Disclaimer: The characters from Fushigi Yuugi are the creations and property of Yuu Watase and related enterprises. I do not own them and do not make any profit from this fiction other than my enjoyment in spending time with them.

However, the plotline for this story and all original characters DO belong to me and may not be used elsewhere without my permission.

Musical selection: "Journey to the West", Track 3 from the soundtrack to "Princess Mononoke" by Joe Hisaishi, copyright Milan Records and BMG, 1999.

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Chapter 7.     Journey to Trust

In the dim starlight, glowing amber eyes widened as they stared into tearful emerald depths. There was a moment of silence, in which the wind hissed and sighed desolately through the canopy branches, and then…

"C'mon, Miaka, that ain't funny, you pretendin' not to know me…"

"I don't! I don't know you, I don't know this place, I don't know where I am or how I got here or even how you know my name! All I know is that somehow I've been transported into this waking nightmare, with flying monsters and giant horses and crazy men who keep pushing me around and telling me what to do!"

Tasuki clutched his head in frustration as enlightenment suddenly burst into his brain. "Ohhhhhh, shit! Goddammit, Chichiri, you fucked up!" He howled in rage at the night sky. "She wasn't s'posed ta forget me, for fuck's sake! Now we're in some serious shit, an' I don't know what the hell you expect me ta do! Fuck it all!"

Miaka flinched back from his heated curses, then jutted out her chin. "I thought you said that we were supposed to keep quiet! And here you are, cursing at the sky like a madman! Well, don't think that you can scare me, because I can take care of myself! Don't underestimate me just because I'm a girl!"

Tasuki repressed a sudden grin, hoping that she couldn't detect his unexpected flash of amusement. Gods, he had forgotten how feisty she could be! She sounded exactly the same as when he had first kidnapped her ten years ago.

"Errrrrr, sorry, Mi-chan… um, I mean, Miaka. I didn't mean to scare ya; this is just th' way I talk. I wasn't tryin' ta intimidate ya."

"Good, because it wasn't working anyway!"

Brave words, thought Tasuki. Too bad that they were belied by the underlying tremor in her voice. Suddenly, something clenched in his chest at the realization that she was afraid of him. She had been afraid of him that time, too, eight years ago…and with good reason. He was seized by the familiar sick feeling that gripped him each time he thought of that night, and he knew that he had to reassure her, for his sake as much as for hers. He dropped his voice and softened his tones.

"I'm glad you're not afraid of me, 'cause that'd hurt my feelings. I'm a friend of yours, Miaka…an old friend from years past. I got a lotta names, but you can call me Tasuki."

"Tasuki," Miaka repeated softly. It sounded familiar, but…"If you're such an old friend, why don't I remember you?!"

Tasuki racked his brain for an explanation that wouldn't reveal too much. "Uh, we…I mean you…had a kind of accident."

"Kind-of-accident? What kind of accident could erase memories from years ago?!"

"The same kind that keeps you from remembering how you got here. Try ta think, Miaka…do ya remember anything earlier in this day?"

Miaka tried to think, but her mind kept coming up blank. The only thing that stood out sharp in her thoughts were the razor-sharp teeth of the beasts that chased them. "All right," she conceded. "There are holes in my memory, I'll admit that. But why should I trust you? What do you intend to do with me?"

Tasuki lowered himself slowly to the ground, leaning against a tree, hoping that this non-threatening posture would ease some of her fears. "I don't intend ta do anythin' except keep hidin' out from those flyin' fuck-bastards, an' I don't see no point in stayin' awake if I'm gonna be sittin' still." He stifled a yawn, sneaking a peek at Miaka to see if she was calming down.

Miaka stood undecided for a moment, her arms crossed defensively over her chest. She clenched her teeth to stop their chattering. "Are you going to light a fire?"

Tasuki shook his head. "Can't. That'd be like puttin' up a big signal: 'Hey, if yer lookin' for us, we're right here!' We can't take the risk, Miaka. Sorry." He waited patiently for her to ask for his help, then realized that her pride was going to force her to keep standing there, her arms hugging her lightly-clad, shivering form.

"Here!" he said, shrugging out of his coat in one swift motion. "Since you're wearin' clothes that ain't helpin' ya one damn bit against the cold, why dontcha put on my coat? I'm kinda warm anyway, from all that runnin' around." He held out the heavy garment in one hand.

She approached hesitantly, shy as a wild deer. She took the coat from his hand, careful not to touch his fingers, then donned it hastily and sat down against a tree several paces from where he sat. Tasuki closed his eyes, feigning sleep and waiting to see what she would do.

Miaka huddled in the folds of the bandit coat but couldn't seem to generate enough heat from her chilled body to stop her shivers. She glanced over at Tasuki, who reclined against his tree in only his shirtsleeves with his arms tightly folded, obviously fighting the cold night air as well.

"This is stupid!" she blurted out in her usual impetuous way.

Glowing amber eyes turned to meet hers, their expression quizzical. "What's stupid?"

"Us! We're both freezing to death when there's an obvious solution to our problem!"

"Solution?" He seemed genuinely curious.

"Listen, you said that you're my friend - a long-time friend, am I right?"

Tasuki nodded briefly, his expression and his features obscured by the darkness. Miaka frowned for a moment over the contradictory feelings that swirled dream-like through her being. She felt as if he were infinitely familiar to her, but at the same time, he frightened her in some inexplicable way. Not that it was surprising; in her present state, he was a stranger to her, so maybe it was natural for her to be wary of him…and if she let her wariness stop her, they would both freeze to death tonight. Well, at least she would freeze to death. She didn't know how strong his constitution was.

She took her courage in both hands and met his patient gaze. (Tasuki? patient? whispered that odd, closed-off part of her mind.) "I'm just thinking…well…uh…since we're supposed to be friends, why don't we just share the coat?"

"Share it?"

Miaka finally lost her temper. "Is that all you can do?! Repeat what I say?! You're not helping me out here at all! All I'm saying is that you should put the coat on and then I'll get right next to you, and you can wrap it around me as well, and we should generate enough body heat so that we're both…" her voice trailed off as she saw his teeth gleam in the dim light. He was laughing at her! Or leering at her…she couldn't tell which. "Look," she said stiffly. "I'm not coming onto you, I'm just trying to…"

"No, of course you're not coming onto me. You wouldn't do that." His voice was soft and reassuring and… wistful?

No. No, why would it be? Miaka shook her head in confusion. Tasuki had fallen silent as well. Miaka lost her patience again. "Well, what are you waiting for?"

