, than on my own."
Hyoushin's eyes widened, and for a moment there was silence, as the speechless Meihi struggled to find words. At his expression, Myoume let out a rueful, sheepish laugh.
"I've stunned you." She said apologetically. "So you don't remember, after all."
"I..." Hyoushin bit his lip, then, "I...even though...you said that then, I...thought that..."
"It was just because I was dragging you back from death?" Myoume asked, and slowly Hyoushin nodded.
"It is a foolish concept." He said gently. "You are too smart to fall into such a hopeless trap. You are young. You are pretty. You have a good heart and a quick mind. You do not have to shackle yourself to a scarred Meihi because you feel responsible for your brother's assault, or because you feel pity for his past situation. Your duty is over, after all. There is no need for you to take it so far."
"You're the foolish one." Myoume said bluntly, frustration flickering inside of her. "Don't you get it, you silly man? It's not about duty or pity. I did my duty already, and that's done. Noone told me to feel this way - it happened on its own. And as for feeling sorry for you..."
She shook her head impatiently.
"You're not someone who lets himself be pitied by anyone." She said frankly. "Your past...I've seen more of it than most, and it's horrible, lots of bits of it. But it's not that I pity you for it. I'm angry that you suffered that way. It hurts me because it hurt you so much. But you're a fighter. You're strong and you've always battled through. So what's to be pitied? You're not that kind of person. I don't feel sorry for you. It's not like that."
"Then..."
"Is it really so impossible that I'm in love with you because you're you?" Myoume demanded. "Is that really unthinkable - do you think you're that worthless a person, that noone ever could?"
Hyoushin looked stricken, and Myoume pressed her advantage home.
"It's because of who you are that I love you." She continued. "I saw through your defences to your soul beneath, and I know what kind of person you are. No matter how many scars you have, mental or physical, it doesn't change the fact you're a good person and someone in whom I have faith. And I know I'm putting myself on the line by telling you this, but I'm fed up of being cautious and playing by the rules. We both survived and I want to prove that neither of us are going to just live by duty any more. I want to live for the sake of living...and I want to do it with you."
Hyoushin stared at her, and as he did so, Myoume let out a gasp, her hands flying to her mouth as she registered the shimmering trickle of tears that rolled soundlessly down the Meihi's scarred cheeks.
"Hyoushin?" She murmured. "I..I'm sorry, did I say...too much?"
Hyoushin bit his lip, reaching up to touch the dampness on his skin. Then, slowly, he shook his head.
"I should be the one to say I'm sorry." He said gravely, a faint waver in his voice as he spoke in soft, Meihi accented tones. "I did not understand...maybe I still do not. I did not mean to belittle your feelings, Myoume...or hurt you by saying such things. I am just...not used...to this."
Myoume smiled, reaching across to brush away his tears.
"Me either." She owned. "But I'm going to follow my heart anyway. If it means I have to wait for you to settle yours, that's all right. But don't push me away in the meantime. I meant what I said, about coming with you. I want to, even if it's hard and even if it means I hurt along with you."
Hyoushin closed his eyes for a moment, composing himself. Then, as he opened them, Myoume saw the same warmth glittering in his violet gaze.
"It has been a long time since I let myself feel so many things, so I cannot clearly mark anything out in my mind." He admitted. "But to hear you speak so...I...it makes me...feel something warmer than I have felt before. I didn't grow up like other men, and I have never encountered women in the way other young men did, when I was still in bonds. Perhaps that is my weakness in this...I do not want to hurt you accidentally by doing or saying something foolish. But...when Kintsusei-sama told me you had returned to Kutou, Myoume...I was truly glad."
He paused, then raised his right hand to his chest, spreading his fingers across his ribs.
"When I woke and you were gone, it was like something had gone from here." He admitted awkwardly, a faint colour touching his chalk-white cheeks and Myoume's gaze softened, realising how difficult it was for her usually impassive companion to speak about such things. "But now it is back, and all is well."
Despite herself, Myoume grinned, getting to her feet and perching on the side of the bed as she eyed him pensively.
"Fifteen years really isn't much of a gap, when it's you and me." She murmured. "Hikari was right about that."
"Hikari?" Hyoushin's eyes widened. "How many people have you discussed this with, Myoume - how many people...?"
"Hikari was the one who first told me you were my soul-mate." Myoume shrugged. "Whether that's it or not, I don't know. But she was the first one to see it, Hyoushin. I didn't tell her so much as she told me. I suppose it's part of being the Miko...or something. But I haven't discussed it with anyone else except my family back in Sairou. Even so, though...that I came so eagerly to see you...I'm sure people here must guess how I feel."
