Chapter Eleven
"It's been a long time since I came to Eiyou."
As Anzu and her companion walked through the streets of the city, she smiled, her sharp eyes taking in the street performers that lined one of the thoroughfares leading to the centre of town. "They remind me of the last time I was here…with my sister, performing like that."
"So you're a street performer by trade, then?" Seishuku eyed her curiously. Anzu shrugged, shaking her head.
"Not now, I don't suppose. Actually, I was with a circus troupe for a long time, and then my sister and I – we did some solo performances in Sairou." She replied. Her eyes shadowed, and she frowned. "But Karin died there, and so I came back here to find an old friend. Well, more than an old friend – at least to me."
"This Genrou, correct?" Seishuku's eyes softened, and Anzu was struck once again by the compassion of this stranger who had come from nowhere to rescue her, even despite his own turmoil. She nodded.
"That's right." She agreed. "Genrou."
"There are so very many people in the city today." Seishuku reflected. He frowned, and Anzu saw a haunted expression cross his face. "For some reason, I have the sense that…that I have not walked through the centre of this city in some time, either. In fact, that it is something I seldom do. It is pleasant, though, to take in the surroundings and the atmosphere and appreciate it just for what it is. It is a very bustling city, full of life and people. I like that. It's not…silent."
Anzu's brows knitted at this unusual observation, and she looked at the crowded streets anew.
"Most people would get a headache if they listened to so many people chattering and yelling all day long." She observed. "But not you, huh?"
"I do not like silence." Seishuku shook his head. "It implies solitude, and I have no liking for that, either. Being alone with one's demons – no, I do not like it at all."
He sighed, and Anzu wondered for a moment what was going through his mind. Then he seemed to shake himself from his reverie, offering her a smile.
"But I am sorry. I am not helping you to find your friend, am I, by making such negative observations."
"It is nice to have company." Anzu told him with a grin. "And it's all right. With so many people…I'm not sure how I'm going to spot him, to be honest. Even though he's distinctive to look at – there's so much going on here."
"Perhaps if you were to describe your friend to me, then two pairs of eyes may prove more successful than one." Seishuku suggested, and Anzu nodded, looking sheepish at his suggestion.
"I should have done that already." She acknowledged. "I'm sorry…I guess it would help if you knew who I was looking for."
"It would." Seishuku's eyes lit up once more, and Anzu's smile widened.
"Well, Genrou's tall." She said slowly. "He's sturdy and strong – he's a mountain man, so he has to be. He has red hair – like the flames of a fire – and everyone says he looks like a wolf. He does, too, in a sense, I suppose. That's how he got his nickname, I think. He tends to dress quite showily – and he carries a metal harisen with him all of the time, too – for defence purposes."
She gestured to her companion.
"I think he must be the same age as you." She added. "Or thereabouts."
Then she frowned, taking in the expression on the young soldier's face.
"Or thereabouts." Seishuku murmured. "Flame haired, from the mountains…"
He faltered, and to Anzu's horror, a tear trickled down his cheek.
"Seishuku-san?" She exclaimed. "Seishuku-san, what's wrong? Did I say something that I shouldn't have…please, tell me what's wrong?"
Seishuku closed his eyes, dashing away the tears as he fought to regain his composure.
"I'm sorry. You have done nothing wrong." He said slowly. "It's just – your words – they remind me of…a battle. Of smoke spreading into the sky and a man…a man with red hair, wielding a sword…"
He faltered, opening his eyes to meet Anzu's concerned gaze.
"I'm sorry." He said again. "I did not mean to…"
He did not finish his sentence, and Anzu bit her lip, her heart clenching inside of her as she took in the look of sadness in her companion's beautiful eyes. Slowly she shook her head.
"This time it's me who should apologise, for stirring an unpleasant memory." She said categorically.
"Unpleasant memories seem to be the only ones I have, at present." Seishuku rubbed his temples. "Perhaps they are all I do have. I don't know."
For a while they walked in silence, though as she sent him a sidelong glance, Anzu could tell that he was troubled by the fleeting recollections that had woken in his brain. His eyes remained clouded and uncertain, as if struggling to put the pieces of something together, and at length she sighed, taking him by the hand and leading him away from the main street.
"I've upset you, and you look all in." She said softly. "Let's sit here a while, all right? I've canvassed most areas of the city since I arrived, as it is. It won't hurt to stand still for a while…after all, two moving targets are less likely to collide than if one of them stops still."
"Are you sure?" Seishuku looked apprehensive. "I don't want to prove a burden for you, Anzu-san. You've shown me kindness, and I do not wish to cause you trouble in return."