"For you to give me the coat. I can't put it on if you don't take it off first." There it was; that familiar teasing note in his voice. Miaka suddenly felt reassured - yes, he was her friend, and yes, this was the right thing to do. She scooted over to him and removed the coat. He put it on quickly, then settled against the tree again, holding it open invitingly. She took a deep breath and climbed onto his lap, glad that the darkness hid her blushes. She was fairly certain that she had never done anything like this before, so…why did it feel so natural? Settling against the hardness of his muscles, resting her head against his chest, savoring the blessed warmth that flowed from him, flowing around both of them now that it was held in by the shield of his coat…it felt natural and right and oh-so-comfortable. Suddenly she yawned.

Tasuki's voice came out of the darkness above her head and also rumbled in her ear from his chest. "Oyasumi, Miaka."

"Oyasumi…" was her sleepy reply, and before she knew it, the darkness and the mists entered her mind, and she fell asleep in the warmth of their shared cocoon.

In the open meadow south of the woods where rested the seishi and his sleeping miko, a small ball of paper rolled, pushed by the icy wind. It caught on a twig, trembling in the intermittent gusts until a swirl of cold air pushed against its torn edges, popping it open. The origami bird fluttered in the wind, one tip of one wing still caught by the twig, but it vibrated briefly until it was free. The gusts swept it upwards, spinning helplessly in the currents of air, until it suddenly spread its tiny mystical wings and seized control. The origami bird rose higher into the night, circling briefly above the woods until it turned and flew due north, obeying the instructions of the spell that had created it.


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Miaka woke some time later, exhausted and disoriented and vaguely alarmed because her bed was moving. It was heaving up and down in intermittent jerks, and that was bad, because beds weren't supposed to move - not unless there was an earthquake. Damn! That meant that 'Kaa-san would be in here at any moment, shooing her out of bed and down the stairs, to shiver outside until the quake passed. 'Kaa-san was a real stickler for earthquake safety practices.

She swam up towards consciousness, her mind sharpening as a sound reverberated in her ear. It was muffled yet resounding, and vaguely familiar and way too close…She suddenly snapped awake, the realization of where she was - and what her bed was - taking her breath away. She lay very still with her eyes wide open, staring over the edge of the coat at the trees looming in the darkness, her mind caught in a swirl of confusion and fear. What was he doing? Why was he moving like this and making those sounds?! He had better not be trying anything sexual! Her pupils dilated in fear at that thought, but she calmed when she realized that his lower body remained still, only his chest jerking up and down. Was he laughing at something…and who would be stupid enough to laugh at nothing in the middle of the night?

Suddenly a sound escaped his lips, and she realized that it was a stifled sob. Once that sob escaped, others followed, slipping past his struggles to remain quiet. Miaka was mortified - it was a terrible thing to listen to a grown man cry, let alone listen with her ear pressed up against his chest. She was embarrassed for him and a little scared, and determined not to let him know that he had woken her. What was he crying about, each deep sob sounding as if it would tear him apart? Was he frightened by their predicament, his earlier courage just a show of bravado? Oh, gods, she was depending on this man to help her, but what if he was just as lost as she was?!

He sucked in a quick deep breath, making Miaka blink as she was jounced up and down. Finally she began to make out words in his agonized sobs. "Tama…oh gods, Tama…never thought you would die…" His sobs grew stronger, and he fought futilely to repress them. Miaka lay stiffly on his body, willing herself to remain still as he wept with what she finally recognized was grief and loss. More broken phrases were cast out into the darkness. "…ever gonna stop? Is the shit gonna keep comin' until every last one of us is dead?…and now, Chiri…I don't know even know what happened to him!" More and stronger sobs. "Ah, Tama, I thought that you would be the one to make it… gods, I'm sorry!"

Suddenly Miaka was filled with inexplicable rage. Why couldn't he just shut up?! What right did he have to cry, when he hadn't lost nearly as much as she had?! 'Where did that thought come from?' asked her logical mind, but she wasn't feeling logical - she felt like hitting him and biting him and kicking him until he shut up and stopped crying, because if he didn't stop, she would start, and she would never be able to stop crying, not ever again!

Just when she thought that she couldn't take any more, he grew quiet, his sobs dying away and his chest jerking only intermittently with short sharp breaths. Miaka unclenched her fists, forcing herself to relax…when out of the darkness, she heard soft whispers, floating skyward to the stars above.

"…promise…promise I'll take care of her for ya…I promise that on my life." His hands came up and softly stroked her hair. Miaka froze in place - it couldn't be her that he was talking about. It had to be someone else, because she had never belonged to anyone, certainly not anyone with a catlike name like Tama! She shivered suddenly, and Tasuki's arms tightened around her, holding her close. "Shhhh…" he whispered, "just sleep…just keep sleepin'."

Miaka was relieved that he hadn't realized she was awake, and then felt a moment's gratitude for his warmth, her earlier rage disappearing as quickly as it had come. She felt a flash of shame at the memory of that rage, but she couldn't seem to hold onto any thought for long…everything was so warm, warm and comfortable and quiet. She snuggled deeper into that warmth, the tension leaving her body, her breaths unconsciously synchronizing with his. She rose and fell with his every breath, up and down, feeling as if she were floating in a boat gently rocked by the ocean swells, drifting deeper into the darkness…until she was asleep once more.

 
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She returned to consciousness slowly, the grey light of dawn glowing behind her closed eyelids. She was still warm but not quite as comfortable, her bladder nagging at her, needing to be relieved. Miaka yawned, still somewhat bemused by the strange dream that had possessed her through the night. She opened her eyes - and started in shock, her vision filled with the same landscape of trees as in her dream.

"This is no dream!" She pushed up to a sitting position, taking in the sight of the silvery tree trunks and the sound of birdsong and the fresh green smell of the world around her. No dream of hers had ever been so detailed, not to mention that she was still in desperate need of a bathroom, which was typical of her normal waking routine. She shivered as she finally noticed the coat that wrapped around her. That man…that strange man…he was nowhere in sight, but he couldn't be far…

"Ohayo, Miaka." The familiar voice was suddenly right above her. Miaka blinked up at his silhouette, his face shadowed by the sun at his back. Gods, she hadn't noticed how tall he was last night! And how did he suddenly appear out of nowhere?!

"Ohayo," Miaka replied weakly, trying not to give away her panic and disorientation. He extended a hand, and she took it, rising to her feet and brushing at her badly wrinkled skirt. Thank the gods that she was wearing the stretch bicycle pants beneath the skirt, preserving her modesty! But her modesty was doomed to be sacrificed, as her bladder tugged at her once again. "Ummm, I have to…where can I…?" She knew her face was scarlet, but he seemed to take it in stride.