"Perhaps so." Hyoushin's gaze darted to the window, and Myoume could tell he was thinking this over. "I wish I truly understood how I felt. I cannot say with all honesty that I love you, because I am too confused about too much to be clear on it yet. I do not speak untruths and I will not say something I do not understand. But...if it will suffice...to have you nearby makes me happy. And I would like you to be still by my side in the days to come. Somehow, I can talk to you - you know my past and I do not have to explain so much to you as I do to others, because of what you have seen. Because of that...perhaps you understand better than most how I am. And that...is comforting to know."
He smiled.
"Perhaps you are my snow maiden, after all."
"Perhaps." Myoume acknowledged. "And if it's that way, you know, it's okay. I know things are different, where you're concerned. Like you said, you have a lot to deal with. And I do understand that. You don't need to force yourself. So long as you don't want me to go away - that's all that I need to hear."
"No, I certainly do not want that." Hyoushin said with certainty. "And so I suppose we will simply see how it goes from here."
"I suppose we will." Myoume agreed. "Without Toroki's sight guiding the way. But that's probably for the best...I don't think I want to know that future. I want to make it, not guide people towards it."
"Living, rather than being a spectator in other people's lives." Hyoushin murmured, and Myoume nodded.
"Exactly that." She responded. "I suppose when it comes down to it, I haven't had a normal lead up to this, either. So perhaps it really is fitting, you and I crossing paths like this. We both have unique situations, and we understand one another because of it."
She cocked her head on one side, eying him quizzically.
"So when you go to visit your parents, will you let me come to meet them too?" She asked softly. Hyoushin pursed his lips, then he shrugged, nodding his head.
"Yes, I don't see why not." He agreed. "So long as you realise...how it may be. To be honest, I don't think I want to go alone, in any case. To cling so to other people is not my usual way...but I am truly afraid of this, more than anything else I have faced. So to have you with me...may help. And besides...besides, even the way you asked that made me feel a little better about it. To meet my parents...as though they are still there. It makes me wonder...perhaps they are. And even if I cannot see them...perhaps they will see me, and know how far I have come."
"Well, if that's the case, I hope they approve of me." Myoume said frankly. "Even though I'm not Meihi. Because I'm not going to give up on you easily."
"Meihi or not...I don't suppose it matters above someone's contentment." Hyoushin said seriously, and Myoume knew he was reasoning it out fully for himself. "I never came of an age where I needed to ask Father about women, or anything of that nature, so I do not know. But I cannot think they would have stood between us on account of ethnicity. The Meihi do isolate themselves, but out of habit, not prejudice. Their culture is different, but they are not unwelcoming. I am sure...I am quite sure Mother and Father would like you very much."
He smiled slightly, touching her cheek.
"Besides, it may not have surprised them in the end. I think that, although I share my people's beliefs and ethics, I am not very typically Meihi in many ways." He reflected. "My brother and sister were both far more gifted than I in any regard – Kaliri would have apprenticed to my father's carpentry trade in my place, because he had a natural aptitude that I did not. Rayi's engraving, stitching and weaving are superior even among fellow Meihi – but I have no such natural talents. I learnt to read and write, of course, and do so fluently – but only because I could not stand the thought of my younger siblings out-pacing me in that regard. Even now I stumble and falter with reading or writing Chinese – or perhaps I have no such incentive to learn it properly. But I think I would not have been a useful member of the tribe as I grew up…finding a wife willing to accept my failings may have proven difficult for my Mother and Father, in the end. No matter how fond they were of me – all I had was the will to protect them."
He looked rueful.
"That and the uncanny talent for straying beyond the village borders on some errand of investigation or other." He admitted sheepishly. "I always wanted to know more than anyone could tell me about the world and the things in it. That was how I came to encounter the gendoku-ja the first time around…perhaps some things never change. As a child I was merely idealistic and mischievous. As an adult, I fear I would have been a burden."
"Perhaps things were that way because your talents were in other areas." Myoume suggested. "Your swordsmanship, for example, which you couldn't have learnt in your village. And I'm not saying that what happened there was either justifiable or for the best. But you were named "Man of Peace" for a reason. The Meihi weren't the ones who needed peace. The rest of the Kutou-jin did, instead. So maybe you were always destined to leave the tribal home – regardless of the circumstances."
"I have wondered the same, these last couple of weeks." Hyoushin admitted. "And perhaps it is for the best my parents do not have to be burdened with my obstinacy or my recklessness. They would be thankful to think I'd met somebody who might be able to manage those traits in the best way – and someone who could even help to bring their son home to see them after so many years away."
His smile widened, though there was a faint hint of wistfulness in his amethyst eyes.
"I am sure that it is partly thanks to you that any part of Lilaihi is stirring within me." He added. "Since you reached out and touched my thoughts, I have remembered more happy times than I ever could before. Conflicting thoughts, true enough - but for the first time in years I have been able to speak of them to another human being. I had no idea how much relief that would bring - that what I had concealed inside of me could hurt less if shared than it did locking it away. Had I known that eighteen years ago, perhaps I would have told Kintsusei-sama my past and my true name."