"You're the one who saved my life." Anzu shook her head. "So it's all right. Really. To be honest – I'm kind of tired, too."
"Well, if you are sure." Seishuku shrugged, dropping down onto the ground beneath the spreading branches of a tree. They had reached the outskirts of Eiyou by this time, and there were fewer people around, but somehow Anzu felt secure in the company of her mysterious rescuer. She drew her knees up to her chest, contemplating.
"Genrou's not here on his own." She said pensively. "His sister and his friend are with him. His friend's a monk – well, I think he's a sorcerer, actually. I wonder, if I was to really concentrate on finding them, whether he'd be able to find me? I should have thought of that before – but with everything that happened, it didn't occur to me."
"A sorcerer?" Seishuku looked stricken. Anzu nodded in surprise, then smiled as she realised what her companion must be thinking.
"Oh, not that kind of sorcerer. I mean, he doesn't do bad magic or curses." She assured him. "But he does have strong spiritual magic."
"I see." Seishuku's brow creased as he digested her words. He sat back against the trunk of the tree, gazing up at the clouds as he did so.
"So if you were to concentrate on him, he would find you?"
"Maybe. He'd find Genrou, I know that. But I don't know about me."
"Still, he must be very powerful, if he can pick one person out of a crowd in that way."
"Yes, I suppose so." Anzu agreed. Seishuku closed his eyes, and Anzu was once more aware of the tired air her companion had.
"Are you sure you're all right?" She asked softly. "You look very pale all of a sudden…are you ill?"
"I don't think so." Seishuku said slowly. "But your words, they…they stir something inside of me. I do not know what…and it is frustrating me. That's all."
"Then let's talk about something else." Anzu suggested. "You must remember other things. You said you thought you dreamed about your mother – then you have a family, who must be looking for you?"
"My mother is dead." Seishuku said gravely. "That was what I dreamed – her speaking to me, as she left this world."
"Your father, then?"
"I do not know." Seishuku admitted.
"I think he must have been someone well thought of." Anzu decided, and Seishuku looked startled.
"What do you mean?"
"You speak so nicely, and you came to my rescue without a second thought." Anzu blushed as she realised how incoherent her observations sounded out loud. "That's all. You must have come from a good background, Seishuku-san."
"Does it matter, when all you can remember is blood and battle and a woman you can't even define as real begging you to come back to her?" Tears glittered in Seishuku's eyes once more at this, and he sighed.
"No, I'm sorry. I have no right to trouble you with my affairs. Forgive me, Anzu-san."
He leant forward, rubbing his temples, and as he did so, his thick mane of hair fell forward, revealing for the first time the man's neck and shoulders. Anzu, who had been on the verge of speaking, stopped dead as she saw something glittering through her companion's skin, and her eyes widened as she registered what it was.
"The star of Suzaku." She whispered, all colour draining from her face as she shuffled instinctively away from her companion. "You…you…you're Hotohori!"
Seishuku's head jerked up at this, and he stared at her, bewildered by her sudden change in demeanour.
"I beg your pardon?"
"You…the star…you were the one in…in Genrou's village." Anzu swallowed hard, as Kouji's advice about trusting people echoed once more in her head. "You…Hotohori…the sign of Suzaku!"
"Hotohori?" Seishuku's expression remained blank, then he frowned.
"I don't understand." He admitted. "But the man I…I may have spoken to last night – he said that word when speaking about the stars. Constellations in the southern sky…is it that of which you speak?"
Anzu eyed him warily.
"Last night, you burnt down a village." She murmured, and horror and alarm flickered in Seishuku's expression. "Like a demon wielding fire, you destroyed the homes of innocent people and left them to fend for themselves. If not for Genrou and Chichiri and the Reikaku-zan bandits, people would have died. How can you forget something like that? How can you lie to me and pretend you want to help me, when last night you did something like that?"
Hotohori blanched at her tones, shaking his head slowly.
"I would not…" He murmured faintly. "I do not…I do not understand."
At his faltering tones, Anzu sent him a cautious look, noticing that the expression on his face seemed to be one of genuine bewilderment. She frowned, biting her lip hard enough to taste blood on her tongue.
"Tell me what you remember last night." She said softly. "What other dreams did you have, last night?"
"Before I was standing looking up at the stars, and speaking to a man in armour?" Seishuku asked. Anzu nodded, and Seishuku flinched, pain in his eyes.
"I was riding my horse." He whispered. "There was a man…a man dressed in blue and silver, with cold eyes and fair hair. He wore the crest of a dragon on his helmet…and there was blood and death all around. So many people suffering, and I wanted…I wanted to stop him. I had to stop him. To protect…to protect…Oh, I don't know! I can't remember – it was a dream!"