"Follow me." He turned and began to walk away from their hiding place. Miaka struggled to keep up with his long strides in her high-heeled boots, becoming breathless and finally angry. She pushed forward and caught his arm, turning him around just as the sun broke through the branches to illuminate them in full daylight.

Dear gods, she had never seen such a beautiful man in all her life! The sun caught the fire of his hair, making it flash and sparkle with red, orange and gold highlights. Nevertheless, as breathtaking as his hair was, it was a mere backdrop for the perfection of his face. He had an oval face with fine sculpted cheekbones, tapering into a strong chin with a slight cleft. His nose was slightly aquiline, larger than was customary in most men of her country, giving him a somewhat Western appearance…until she looked up into his large slanted eyes, fiery pools of clearest amber flecked with gold, complementing his hair. Those slanted eyes and the golden tone of his skin mixed with the Western beauty of the rest of his face gave him the exotic look of a Mongol, or perhaps a Russian from the southern steppes of that vast country. Added to that was the perfection of his form - the broad shoulders stretched beneath a blousy white silk shirt, the narrow waist tapering into slim hips and long, booted legs. He wore dangling earrings of faceted ruby and amber gems, along with three necklaces of various precious and semi-precious stones - a look that Miaka may have considered effeminate had it not been contrasted by his fiercely masculine aura and arrogant stance. Miaka had always appreciated male beauty and had laughingly ogled attractive men while Yui scolded her…but this man far surpassed any man that she had encountered in her twenty-one years! And to think that she had slept with him…on him!

Miaka felt as if her face was on fire, and she closed her mouth with an audible click. This seemed to release the man, who had stood frozen in place under her shocked stare. He suddenly flashed a wide grin at her, revealing sharply pointed canines in his sparkling white smile. The weirdness of those wolfish fangs should have frightened her but instead reassured her, as her subconscious whispered, 'Oh, yes - it's Tasuki, all right.'

"Hey, Miaka - if I didn't believe ya earlier 'bout not remembering me, I sure believe ya now! You were lookin' at me like ya never saw me b'fore!"

Miaka swallowed in a suddenly dry mouth, trying to regain her equilibrium. "Like I said last night, I don't remember you. I'm sorry, but I…"

"Nah, don't worry 'bout it. Not your fault."

Miaka opened her mouth to ask the meaning of that remark when a sudden pressure in her bladder made her wince. "Ummmm…are we close yet? To…you know."

"Anywhere over there." He nodded at a thick tangle of shrubs slightly uphill of them. Miaka headed towards them gratefully, trying not to run. She didn't look back, trusting him to grant her privacy.

Afterwards, greatly relieved with her bladder once more subsiding into blessed silence, Miaka headed back downhill. She was regretting only the necessity of using then discarding her small pocket handkerchief - when she ran smack into Tasuki, not twenty paces away. He steadied her with one hand, but she drew back sharply, mortified and enraged.

"Do you mean that you've been standing here all the time, listening to me…?! What kind of sick pervert are you?!" Her voice reached its highest pitch as she shrieked with rage and embarrassment.

Tasuki winced at the glass-shattering pitch but didn't seem the least abashed by her scolding. "Look, Miaka, I'm gonna hafta explain a few things to ya, but let's just go back and get our stuff…"

"I'm not going anywhere with you, you hentai bastard! You can just…aieeeee!"

Miaka shrieked as Tasuki suddenly grabbed her and hoisted her over his shoulder. She tried to scream again, but the wind was suddenly whooshing in her face, taking her breath away. Less than half a minute later, Tasuki deposited her upon the ground. Miaka gasped in shock - they were once more at their makeshift campsite. Part of her wanted to ask eagerly how he got them back there so quickly, but the other part remembered why she was so angry with him. As soon as she regained her footing, she spun and slapped him across the face.

Tasuki grabbed her arm as she was winding up for a second blow. His eyes sparked with anger, and she was suddenly afraid of him. "Okay, Miaka, you've been doin' a lot of this lately, but I figure that I've had enough. Now you're gonna calm down an' listen ta me, 'cause I ain't exaggeratin' when I tell ya that your life depends on it!"

Miaka went white with shock. "You mean that you'll kill me?" she whispered.

Tasuki flushed. "I'm not gonna kill ya, baka girl - though I figure I won't be violatin' my seishi vows too much if I turn you over my knee and give ya a few good wallops! So just shut up an' let me explain our situation here!"

Miaka's emerald eyes flashed with anger, but she bit her lip and decided to hear him out. He sat down on the ground and crossed his legs, and she unconsciously relaxed at his non-threatening posture. Tasuki seemed suddenly unsure of himself, opening his mouth and closing it again, frowning and shaking his head.

Miaka lost her patience again. "Well…I'm waiting for this brilliant explanation of why you need to peep on my bathroom habits!"

Tasuki glared at her, then came to a decision. "I guess I'd better find out what you remember first. How old are ya, Miaka?"

"If you're really my friend, aren't you supposed to know that already?!"

"Goddammit, just answer the fuckin' question! I wanna see what you know, baka girl!"

Miaka felt oddly reassured by his bad temper; it made him seem more familiar to her for some reason. "Twenty-one."

"All right. Do ya remember anythin' from when you were fifteen…or sixteen?"

"Of course I remember. I was studying like crazy, trying to get into Jonan High School."

"Do ya remember anything 'bout travelin' to a different…country?"

"No, 'Kaa-san never took us anywhere. We didn't have a lot of money, and she was saving it for our tuition…"

"Not with your mom. Do ya remember anythin' 'bout travelin' somewhere with Yui?"

"No." Miaka stared at Tasuki. "How do you know Yui?"

"Met her 'bout the same time that I met you. When you were fifteen and came to my…country."

Miaka frowned, a dim memory floating weakly to the surface of her mind. She suddenly had an image of Tasuki, somewhere under flashing lights, pumping his hips at Yui as she wildly gyrated her backside at him. She flushed, embarrassed by the raw sexuality of that image and feeling strangely jealous…but triumph won out as she began to piece together her forgotten past. "I remember now! You're Yui's boyfriend!"

Tasuki clasped his head in his hands. "No, I'm not Yui's boyfriend! I barely know her!"

"Didn't look like it from what I remember," muttered Miaka to herself.

Tasuki tried again. "Look, we're not gettin' anywhere this way. I'm just gonna hafta tell ya a few things, and I'm gonna ask ya to trust me."

"I might trust you more if you stopped lying to me."