"It's true that you have to work through painful things, not avoid them." Myoume said thoughtfully. "But even so, it's not too late for you to do that. You're still young, really. And your arm aside, you're healthy as a rule. You'll recover - you already are much better than you were in Kounan. The climate here is better for you, and at last you're able to rest. Even if your arm doesn't fully heal, you'll be all right. You've got a lot of years left to fill - you haven't lost anything, in the end."
"On the contrary, I appear to have found something." Hyoushin murmured, meeting her gaze, and before Myoume knew what was happening, he kissed her, sending sparks of electricity through her body as, with a jolt, she remembered the prior encounter inside the Meihi's mind.
"But that was only delusion. This...this is real." She told herself, her heart pounding in her chest. "He really...on his own...just..."
"Well, this is a heart-warming kind of scene."
A voice from the doorway startled them apart, and Myoume swung round, colour high in her cheeks as she registered the intruder. At the sight of her expression, Chichiri laughed, bowing his head towards them apologetically.
"I'm sorry, you know. I didn't mean to interrupt something so personal." He said cheerfully. "I guess my timing was pretty awful - I can come back."
"No...it's all right." Myoume gathered her wits, shaking her head. "It's all right, Chichiri. We were just...talking..."
"I see." Chichiri sauntered casually towards the bed, casting a glance between them as his smile broadened. "I suppose this must be a form of Meihi communication...it didn't seem much like Eastern Chinese."
"You delight in teasing people, don't you, Chichiri?" Hyoushin said softly, and Myoume glanced at him, startled to see the look of warm acceptance in his gaze. "If I did not know better, I would say that timing was done on purpose...although I hope I can assume you were not eavesdropping outside the door."
"Actually, you misjudge me. It was completely accidental." Chichiri admitted. "I just finished speaking with Kintsusei-sama, and he said it would be all right for me to come see you now. I suppose he didn't know Myoume was still here, and I certainly didn't imagine you were quite so engaged...so I apologise. It wasn't an intentional intrusion."
His ruby eye twinkled with mischief.
"Although I should have guessed, considering the fluctuations in Myoume's chi of late." He added wickedly. "Since she returned to Kounan, it's been fairly clear where her thoughts have been directed."
"I see." Hyoushin looked pensive, as Myoume buried her head in her hands. "You truly do not miss much, do you?"
"I try not to." Chichiri agreed. "Although in this case, I'm happy for the both of you. I think it's deserved, if it's that way. You shouldn't mind me and my interference. It seems a pretty good match to me, all things considered."
"You knew when you offered to bring me here, that I was..." Myoume glared at him accusingly, and Chichiri nodded.
"I read your chi as well as you read other people's." He said levelly. "And you weren't making a big effort to conceal it from me. Don't look so discomfited, Myoume. It's a happy thing, isn't it? You shouldn't be embarrassed. Hyoushin doesn't seem to be."
"Hyoushin is better at concealing his feelings than I am." Myoume muttered. "That's all."
Hyoushin eyed her for a moment. Then he laughed, shaking his head.
"Perhaps that's so." He owned. "I did not expect the interruption at such a moment. Truly, I am not even sure what possessed me to act so impulsively - but I cannot say I regret it. Chichiri is right, Myoume. You should not be embarrassed. You have done nothing amiss, after all. If anyone did, it was me - acting in such an uncharacteristic, spontaneous way."
"Speaking of spontaneous, Chichiri - what have you done with our other travel companion?" Myoume sent the sorcerer a quizzical look, and Chichiri smiled.
"She has her own errand of love to complete, I think." He said lightly. "I left her by the ruins of the old shrine...I thought it was better she tackled that matter on her own."
"Travel companion?" Hyoushin looked confused, and Myoume nodded.
"Hikari came with us." She said frankly. "To see Aoi."
"Hikari...?" Hyoushin's eyes widened. "But...did she not go back to her world, then? Aoiketsu left me with the impression she did. He has come often to see me and discuss his studies or other things since his return to Kutou, and though he has not really spoken of Hikari, I was of the opinion she had departed for the other world and that he was missing her quite badly. Was I wrong, then? Did something else happen to part them in Kounan?"
"No...it's as you say." Chichiri shook his head. "Hikari went back to her world. However...she didn't stay there very long. At least, it was about three weeks in our time, but in her own - not so very long at all."
"But for what reason?" Hyoushin looked stymied. "Are you telling me her affection for Aoiketsu made her able to come back?"
"Actually, I think it has little to do with Aoi at all." Chichiri said reflectively. "It's more to do with her and the person she is. She was born in that world, Hyoushin - but she became Suzaku no Shinzahou before she was born. So long as Suzaku's power slept inside of her, it had no influence on her life. But now she used it to raise Seiryuu, and it's no longer sealed inside of her. Consequently..."