A note of anguish touched his tones, and Anzu felt a pang of guilt pierce her heart. She sighed, impulsively hugging him as his tears rolled down his cheeks once more.
"I'm sorry. You really don't remember, do you?" She murmured. "You saved my life and I've frightened you by yelling at you about something you know nothing about."
"But..." The man swallowed hard, then, "Chi...chiri? Is he…the sorcerer friend of whom you spoke?"
"Yes." Anzu nodded. "That's right. Then…you remember him? You really are Hotohori, aren't you? I mean…you really are Saihitei-sama…however impossible that might be."
"Saihitei…" Seishuku faltered. "That is what the man called me last night. But I was sure it was a dream – a delusion. Because Saihitei is a dead man, and the whole encounter seems so vague in my mind as if I imagined it all – so much in my mind seems that way at present. Besides, if Saihitei is dead, how is it that I am here, talking to you?"
He held out his hands, glancing at them, then up at her.
"I am not dead – am I?"
"I...don't know." Anzu admitted. "I really don't, and that's the truth...it might have something to do with magic, and Chichiri is probably the only one who might be able to tell you for sure. But if you are Hotohori, then it's you that Genrou and Chichiri are looking for. Genrou's also known as Tasuki…he and Chichiri are Suzaku warriors. Just like you are. They have red marks, like the one you have on your neck."
"On my neck…?" Hotohori's fingers slipped absently to his throat, and he frowned. "I…I think…maybe I remember."
He glanced at his hands, then carefully he traced the characters for his name in the dirt.
"Seishuku." He murmured. "That was what my mother called me. In my dream, that was my name. And this word, this way of writing it – that's why I was so sure. But…but…but maybe I'm wrong. Anzu-san…this…this is the character for star, is it not? The one you see on my neck? And this…"
"This can be read as 'Hotohori'." Anzu nodded her head slowly. "Seishuku and Hotohori are written the same way. I should have realised it before…but I didn't expect…"
She looked ashamed.
"After last night, I thought Hotohori must have become some kind of a demon, or something." She admitted. "But you…you're kind and good, I do believe that. And you helped me. So I…I was wrong. I'm sorry. I'm not afraid of you, I promise. Whatever happened last night – I don't believe it was your fault."
"I do not remember a village." Hotohori admitted, his expression troubled. "Truly, I do not. But your words have brought flashes of memory to me. The man on the horse, wielding his sword – perhaps I do know him by that name. Tasuki, you said…perhaps I do. And Chichiri…the sorcerer. He pierced my dreams last night – in the midst of all the fighting there was this glow of light and I felt someone was with me. It was just for a second, but when you spoke of magic, I felt it inside of me. Like he broke through my nightmare. Somehow."
"Genrou and Chichiri left Reikaku-zan to come and track you down. To help you, not hurt you – you were once their close friend and Chichiri at least is very worried about you." Anzu said softly. "If you are Hotohori, Chichiri will find you more easily than he will me. Please, will you try and focus all your strength on that fact? I know you're tired and confused, but if he helped you last night…"
"I…will try." Hotohori agreed haltingly. "Although if I have done some awful deed to an innocent village, they may no longer consider me a friend."
"I won't let either of them hurt you. I promise. I owe you that for helping me." Anzu assured him. "Besides, I don't think they will. I think they want to find you because they're concerned, not because they're angry. And because they're worried something is going to happen in Kounan. I don't know what - but it might be that it's serious. I think that's why you're here, Sei...Sai...Hotohori-sama. Because you're one of Suzaku's chosen, and...and Kounan needs you."
Hotohori sighed, then he nodded his head.
"Then I must do what I must do." He said softly. "Even though I do not distinctly remember, and though I am unsure I am much use to anyone in this condition - I will do what I can. If for no other reason than to help you find your friends."
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"Hotohori!"
As Chichiri and his companions left the royal palace, the monk stopped dead in the middle of the street, letting out an exclamation as he felt something rip through his senses, strong and clear and more focused than any of the signals he had detected so far. Tasuki, who had not been paying much attention, narrowly missed walking into the back of his friend, and he grabbed the monk by the shoulders, giving him a shake.
"Will you not do that, dammit?" He demanded. "What's biting you now? Have you got a hold of the Emperor's ghost?"
"Not a ghost. A physical being." Chichiri corrected. "And yes. Yes. I...I know where he is. It's suddenly a lot less vague than it was last night - almost as if..."
He frowned, shaking his head.