Tasuki stared at Miaka. "Whaddaya mean?"

"I mean that you can stop trying to convince me that I'm in another country. Obviously I was a lot more gullible when you knew me at age fifteen, but I'm not that stupid anymore! I've studied many things about many countries while I was in school, and I can tell you that there's no such thing as flying dragon-monsters nor flame-shooting fans that are triggered with strange incantations. Not on Earth, anyway. I know that I'm in some different world…maybe even in an alternate universe."

Tasuki blinked. He hadn't expected her to be so perceptive, but then again, she wasn't fifteen anymore nor was she distracted by her endless obsession with Tamahome. Of course, part of her knowledge might stem from subconscious memories of the ShiJinTenChiSho, but he had no doubt that she was also far more mature and intelligent than the girl he used to tease and call "stupid." Now that he thought about it, he had seen this intelligence and maturity blooming in her when she had come to the ShiJin at age sixteen…when he had begun to realize that he loved her… Tasuki pushed that thought away firmly. Time to get back to their present reality.

"Okay, Miaka, I'm not gonna lie to ya anymore. You're right, we're in a different world - a world where those goddamn flyin' monsters wanna kill us both. Worse than that, they've got plenty of human accomplices ready to help 'em out. So listen up: the only way that you an' me are gonna make it through is if we stick together, an' by that, I mean all th' time. Now I know a hell of a lot more 'bout my world than you do, an' I can tell ya that a man or woman is most vulnerable when they got their pants down for any reason. I've seen too many corpses with their pants around their ankles to argue that fact. So when I stayed close by ya, it was ta protect ya, not 'cause I'm some kinda pervert who gets off on stuff like that!"

Tasuki took in Miaka's flushed face and knew that his countenance was equally as red. "So look, I don't like this any more than you do, but the fact is that we're gonna hafta watch out for each other at these vulnerable moments, an' that means you lookin' out for me as well. In other words, we're gonna hafta be closer than brother an' sister whether we like it or not!" He softened his voice, trying to ease her humiliation; a humiliation that he knew he was going to share. "Look, I grew up with five sisters, so girl stuff ain't exactly new ta me. An' I know that you got an older brother, so maybe guy stuff ain't such a big mystery ta you either. We're just gonna hafta accept that we're both human an' leave it at that."

Miaka finally lifted her eyes to meet Tasuki's gaze. "So you are…human, then?"

Tasuki closed his eyes. "That one really hurt, Miaka."

She flushed and stammered. "I didn't mean it that way! I just meant that since you're from a different world, maybe we have different ancestries… And you move so fast! No one in my world can move as fast as you do!"

Tasuki finally grinned. "Ah, well, I'm human, but maybe I'm just a little…enhanced. Speed is just one of my seishi powers."

"Seishi powers?"

Tasuki hesitated, then plunged ahead. He was certain that Chichiri would call this "need-to-know" information. "Okay, Miaka, I'm gonna keep this as simple as possible. My world is called the ShiJinTenChiSho, or the Universe of the Four Gods. The Four Gods are Genbu, Byakko, Seiryuu, and Suzaku, and I got special abilities 'cause I'm a Suzaku no shichiseishi, which means celestial warrior of Suzaku. You're the Suzaku no Miko, Priestess of Suzaku, and for some reason, those flyin' monsters are invadin' our worlds and tryin' ta kill all the seishi and priestesses."

"That's stupid! How can I be the Priestess of Suzaku when I'm not even from Suzaku's world?!"

"All the priestesses are from your world…you and Yui and…"

"Yui?! Now I know that you're lying! Yui would never believe in something like this!"

"I'm not lyin,' an' after all th' shit that she's seen, Yui believes plenty!"

Miaka paled. "You said that these creatures are after all the priestesses. So does that mean that Yui-chan is in danger, too?!"

"Yeah…but she's got Tetsuya and Keisuke looking after her, an' hopefully we'll get a message to the right people to send some of our seishi there to help her as well."

"Keisuke?!" Miaka was nearly overwhelmed with trying to visualize her friends and family in the roles of priestesses and protectors. But maybe it wasn't so far-fetched - she could easily picture Keisuke enthusiastically joining in the adventure. He had always been the one with the exciting shonen manga that she used to steal and read. Even when she read shoujo manga, Miaka had preferred the more adventurous types from artists like Takahashi-san and Watase-san.

However, what finally convinced Miaka was the fact that as Tasuki spoke, she felt the truth of his words reverberating deep within her, just as she had sensed that he was lying earlier.

"All right!" Miaka made one of her swift and sudden reversals, from skeptic to believer in a nanosecond. "So what's our mission, and when do we begin?!"

Tasuki blinked, taken aback at her sudden capitulation. A grin crossed his face as he remembered her take-charge attitude when she had decided to restore his position as the leader of the Mount Reikaku bandits. "Well, my mission is to get you to safety, to a place we call the Refuge, an' after that, Taiitsukun will let me know what I hafta do next. And when we begin is right now, after we've had some breakfast."

Miaka's face brightened momentarily at the mention of food but darkened as she recalled his earlier words. "Wait a minute. What if I don't feel like being stashed away somewhere? What if I order you to take me back to my world, so that we can help Yui-chan and Onii-chan and the rest?"

Tasuki's eyes narrowed. "You can order whatever ya want, but it ain't gonna happen. You ain't the one callin' the shots here, Miaka."

"Why not?! Aren't you one of my warriors? Don't you have to obey me?!"

Tasuki snorted with laughter. "Shit, no! A fine cocked-up mess we'd be in if I hadda listen ta you! My sworn duty is to protect your headstrong little ass, an' that's exactly what I'm gonna do! So you're gonna hafta follow my orders or pay the consequences!"

"Consequences?" Miaka was incensed. "What can you do to me, since you're sworn to protect me?!"

"Well, I can paddle your behind like I mentioned earlier, since the gods don't consider that to be a grievous injury to your essential being, orrrrrrrr…I can just send ya to bed without supper, which I know that you would consider to be a grievous injury!"

Miaka pouted, chagrined at how well he knew her. Tasuki got to his feet slowly, dusting off his breeches and restraining himself from grabbing her and kissing that adorable pout right off those full, sulky lips. He sighed softly, reminding himself that whether she remembered it or not, she was the newly widowed bride of one of his best friends. Not to mention that if he tried anything, she would probably slap him straight to the South Konan Sea.

Suddenly he found himself the object of a sly peek from beneath her lashes, a mischievous grin replacing the tempting pout. "Didn't I hear you say something about breakfast?"