"She no longer belongs in that world." Myoume said softly. "And more - as Seiryuu no Miko, her job is done. But now it is active, Suzaku no Shinzahou belongs in this world. Most specifically, in Kounan. And so Hikari has returned...this time, it seems, for good."
"I see." Hyoushin's expression softened. "That must prove a wrench for the girl...she is close to her family, I understand?"
"Yes - but she's being brave about it, and I won't let anything bad happen to her." Chichiri responded. "She's the daughter of two very dear friends, after all. They've entrusted her to me, now...and I won't let them down. Of course, it is difficult for her at the moment - but she is not alone, here. She has people who care about her. And she will adapt."
"No doubt." Myoume agreed. "She really is a brave child, all things considered."
"In which case, if Kounan is to now be her home, the Emperor's decision seems to be an opportune one." Hyoushin reflected, and Chichiri nodded.
"He mentioned something of that to me when I spoke to him just now." He admitted. "About Aoiketsu being his choice of envoy to Kounan's court, once he has the requisite qualifications to act in his Emperor's name. It is a wise political move, since Reizeitei-sama has given Aoi his trust. But since Suzaku no Shinzahou will be in the South, and since Aoi will seemingly be deployed there...maybe there is a future for them after all. I think, if nothing else, that will take the edge off it where Hikari's concerned. After all, all children fly the nest eventually."
"So they do." Hyoushin looked thoughtful for a moment. "It is for that reason I gave the Emperor my support regarding his decision. I will miss Aoiketsu, and Kounan is not a place I can easily go. But especially now - I am glad I supported it. I thought it a shame that they were to be so parted in the first place, since Aoi does not give his affection or his trust easily."
"You know you're more than welcome in Kounan." Chichiri scolded. "Even if it's only in the winter months - you always are, Hyoushin. And you and Myoume both would be, you know. Separately or together...if things panned out that way."
"Chichiri." Myoume reddened again. "Let's leave that alone for now, huh? Don't you have other things you want to discuss?"
"Ah yes. So you do." Hyoushin cast Chichiri a smile. "You wanted to ask me about translation, I think?"
"I did, so long as this isn't an inconvenient time." Chichiri replied.
"No, it's as good a time as any." Myoume assured him, gesturing for him to sit down. "Hyoushin and I are done talking now, and I'm staying here when you go back, so I've plenty of time to talk to him. This is important to you - and it might be for others, too. Besides, I'd like to see it translated, too. The Meihi language interests me - I'd like to learn more about it."
She glanced at Hyoushin.
"Especially because I want to meet your sister." She added. "And I'd like to be able to greet her in her own language, even if Lirayi-san does speak some Chinese."
"Such a thing would please her." Hyoushin admitted. "Very well. If that is what you want, I shall endeavour to teach you a little. But I imagine that you won't need the kind of vocabulary in Chichiri's parchment unless you plan on discussing physiology with her in some depth."
"Even so, it's interesting to me." Myoume said simply. "Because it's a part of you and who you are, so I want to know."
"Then I suppose you should see this, Hyoushin." Chichiri rummaged in the folds of his cape, pulling out a rolled up document and slipping the tie from it, unrolling it and passing it across the bed. "I can't make head nor tail of it, but I've come prepared to write down what you tell me. That the Meihi can make a contribution to medical knowledge seems a fitting touch, in the end - so I'm grateful that you're willing to help."
"It's my pleasure." Hyoushin assured him. "Although don't blame me if you get complaints about the vile taste of that unpleasant weed."
"With any luck my patients will simply be happy that they've escaped with their lives." Chichiri bantered playfully. "Not all of them are as difficult to please as you."
"Since I am alive, however, I must bow to your expertise." Hyoushin responded simply. "It seems your judgement was right."
"I don't think you owe your life or your recovery to me." Chichiri said thoughtfully, his gaze flitting in Myoume's direction, and despite herself the Seishi reddened once more. "Having seen what it can do, and being one of Suzaku's people, I believe in the power love has in things, too. Suzaku represents that, after all. Love and rebirth. Kindness and a fresh beginning. I'm sure that's done as much for you as anything else...Myoume's intervention."
"No doubt." Hyoushin's gaze softened. "I cannot dispute it. Whatever I think about Beast Gods and divine power...my trip to Kounan has been beneficial in more ways than one."
He flexed his left hand slightly.
"And this begins to recover." He added. "Although for now, you will have to rely only on my dictation, since I cannot yet hold a brush to write."
"That's all right." Chichiri assured him. "I came prepared for that. Thank you for this, Hyoushin...if we can help save more lives, so much the better!"
The court was just finishing session and people were streaming from the central chambers to various parts of the palace grounds as the solitary figure picked her way across the cobbles, pausing for a moment to gaze up at the austere blue and gold edged building with a hint of wistfulness in her hazel eyes.
It had changed little since the day the shrine had fallen. Some of the rubble had been cleared, but as yet no attempt had been made to rebuild it and the gleaming statue of Seiryuu still stood proud, overseeing his land from his lofty pedestal. Above his head, birds wheeled and cried as they taught their young how to fly and hunt, and something tugged at the girl's heart as she remembered the family she had left behind.
"But this is how it is." She murmured, reaching up to her throat to finger the ring that hung there. "And since it is...this is the right thing to do. After all, he did ask me. That if I was ever here...I would...somehow...see him again."
She sighed, stepping back to avoid a group of young officials, each talking excitedly about some new policy or other, and as she leant back against the wall, she found herself wondering what Aoiketsu was doing that morning.
"Studying, probably." She reflected, her gaze flitting across towards the big palace Library annexe. "I should go and see if he's there. Maichu sent me with messages, and Shishi too - I can't not deliver them. And Myoume said...she said that if she could be brave enough to face Hyoushin, I could surely find Aoi and see what's going on with him. Since everything is different now...and I miss him. Dammit, I miss him a lot. I need to see him...I just..."
She bit her lip, chewing down on it hard enough to taste blood.
"If I'm here, will I distract him?" She worried. "He's working so hard to pass these exams, and I...I don't want to stop him from that. If this is what he can do - but do I really want to stay in Kutou? Myoume does - she's willing to make that sacrifice. But me...if I have to stay in this world at all, I don't want to give up a second family and be so far from Chichiri and Aidou-san. Not yet. I'm only fifteen - I can't get married yet."
She leant up against the wall, kicking against the blue stone idly as she debated what to do.
"But I can't not see Aoi." She admitted to herself. "Of all the things in this world, I need to know I have him. If I don't...if I don't..."
She faltered, fighting against the tears and the panic that threatened to well up inside of her.
"Miko-sama?"
A fresh voice startled her, and she swung around, her eyes opening wide with surprise as she registered the palace doctor.
"Aishi-sensei!" She murmured, and the doctor frowned, eying her quizzically.
"I thought you had gone back home, Miko-sama." He observed. "Why are you here? Is this some kind of omen from Seiryuu?"
"I hope not." Hikari said frankly. "I came with Toroki-sama and Chichiri-sama on...Imperial business. The Emperor summoned them to come here."
"I see." The doctor looked non-plussed, but to Hikari's relief, he did not question her. "Then, if the layout of the palace is confusing you, can I be of assistance?"
"I..." Hikari faltered, then she sighed.
"I was going to the library." She admitted. "To find Kaiga Aoiketsu."
"Aoiketsu-dono, is it?" Aishi smiled. "He's barely left there since he came back to the palace - he's a great favourite to do well in the government examinations...the Emperor has high hopes of him."
"Yes, I know." Hikari's expression became wistful. "I...I'm almost not sure I should disturb him. But I...need to see him. So..."
"In which case, you'll probably find him in the reference chambers." Aishi told her warmly. "In the main library building, to your left. He's been working steadily there...I'm sure you'll track him down."
"Thank you." Hikari bowed in the doctor's direction. "I'll go hunt him down, then, and see if he can take a few minutes break."
With that she was gone across the grounds, the doctor's words buzzing in her brain.
"The Emperor has high hopes, huh." She murmured. "And yet even despite it I can't stay away. The reference chambers - well, I can look. Can't I? He must...surely he's there, somewhere? If Aishi-sensei is right..."
She paused, reaching the entrance, and hesitating as she saw the guardsmen standing to attention outside. At the sight of her, however, they bowed their heads, and she bit her lip, realising that even now they all knew who she was.
"Just like I was some kind of celebrity." She reflected. "That's too creepy. I don't know if I could take that, day after day."
She flashed the men a brief smile, pushing open the door and making her way along the hallways towards the left hand corridor. As the doctor had said, the primary reference chambers were located at the furthest end, and she drew a deep breath into her lungs, gathering her courage as she pushed open the door.
"Hikari!"
Almost as soon as she'd done so, there was an exclamation, followed by the sound of several books falling to the floor, and she swung around, meeting the incredulous gaze of her target as he stared at her in disbelief. On the floor at his feet, forgotten and unheeded at the sight of her a group of old volumes lay in a heap, and despite herself, Hikari smiled, bending to pick them up as she held them out to him.
"I have disturbed your study, after all." She reflected. "I'm sorry. I guess my timing sucks."
"How...what...how...when..." Aoiketsu took the books numbly, setting them down on a nearby desk without taking his gaze off her. "Hikari...are you real or have I been working too hard? I swear...it's not...but you..."
He faltered, reaching out a tentative finger to brush her cheek, and Hikari grasped his hand in hers, nodding her head.
"I'm here." She said softly. "It's sort of complicated...but I...wanted to see you."