 
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Miaka stared in dismay at the small pile of grain in her palm. She could make out some type of wheat along with oats and a grain that was unfamiliar to her, but…she had always disliked granola. Not to mention that there was barely enough here for her to decide whether she liked the taste or not! It certainly wasn't enough to fill her complaining belly!

She looked up to see Tasuki removing the saddle and bags that rested on his giant black horse. Right after her request for breakfast, he had walked a short distance into the trees and began whistling in a series of bursts of varying pitch. Not one minute later, Makaze had appeared silent and ghost-like between the trees, impressing Miaka with the ability of an animal of his size to move so quietly. Tasuki had produced a small leather bag from one of the saddlebags and poured "breakfast" into Miaka's hand, then turned back to his horse.

Tasuki finally became aware of Miaka's silent regard, and he turned to meet her frown. "What's the matter, Miaka? Need some water?" He proffered a leather canteen.

"No! I mean yes, but what I really need is some REAL food! This looks like your horse's breakfast! Don't you have any rice or dried fish or pickles or…?" She trailed off at his raised eyebrow.

"Sorry, Miaka, but we're travelin' a fair distance over the next few days, an' I don't know this country well enough ta know when we'll be able ta get more food. So I figured that we'd better ration ourselves carefully right from the start. I kept your breakfast small, but I figure that you probably ate a good-sized dinner last night, so that oughta hold you for awhile. You're bound ta get more hungry as we start moving faster an' ya hafta burn more energy. Anyhow, that grain is a lot more fillin' than it looks."

Miaka scowled ungratefully and stalked off to sit in a grassy patch with her grain and water. 'I feel like a horse!' she thought to herself as she chewed morosely on the hard kernels, washing them down with sips of fresh spring water from the canteen. She watched Tasuki brush Makaze's coat carefully, removing twigs and burrs and checking his hooves for stones. She sat up in outrage as she saw Tasuki slip half of a dried apple to Makaze. 'I take that back! I'm not anywhere near as lucky as a horse! I wish that he treated me half as well as he treats that animal!' She fumed in silence, refusing to look up at him when he reappeared at her side.

"Hey, Miaka, how're ya doin'? Still hungry?"

"Yes!" she huffed, although when she thought about it, the grain really had satisfied the worst of her cravings.

"Here." He slipped the other half of the dried apple into her hand. Miaka stared at it, suddenly ashamed of her bad temper. However, Tasuki obviously took her silence for dissatisfaction, taking her hand and pouring another measure of the grain mix into her palm. "Maybe I shouldn't try to ration you too much before you're used to it. Don't worry, we're sure ta find more food as we go."

Miaka looked up at him, her cheeks flushed with shame. "I'm sorry. I was very rude. I just…"

"Nah, don't worry." The fanged grin flashed into view, lighting up his features. "If there's anything I know about you, Mi-chan, I better not get between you an' your food!"

She couldn't help grinning back at him. Yes, Tasuki had a quick temper, but his default mood was sunny high spirits and his good humor was always contagious. And how did she know this about him? "More repressed memories, I guess," she mumbled to herself.

He went back to grooming Makaze, so Miaka ate as much of the remaining grain as she could comfortably hold. Tasuki had been right - it was filling, but now she was too embarrassed to tell him that she couldn't finish her extra ration. She got up and wandered over to Makaze, pushing back her fear as she stared up at the huge horse. A large dark eye rolled in her direction, so she lifted her trembling hand, proffering the extra grain on her open palm. Makaze tossed his head once, flattening his ears…then pricked them up again. He lowered his nose to her palm, snuffling gently, then delicately lifted his lips and nibbled at the grain until it was gone. Miaka stood transfixed. She was unfamiliar with such huge beasts…and now she was enchanted by him. Makaze lowered his head to her empty hand, and she reached up and scratched at his forelock. He stretched his neck out in bliss and let a shudder of pleasure course through his body.

Tasuki looked up from where he had been examining Makaze's rear hooves and gasped in alarm. "Watch out, Miaka! Makaze don't take to strangers much, an' he 'specially dislikes girls…" His voice trailed off as Makaze lowered his head yet more so that Miaka could scratch behind his ears. The horse blew out a contented breath, giving the equine equivalent of a goofy grin.

Miaka grinned over at Tasuki. "You were saying?"

"Nothin'!" Tasuki thumped Makaze's flanks hard as Miaka continued to coo at the big horse, scratching all around his head and neck. The seishi muttered under his breath. "Makin' me look like a fool, ya great big poof! Whatcha gonna do next for her - roll over an' beg?!"

Makaze turned his head and fixed Tasuki with a big brown stare. Tasuki snorted at the horse's seemingly ironic regard. "Yeah, guess I got no room ta talk, huh? Jus' gave her my breakfast, an' if I know Miaka, I'm gonna hafta hand over my lunch as well!" Miaka didn't catch Tasuki's remarks, still caught up in the wonder of stroking the mane of the black stallion.

Tasuki finally put away the curry brush and stretched. "Okay, 'Kaze's all cleaned up, so it's our turn. Grab the canteens, Miaka, we're goin' to th' spring." He turned, grabbed one of the smaller saddlebags and strode off uphill into the trees. Miaka grabbed her canteen and a larger one that rested on the saddlebags and took off running after Tasuki. It was a short but breathless jaunt to a good-sized spring, the sparkling clear water murmuring as it bubbled up from its underground source.

Tasuki didn't waste any time, whipping off his shirt and dipping a battered metal pitcher into the water, pouring the ice-cold water over his head. He shivered and shouted, laughing, while Miaka stood transfixed for the second time that morning. The long, lean lines of the muscles in his back and shoulders, the drops of water glistening on his golden skin…

"Hey, Miaka! She who hesitates gets ta be a smelly dustball for th' rest of th' day… I ain't spendin' all day here waitin' for ya!"

Miaka jumped, startled by his shout. The water looked icy cold, but one quick sniff of her shirt and a hand passed through her dusty locks made the decision for her. She whipped off her own shirt, exposing her bra, and grabbed the pitcher from his hand, scooping up some spring water and pouring over her head in one swift motion. She screamed at the icy cold deluge but ended up joining in Tasuki's laughter as they passed the pitcher back and forth. He handed her a little net bag with herbs and small pieces of soap, and she scrubbed it over her upper body, reveling in the scent of sandalwood as it washed over her. 'So that's why he smells so good,' she thought to herself, pleased for some odd reason at sharing his scent.

Tasuki turned and removed an item from his small saddlebag, handing it hesitantly to Miaka. Miaka was stunned to see that it was an exquisite ivory toothbrush, with a phoenix carved into the handle and bleached and softened boar bristles embedded in the head. "This is beautiful!" she gasped, honest as always.