"To see me?" Aoiketsu echoed, then, as realisation sank in, his seiran eyes lit up with hope and before Hikari knew what was happening, he had hugged her tightly, pulling her close to his body as if afraid she was an illusion that would disappear.
"I don't know how. I don't care how." He whispered. "You're here...that's all that I care about. You're here."
"Aoi..." Despite herself, Hikari was comforted, and she buried her head in his shoulder, allowing the tension to seep out of her as tears sprang into her hazel eyes. "I missed you so much...you have no idea."
"I know exactly." Aoiketsu responded, holding her at arm's length as he reached out to brush away her tears. "But I don't understand. You went back...didn't you? And you said it yourself - Mikos don't make return trips."
"I guess I'm starting a new trend." Hikari said slowly. "Aoi...it...I..."
She sighed.
"I can't go home." She said unsteadily. "At least, I did - you know I did. But I can't...stay there. Not any more."
"Not any more?" Aoiketsu looked confused. "But why not? You're from that world...right?"
"Because of Suzaku." Hikari whispered. "Because when I raised Seiryuu, I woke Suzaku inside of me. His power is too strong - I'm not the same as I was before. In that world...I can't be there, not any more. In that world, that kind of power can't exist. It would damage things - eventually I'd probably do a lot of harm to people I cared about, by upsetting the balance of everything. And I don't want that. Besides...besides, it made me feel strange. I didn't have a proper reflection - it was like I was being somehow erased from that world."
"Erased?" Horror flickered in Aoiketsu's eyes. "Seriously?"
"Yes." Hikari closed her eyes against a fresh spate of tears. "Mother and Father and I talked - we talked a lot. And we all realised what I had to do. So...so I came back. And Chichiri - he and Aidou-san have promised I can stay with them - and be an honorary part of their family so long as I need. I'm glad to be able to see people again, Aoi - but I didn't want to lose my family to do it."
"No." Aoiketsu looked grave. "Is it selfish of me, then, to be happy to see you?"
"No." Hikari shook her head. "Because I'm glad to see you, too."
"So what will you do now? Stay with Chichiri?"
"I suppose." Hikari agreed. "Learn what I can to survive in this world, too. Because of Suzaku's power, Reizeitei-sama wants me to be a part of things in Kounan. I don't know to what degree - I know girls can't do certain things here, and I'm not sure what kind of help I can be in any case. But...Kounan is sort of like a home, so I...I guess that's what I'll do. Only...you..."
She bit her lip.
"I want to be able to see you, too." She murmured. "And if you're in Kutou - I...I guess that makes it...difficult."
Aoiketsu stared at her for a moment. Then he smiled, shaking his head.
"Not as difficult as you think." He said gently, and Hikari eyed him in confusion.
"What do you mean?"
"I wasn't supposed to know this, but it's sort of leaked through the channels." Aoiketsu sat down, indicating for her to do the same. "Which is one reason why I'm working so flat out. Can you read the kanji on the book titles, Hikari? Do you know what it is I'm studying so obsessively?"
"Not really." Hikari admitted. "I recognise a few here and there...something to do with...diplomatic relations?"
"More or less." Aoiketsu agreed. "I have to pass questions in lots of areas if I'm to qualify to be an official. But...if I do, and if I place well...Kintsusei-sama already has a duty in mind for me to undertake. Because I heard about it, I went and asked Hyoushin-sama if it was true - and he told me that it was. In short, he plans to send me to Reizeitei-sama's court. I was working so hard at it because I knew it'd mean I wasn't far from Maichu, if I went there. Now, if you're in Kounan too, I have a double incentive to slog."
"To...Kounan's...?" Hikari looked blank, and Aoiketsu laughed, reaching across to grasp her by the fingers.
"Because Reizeitei-sama and I reached an understanding, Kintsusei-sama wants to use me as a link between our countries. It's also why he's called Chichiri here, on the same errand." He replied. "Kintsusei-heika is keen to break down the barriers between Kounan and Kutou and I've no objection to being part of his battering ram. If it's what he wants me to do, I'll go with pleasure. I like Kounan - and if I can serve my Emperor yet be in the South, I'll be happy."
He eyed her warmly.
"Especially if you'll be waiting there for me too." He added.
"I will." Relief glittered in Hikari's eyes. "If that's the case, then you have to pass and pass really well...come top or something, okay? I don't know how it works, but make sure you do a good job, Aoi-kun. If you were dispatched to Kounan - then everything would be all right."
"Did Chichiri bring you with him, then?"
"And Myoume, too." Hikari nodded. "Though Myoume is staying. I'm...I'm not, though. I mean, I'd more or less decided I couldn't stay always in Kutou, so I'm glad you might not be doing so either. And I don't want to distract you. So when he goes back - I'll go with him. I have a lot to adjust to, after all - I need to do that, too."
"Of course." Aoiketsu's gaze softened. "It'll just mean I'll look forward to my deployment even more."