He blushed at her compliment for the frivolously expensive item. "Yeah…I got it as a gift from th' Emperor. That shavin' kit is one thing I'll never sell - that and Makaze, of course."

"The Emperor?!" gasped Miaka, turning the toothbrush over and over to admire all the intricate carving.

"Yeah, but that's not why I value th' kit. He was a brother seishi an' a good friend, though I didn't always appreciate him."

Miaka suddenly stopped and stared off into space. She saw dark golden eyes, brimming with kindness and compassion; long, lustrous chestnut hair; features so exquisite that they put the most beautiful women of his harem to shame; all overlaid by a bittersweet feeling of melancholy… "Hotohori," she breathed.

Now it was Tasuki's turn to jump. "What?! You told me that you didn't remember nothin'! What kinda game are you playin' with me?!" His eyes blazed with anger.

Miaka's eyes opened wide. "I'm not playing any game! It was just for a moment, after you mentioned the Emperor, I could see his face and remember his name - and I don't know why!"

Tasuki calmed immediately, remembering Chichiri's hasty explanation of Miaka's fragmented memories. "Sorry I snapped at ya, Miaka…ya just startled me there." His voice dropped. "An' I guess I was mad that you remembered Hotohori with just a word, when you don't remember nothin' about me... an' I'm right here in front of you."

Miaka sensed the hurt behind his words and realized that she was wrong to keep her revelations to herself. "Listen, Tasuki, I do remember things about you. I remember that you get mad very easily but you don't carry a grudge, and also that you're usually pretty happy and cheerful. At least you used to be…" she amended, looking at his scowl. She made one more effort to appease him. "That's why I trusted you so soon after meeting up again." She gave him a mischievous smile. "That and the fact that you didn't rape me last night."

Her words had the opposite effect she was hoping for. Tasuki went dead white, his color paling until she thought that he was going to become ill. He swallowed hard, his eyes wide and shocked as his breaths came short and sharp.

"What is it?!" cried Miaka. "What's wrong?!"

"Why did you say that?" he choked, his voice hoarse. "What made you think that I would…"

"I didn't!" Miaka cried, terrified at his stricken demeanor. "I didn't mean to say that you would ever…I just made a stupid joke to show you that I trusted you! I didn't mean anything by it, I swear it, Tasuki! Please stop looking at me that way!" For some reason, his agonized stare made her heart ache.

He closed his eyes, gritting his teeth and struggling for control. Finally he regained it, lifting his trembling hands from his knees and unclenching his fists. Miaka watched him through tear-filled eyes, biting her lip. He opened his eyes again, a world of pain reflected in their depths. Miaka couldn't help it - her tears spilled over as she sobbed helplessly.

"Please don't hate me! I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm always blurting out stupid things! I never meant to say something that awful to you! You're my only friend in this world, and I don't know what I'll do if you hate me!" Suddenly she felt herself gathered into his strong arms, her face pressed against the warm, hard muscles of his chest.

"Shhhh, Mi-chan, don't cry. Ya know that I can't stand it when ya cry. I don't hate you, I never could. And it's not you who has to apologize."

"Yes, it is!" Miaka sobbed with remorse and relief…and with the release of all her fears of the night before. "I've been nothing but selfish and nasty since we first arrived, and you've done nothing but look after me, even though your own heart is breaking over the death of your friend!" He grew very still under her clutching hands, and Miaka flinched as she realized that she had done it yet again.

"So ya heard that last night, huh?"

Miaka nodded against his chest, too ashamed to meet his gaze. She heard him sigh very softly.

"Sorry that I put ya through that, Miaka. But listen, I got a question for ya…"

She felt his hands lift her away from his chest, then a long finger was placed under her chin, forcing her to meet his gaze. His eyes were dark with some unfathomable emotion. "Can you remember the name of my friend?"

Miaka nodded slowly. "Tama."

Tasuki looked keenly into her face. "That name mean anything to ya? Does it make ya…feel anything?"

Miaka searched her mind, but the only image she could summon was blank, white, filled with swirling white mists. She shook her head…but suddenly remembered that strange flash of rage she had felt while Tasuki was crying. No. No, that still didn't tell her anything, and she was damned if she was going to make Tasuki feel any worse by blurting out another stupid, hurtful thing.

"Miaka?"

"No," she replied. "It means nothing…I feel nothing."

He sighed again, but she couldn't tell if it was with disappointment or relief.

Miaka suddenly realized that she was seated on his lap, wearing a wet and probably transparent bra, grasping at the smooth hard muscles of his chest. She flushed bright red and scrambled off him, at the same time trying to act casual and unselfconscious. "Would you happen to have any toothpaste?" she inquired, waving the toothbrush in his direction while placing one arm across her breasts.

He absently handed her a small tin, still lost in thought. Miaka peered inside the tin to see a white powder, in which intermingled crumbled bits of dried leaves and tiny white blossoms. She sniffed at the powder - it smelled of mint and jasmine. She touched the tip of one finger to the powder and brought it to her tongue, tasting it. Miaka made a face; it was salty, probably made from a base of sodium bicarbonate, but at least the mint and jasmine gave it a fresh zing.

"Well, let's finish up here, since we've got a lot to do before we're ready to hit the road." Tasuki waited patiently for her to finish brushing her teeth, then casually took the toothbrush from her and used it himself. Miaka blushed again while she rinsed her mouth with the spring water; it was almost infuriating, the way that he was oblivious to the intimacy implied in using the same toothbrush. 'Well, it is his toothbrush, after all,' reminded the fair, logical part of her brain. One part of her acknowledged that logic, but the other part remained unreasonably irritated that he wasn't sneaking any peeks at her nearly exposed breasts. Not that she wanted him leering at her, but…this total lack of interest made her feel like a non-woman.

Meanwhile, Tasuki busied himself with repacking the saddlebag, carefully avoiding any glances at the damp and tempting curves of her bewitching femininity. "Down, boy!" he scolded himself mentally, forcing away the memory of how she had curled so softly against him just a few moments earlier. She already had subconscious fears of him raping her - that thought killed the desire in him in one swift blow - and if he made one inappropriate move toward her, she would probably disappear into the woods in another one of her hare-brained escape attempts. He had too many bad memories from their first adventures together of the way that she would blindly run off straight into trouble, and he didn't know if her increased maturity had cured her of that disastrous habit.

In any case, he would have to gain her trust, since he was about to handle her body at a level of intimacy that surpassed any contact that had occurred between them thus far. Except for that one time, whispered the cruel and taunting part of his mind, making him shudder. He closed off that part of his mind and turned to make his way back down the hill, trusting her to follow him.

 
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Miaka stared at Tasuki, then swallowed. "My hair?"

He nodded, his expression closed and grim.

She drew in a long breath, remembering her earlier resolve to unprotestingly follow his directives to atone for her previous thoughtless actions. In fact, she had jokingly told herself that she would obey him even if he commanded her to strip naked and paint herself purple. The bottom line was that if she trusted him to guide her to safety, she had better follow his advice. All of his advice. Anyway, some small part of her had always wondered how she would look…

"All right!" Her voice was firm and cheerful. "Let's do it!"

Tasuki raised his ivory-handled razor and circled behind her. He lifted her hair and caught the long locks in a firm grip, then swept the blade across in one clean motion. Miaka felt a weight lift from the nape of her neck - a familiar weight that she had carried for many years. She closed her eyes, taking deep breaths as she listened to the light hiss of the blade as it danced through her hair again and again, trimming the razor-shortened strands. Finally it stopped, and a small ivory-handled mirror was thrust into her hands. Miaka opened her eyes slowly, then fearfully lifted the mirror to her face.

She looked…cute. Really cute. Her auburn locks blew about her temples in short curving waves, the hair curling now that it was released from the weight of its previous length. Her hair was short and boyish, giving her face a slightly androgynous gamine charm. Miaka's eyes widened when she thought about how jealous Yui would be if she could see her now! She turned and grinned up at her stylist. "I like it!"

Tasuki looked up from staring down at the long length of auburn tresses that he still grasped in one hand. He had the strangest expression on his face…if Miaka didn't know better, she would think that he was more upset by the loss of her hair than she was. He shot her a funny, crooked grin. "Glad you like it, Miaka. Listen, I gotta get rid of this hair; ya know, destroy the evidence in case anybody's trackin' us." He turned and walked off into the woods, stopping only to snatch up his coat. Miaka waited, then heard a distant "Rlekka Shin'en!" Moments later, the faint acrid odor of burning hair reached her, and she wrinkled her nose, absently using Tasuki's shaving brush to dust off the short bristles of shorn hair sticking to her face and throat. Tasuki reappeared shortly thereafter, his expression once more closed and unfathomable as he laid his coat carefully upon the ground.

He fished around in the larger saddlebag, finally producing a roll of gauzy cloth. When he unwound it, Miaka saw that it stretched for several meters. Tasuki came up behind her once more. "Take off your shirt, Miaka…and that undergarment thingy you wear." Miaka flushed but remembered their ultimate purpose. She obeyed him, keeping her back turned modestly toward him as she reached a hand back to unhook her bra. Tasuki absentmindedly observed her actions. "So that's how you remove that thing…" he thought, remembering his struggles with it…Damn it! He was getting too goddamn obsessed with that night, and he had better bring his mind back to the present if he hoped to effectively protect her! Setting his teeth, he dropped the cloth so that it hung before her. "Put the middle part across your…chest and hold it there."

Once she held it in place, he crossed the material behind her back and gently tightened it. "Let me know if that's too tight, Miaka; we gotta make it as tight as we can, but ya still gotta be able to breathe easily. So listen - inhale deeply and hold it, pushing your belly out as far as you can." She nodded and obeyed him. Tasuki wrapped her firmly in the length of cloth, passing it across her chest a few more times. He turned a critical eye on his handiwork, then placed a couple of soft cloth pads at her waist, holding them in place with more turns of the length of gauze. Finally he was satisfied, fastening the gauze with a pin. He handed her one of his shirts, rolling up the sleeves to expose her hands, then once she was dressed, he handed her the mirror.

Miaka passed it up and down, looking carefully at her newly flattened chest and shapeless body. She shot a distressed glance at Tasuki. "I look fat!" she wailed.

Tasuki laughed out loud. "Nah, ya don't look fat - ya just look like a slightly pudgy fifteen-year-old boy. Baby fat, that's all!"

"But why do I have to have these pads at my waist?!"

"Because ya got a little too much…" Tasuki cupped his hands in front of his chest, "an' ya got a woman's…" he made a curving motion at his hips, "an' that means that if you're gonna pass as a boy, your waist hasta match up with those two parts. Guys don't have tiny waists above wide hips, Miaka."

Miaka suppressed a smile at Tasuki's unconscious gestures of grasping at her female parts. Maybe he wasn't as indifferent to her femininity as he pretended to be. Of course, she didn't exactly look female anymore, so he probably wasn't going to succumb to temptation any time in the foreseeable future. 'Stop it!' she scolded herself silently. 'Stop obsessing over whether or not he finds you attractive - the point is to get out of this alive!'

"Okay, now it's my turn," Tasuki announced. He pulled a small glass bottle from his bag, holding it up to the light. Miaka could see a brownish-black viscous fluid swirling gently against the glass. Tasuki frowned at the small amount, then pulled out his bandit headscarf, tying it firmly around his long hair and pushing his bangs up into the material. Nearly all of his hair was hidden, except for the brilliant red hair at his cheekbones. He carefully withdrew the stopper of the bottle and used the tiny attached brush to coat the exposed red hair with the dark fluid. To Miaka's amazement, his sideburns turned a rich dark brown. The newly darkened hair along with his black headscarf made him look as if he had dark brownish-black hair. "This stuff washes out after a few days," he explained casually, "so I can't use too much at one time. Gotta keep the headscarf on whenever we're around people."

Tasuki took one last glance in his mirror, then surveyed Miaka in satisfaction. "Yeah, I'm pretty sure that anyone huntin' for a red-haired warrior escorting a fragile young woman would pass us by without a second glance! Okay, then, there's just one last step before we're ready to go…an' that's our names. Your name is a girl's name, of course, whereas 'Tasuki'…well, that's the name of a celestial warrior or a constellation, an' most people recognize it that way. So from now on, you hafta call me 'Genrou'…an' I'll answer ta that easily, since it's my bandit name anyway."

"Genrou," breathed Miaka. "I remember that name! Genrou, the Phantom Wolf of Mount Reikaku."

Tasuki grinned. "Okay, that makes up for you remembering Hotohori first! You're right - that was the name I had when ya first met me on Mount Reikaku!"

Miaka beamed back at him, pleased that she had finally made him happy. "And my name?"

"Well, since you're gonna be my little brother, we'll call you 'Mikirou', 'Miki' for short, which is close enough to Miaka so hopefully you'll answer to that as well."