He reached across to touch her cheek.
"And maybe I'll still convince you to marry me." He added. "When you're used to the idea of being here in this world, I promise I'll show you that it's not a bad place to be stuck. And even if you aren't ready yet - it's fine. There's time...right? I can wait as long as you need to adjust. So long as you're here, I have everything I need."
Hikari blushed.
"I'm not old enough to marry yet." She told him firmly. "But...that doesn't mean I never will be. So...I guess...we'll see how things go. Won't we? Right now I'm happy to just have you around. I have a lot of things going through my head...but if I have you, and Shishi and Chichiri and everyone...I'll be all right. Chichiri's promised to find a way I can communicate with Mum and Dad - he thinks with my Suzaku magic, it should be possible, and I have to learn everything I can about that so that I can be useful. It will be all right, I guess. In this world, at least, I'm useful to someone. In my own - no matter what I do, I'll never be as smart as my little brother. Here...I can make a difference."
"Definitely." Aoiketsu eyed her tenderly. "So make sure you focus on that. Don't worry about anything, Hikari. I promise I'll qualify and then I'll make sure I can take good care of you."
"Somehow that's comforting." Hikari offered him a faint smile. "Oh...yes. Maichu and Shishi wanted me to send you messages, too. Maichu told you to work hard and blow everyone else away in the exams - he's settling okay into the mountain, it seems. And Shishi - Shishi said she's going to work damn hard at her swordplay because she wants to challenge you properly when she sees you next. She's determined that you won't be able to beat her...so I said I'd tell you."
"All right." Aoiketsu looked rueful. "I haven't touched my blade since I began studying, so she might be right."
He eyed her keenly.
"Did you also say that Myoume was staying here in Kutou now?"
"Yes." Hikari nodded, and Aoiketsu frowned.
"Why is she doing that?" He wondered. "I thought she was headed West. Why has she come back East?"
"Are you that dense?" Hikari scolded, and Aoiketsu's brow furrowed further.
"Is there something I've missed?" He asked, and Hikari sighed, shrugging her shoulders resignedly.
"You'll learn soon enough, I expect." She said frankly. "I can't tell you anything, because I promised her I wouldn't. But you won't not be able to know...so you'll see soon enough. Now she's here...if everything goes well...you'll see."
"All right." Aoiketsu pursed his lips. "This is obviously a girl thing that I'm not a part of, but I'll take your word for it."
Hikari turned towards the window, casting a glance out at the glittering form of Seiryuu.
"Everything is going to change." She murmured. "I didn't realise that meant for me as well. It hurts, Aoi. It hurts a lot. Arina, Mother, Father...I never expected to be in this position. I keep saying I'll be all right - that I'll be strong, and get past it...but can I? They're people I love, too. I don't know...I'm only fifteen, after all."
"Hikari." Aoiketsu bit his lip, stretching out his fingers to touch hers.
"It'll be all right. I promise it will." He said softly. "You came to this world to help save us and you did. Now it's our turn to help you. I swear, Hikari...it will be okay. I'll make sure of it, somehow. I will."
Hikari offered him a melancholic smile.
"I know. Shishi said the same, and Aidou-san told me that as far as she was concerned I was an honorary part of her family." She agreed. "Meikyo has said I can be her real Oneechan now, and that's a sort of nice feeling. But..."
She sighed.
"I suppose it's just like I said before." She said sadly. "Everyone has made sacrifices. Mine is just...to say goodbye. I just didn't realise...which people I'd be saying it to."
"You can't go back there at all?"
"For brief spells, maybe." Hikari responded. "But the time lapse between there and here is different...so Chichiri said it was probably better I didn't try and do it too often. It might upset things...that's part of the problem. And also, it would probably be harder on Mum, if I did. They've got to let me go too - even though I'm not dead, this is just how it is. I feel bad about it - especially because it means Arina is on her own, too. But there's nothing to be done about it now. I just have to get on and make the best of it."
She smiled, this time a faint flicker of light entering her hazel eyes.
"Chichiri's going to work with me on my magic, like I said." She added. "And on my kanji, somewhat, so I can at least read and write the language here as well as I can. And you know, it made me think of Reizeitei-sama a bit too, so I think...I'm going to spend time at the palace, like he's asked me to. I don't know if I can make a difference politically, but I can...I don't know...maybe I can help in another way."
"How do you mean?" Aoiketsu looked startled, and Hikari shrugged.
"Being an Emperor is lonely, isn't it?" She said softly. "And it's hard to be an Emperor's friend. I realised that with Hyoushin-san and Kintsusei-sama. Reizeitei-sama reaches out to Chichiri a lot because Chichiri doesn't treat him just as an official figure. Sometimes he even forgets and calls Reizeitei-sama by his real name, instead of his Imperial one - and I get the feeling that the Emperor likes that. I don't say I can do that - it might be rude of me, after all. But I'm not like his advisors. I can't be an official, because I'm a woman. So maybe I can be his friend. I think I'd like that."