"All right then, if I'm Miki-chan, do I get to I call you Gen-chan?" Her laughing green eyes gazed up into his.

Tasuki caught his breath, suddenly overcome by bittersweet memories, some of which danced just out of his reach.

Miaka frowned at the faraway look in his eyes. "Did I say something wrong again?"

"No…no, ya didn't. You used to call me that sometimes, back in th' old days…ya picked it up from someone who called me that all th' time, just ta tease me. It really pissed me off if anybody else used that name, but somehow I didn't mind it if it was you…or him."

Her voice was soft and sympathetic. "Was it…Tama?"

"No…I mean, yeah, Tama would call me that jus' ta get on my nerves, an' then we would get in a brawl. But it was another one of my seishi brothers who named me that."

"Tell me about the rest of your seishi brothers." Miaka's face was open and curious.

Tasuki glanced down at her hopeful expression, then shook his head regretfully. "Sorry, Miaka, I can't."

"Why not?"

"'Cause there's a reason that ya don't remember stuff, an' it's not good for ya if I start forcin' your memories back too soon."

"What reason?!" Her tone was becoming mutinous.

"Sorry, but I can't tell ya that either. You're just gonna hafta trust me on this, Miaka."

She bit her lip, forcing back the resentment. Once again, it came down to a question of trust. Did she trust him? Miaka searched her heart, seeking out some subconscious answer to that question. All she found was a series of conflicting feelings: she looked up to him; he protected her; despite his anger and threats, he hadn't tried to harm her…Hadn't he? whispered some dark, closed-off part of her mind. No, he hadn't! He had behaved honorably…at times aggravating her with his unyielding sense of honor.

Most of all, she needed him.

Miaka made her decision, staring resolutely into his amber eyes. "All right, then…I trust you."

A brief flicker of some strong emotion flashed through those eyes but disappeared before she could identify it. "Arigato goziemashita, Miko-sama." Tasuki's voice was low, the bandit accent replaced with the purest court language as he gave a short bow to match his oddly formal words. "I will do my best to deserve that trust."

 
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Several hours later, two figures on horseback cantered up a small hill overlooking the vast open plains below. Their silhouettes were black against the brilliant scarlet, amber and indigo of the evening sky. They gazed down at a ribbon of brilliant gold reflecting the last rays of the setting sun.

"That's the North Road through Hokkan," explained the figure of the dark man.

"But we're not taking it?" questioned the boyish figure mounted behind him, clad in baggy, overlarge clothes.

"Nope, too obvious. We're headin' that way," the man pointed due west, "then veerin' northwest, eventually doublin' back ta join the road further north of here. We're gonna take our chances on the western steppes of Hokkan before we cut back toward the mountains in th' north. So whaddaya think, Mikirou? Are ya up for another hour's ride, chasin' th' last of th' day?"

The boy groaned, shifting his weight in the saddle. "As if you would listen to me even if I said no. All right, Genrou, let's keep going - I have no feeling left from the waist down anyway!"

The man laughed heartily as the giant horse plunged down the hill, carrying its two riders toward the brilliant western sky.

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Glossary of Japanese terms:

Oyasumi - Good night

Ohayo - Good Morning; Hello

Shonen manga - manga (Japanese comics) that is written for a young male audience. Shonen often involves graphic violence, robots (mecha), martial arts battles...

Shoujo manga - manga (Japanese comics) that is written for a young female audience. Shoujo usually involves character relationships and less "action."

Arigato goziemashita, Miko-sama - Thank you very much, Lady Priestess (formal)

Author's note: (7-23-03) Hello again, minna. It's been a long time since I was back at this fic…but not long enough for the "Bridge" fans! (ducks flying objects hurled by readers anxious to find out the resolution of the latest "Bridge" cliffhanger). I think that I've also ticked off the "Casting Stones" fans. (ducks rotten fruit hurled by the "captive audience" in the CS theatre.)

Here's the thing: like "White Stones" before it, "Hidden Paths" plays like a movie in my mind, and it nags at me constantly. This time the muse took over for three straight days, and the end result is this chapter. I also should apologize for the extreme wordiness and lengthy dialogue exchanges - yes, I know that the best authors get their ideas across in few words and concise presentation of ideas. However, I never claimed to be the best…in fact, I'm acting in this chapter as a screenwriter more than an author, painstakingly detailing every conversation between Tasuki and Miaka as if I were about to shoot each scene on film. If you really think about it, the dialogue flies by if you picture it as spoken instead of read…ah, enough excuses! If you're reading this, you made it to the end, so you have my congratulations!

This was also an exclusively Tasuki-Miaka chapter. Well, that is the central storyline, but it's far from being the only storyline in this huge undertaking. I had intended this chapter to close with the final destination of the surviving origami bird, but this chapter was too long as is, so I'm saving the "attack on Mount Crystal" scene for the next chapter. A-ha! Sneak Previews of What-Is-To-Come! (I just love doin' this! ^ ~)

The next thing that may have made the HP faithful readers squirm is my (unprecedented, I think) attention to certain…, er, human realities of traveling through the outdoors, especially a man and woman together. I can't really explain why I chose this path…but there are important plot points ahead that will play off these realities. Rest assured, though, that I intend to stay away from excruciatingly scatological details - I'm dealing in human relationships here, not biological sciences!

So yeah, there are a lot of "criticizable" elements in this chapter - but go ahead and let me have it! I can take it, folks…just remember, I did promise you a bumpy ride!

Till next time!

 
Ja ne!

Roku-chan


Quick update (3-19-04):  In response to a question posed by Kryssa - yes, Kryssa, they did have toothbrushes in ancient China. In fact, as in just about EVERYTHING that I've researched so far, the toothbrush originated in ancient China. Its invention was credited to an emperor who cleaned his teeth with a small brush that consisted of boar bristles attached to a bone handle. I've had Hotohori change the handle to ivory, but other than that, Tasuki's toothbrush is authentic.

The toothbrush was quickly adopted by the people of ancient China, down to the lowliest peasants. However, those peasants usually could afford only one toothbrush per household, so all of the family members had to wait in line to use it. Thus, Tasuki's lack of hesitation at using his toothbrush after Miaka - he probably had to wait until each of his five sisters were through with it, so the sharing of the toothbrush is not an intimate act to him at all.

As for the tooth powder - the only information I could find mentioned that early tooth powder often consisted of a salt base. I softened it a bit to sodium bicarbonate and added the jasmine and mint that the Chinese used to flavor their tea.

So there! Aren't you glad that your devoted author spends so much time researching such minutiae for her stories? Vive l'Internet!