"How friendly is friends likely to be?" Aoiketsu raised an eyebrow. "Am I going to have to rush in on my horse with my sword to challenge him for your hand?"
Despite herself Hikari giggled, shaking her head.
"No, don't be silly." She scolded, reaching up to her throat to touch the Kaiga ring that still hung there. "I have this, don't I? It's not quite the same as a promise ring, but it's good enough for me. This is the proof that I only have one person I'm in love with. And besides, Reizeitei-sama will probably have to contend with a whole harem of women sooner or later...he won't want another one of those being pushed his way. You don't need to worry or be jealous. I want to be Reizeitei-sama's friend - because I'm sort of on my own, now, and so is he. Just like I'm Maichu's friend, or Shishi's friend. It's different with you - I want something else then."
"Okay." Relief flickered in Aoiketsu's eyes and he nodded. "I trust you. I know you won't get led astray. I just...I suppose being so far away as this..."
He sighed, shrugging his shoulders.
"I said before I didn't like the thought of you meeting someone else." He added. "So I'll work hard and get my position confirmed. Then I will be at Kounan's court, and people can know that even if we're not married, you're not looking at other men."
"I thought you just said you trusted me." Hikari pretended to look hurt, and Aoiketsu reddened.
"I do." He said darkly. "I'm not sure about the other men, but I trust you. And I suppose...Reizeitei-sama is a man of honour, so he'll make sure you're safe enough in my absence."
"Yes, I'm sure he will." Hikari agreed. "And besides, Chichiri and Tasuki are neither of them men you'd want to cross if you wanted to retain political status in Kounan. Even though Tasuki's a bandit, he's respected at court and they call him Tasuki-sama. I'm not about to be ravished by a greedy noble. It'll be all right."
She pinkened.
"Though I sort of like you being possessive and protective over me." She admitted. "I'm feeling so wrenched at the moment that it's sort of comforting."
"I'm still getting used to feeling this strongly for someone, but I don't dislike it." Aoiketsu admitted. "I always hoped when the war ended I'd find someone and settle. I didn't realise that someone would be Seiryuu no Miko, or that she'd come from another world to meet me."
"I guess that makes me pretty unique." Hikari observed.
"No kidding." Aoiketsu said wryly. "Hey...did you tell your parents about me, when you were back there?"
"Mm. I did." Hikari agreed slowly. "I mean, I told Mother more. She knows you're Nakago's son. I couldn't tell Dad that. I didn't know how he'd react, then all this happened...so I'm sorry about that. I meant to, but...in the end...it was difficult to. Still, Mother knows and she doesn't mind. She's glad there's someone here to look out for me. She told me it was probably fate, like her and Dad. That we're not a usual family, and we're fated to be tied between the worlds so long as Suzaku is involved in things. Dad gave up everything to be with Mum in that world. I've now given up everything in that world to stay in this. The cycle repeats...and may yet repeat again. Who knows? Suzaku's meant to only bless a single Miko, but all the Mikos were affected permanently by the ShijinTenchishou. And consequently, so were the people around them. I'm just the latest one. That's all."
She grinned.
"I did bring some things back with me, though. Pictures and stuff, from my world." She continued. "Mother sent some things for Tasuki, too...and in a way that made me happy. That my situation could be a way for her and father to see Chichiri after so long...it was nice. And a means for her to send messages here to people she cared about. And I can show you the pictures, when you come to Kounan. Pictures of my world, and the people I love there. It'll be almost like you can meet them, then - sort of like I almost met Ruiren-sama the last time I was here."
"It's a deal." Aoiketsu agreed softly. He hesitated, then leant across towards her, cupping her chin in his hand as he gently kissed her.
"Welcome home, Hikari-chan." He murmured. "Even if it doesn't feel like it yet, I promise to make sure the ShijinTenchishou will be that. In Kounan, or here in Kutou - I swear I'll make your life here a happy one. No matter what."
Donna koto mo yareba dekiru'tte mono ja nai
Dakedo muri o shichaou jibun o koetai kara
Kanarazu tsukamaeru saikou no shiawase
Nakitai toki mo aru
Dakedo muri o shichaou shun toshitakunai kara
Saigo ni warau no wa itsudatte watashi yo
Kanarazu tsukamaeru saikou no shiawase
(I'm not saying that I can do anything
But I want to overcome the me who believes "I can't do it."
And definitely grasp the greatest happiness
There are still times I want to cry
But I'll keep facing the impossible and I won't lose heart
I'll always be the one who's laughing till the end
I'll definitely grasp the greatest happiness.)
Fushigi Yuugi: "Winner"
(copyright Fushigi Yuugi OST)
-Suzaku no Unmei: Owari-
--The Shinzahou Chronicles - Fin--