"It could be a trap." He reflected slowly. "Because from sensing nothing at all, it almost seems like he's trying to locate me now. That he's putting energy into making sure I know where he is."
"So what if it is?" Tasuki brushed his fingers against the end of his tessen. "There are two of us and one of him, and he's a walking corpse. We can take him."
"I wasn't thinking of us. The city is busy, and innocent people may get hurt." Chichiri said cautiously. "And Aidou-san is with us, also, don't forget. We don't want to put her in danger - do we?"
"I'm not afraid." Aidou spoke up for herself this time, a frown touching her lips. "If this is the guy who burned down my village, and he's still looking for trouble, he may find he gets it."
"Oh boy...now I see the family resemblance." Chichiri's lips twitched into a rueful smile. "All right, then. We'll go, you know? I know where he is, roughly. But if it looks like he wants a fight, Tasuki, let's make sure that we don't witness a second burning settlement in as many days, all right? We have no way of knowing what kind of state his mind is in at the moment."
"What do you mean, family resemblance?" Tasuki glanced at Aidou, then back at the monk, raising an eyebrow.
"It doesn't matter." Chichiri grinned, tightening his grip on his shakujou as he swept his kesa off his shoulders, setting it down on the ground. "And we'll go this way, this time. I'm using the kasa too often as it is."
"Just don't land us in a tree." Tasuki stepped cautiously onto the blue patterned cloak, and after a moment, Aidou followed his example. Chichiri shrugged.
"I'll do my best, you know." He said unconcernedly. "But that's part of the fun of it - not knowing where you'll end up."
"Chichiriiiiiii!"
As the monk cast his spell, his companion let out a yell of protest, but as Chichiri focused his magic on Hotohori's life force, they found themselves emerging at the edge of the city, surprising an old man with a rickshaw cart as they reappeared in front of him.
"Not bad, you know." Chichiri scooped up his kesa, dusting it down and casting his companions a playful smile. "We're almost right where he is - just a couple of blocks out. I'm quite impressed - I wasn't sure I'd get us even this close, to be honest...but I can sense him quite clearly now."
"What do you mean, you weren't sure? Chichiri!" Tasuki grabbed the monk's shirt roughly, but Chichiri laughed, pushing the irate bandit away.
"Relax." He ordered. "I'm only playing with you - lighten up a little bit, will you?"
Tasuki frowned.
"Yeesh, what's wrong with me today?" He demanded. Chichiri shrugged.
"Karma." He said simply. "I told you - something in the air. You need to be on your guard against negative emotions a little more, Tasuki-kun. You're far too open to them at the moment. I don't know what it is, exactly - but I'm sure that something isn't quite as it should be."
"Fine. Whatever." Tasuki nodded his head, glancing around him. "Where is his Highness, anyway? I mean, when you say a coupl'a blocks, you mean that, right? Not half a city away?"
"If I'm right, I think he should be somewhere over that way...towards the city perimeter." Chichiri pointed. "I'm not that inaccurate, you know - give me a little credit for aim, at the very least. I didn't want to land right on top of him, just in case it was some kind of trap...I figured we'd do better having the element of surprise."
"That makes sense." Aidou reflected. "And this is definitely the man who fired our village, Chichiri-san?"
"Yes." Chichiri confirmed. "But Aidou-san, promise me you won't try and tackle him. If last night was deliberate, he could hurt you - and with the power he has as one of Suzaku's own, he could probably hurt you quite a lot. And if it was an accident - or because he's confused - he may lash out unexpectedly. Please, give me your word...neither Tasuki or I want to see anything happen to you. In fact, I'd appreciate it if you'd stay here, in the city, where it's busy and you're less likely to be in danger. We'll come back and find you once we've ascertained any danger - you have a cool head, and it might be that, if there is a risk, you'll be of more use to people here than if you were to follow us out."
Aidou's expression softened, and she nodded her head.
"All right." She agreed. "Since you put it so nicely, I'll do as you say."
Chichiri grinned, rummaging in the folds of his outfit for some coins, and holding them out to her.
"If you could find us some food, we'd both be grateful." He added. "You're far more experienced with markets than either of us, and it's getting late."
"I think I can manage that." Aidou agreed. "I won't pretend I'm not hungry, too. Just don't get yourselves killed, huh? I don't want to buy food for someone if they're not going to come back in one piece to eat it."
Chichiri chuckled, dropping the coins into her outstretched palm, and she dimpled back, turning on her heel and heading towards the still busy market stalls that were plying their wares not far ahead.
"How the hell do you do that?" As the two Suzaku Seishi made their way in the direction Chichiri had indicated, the bandit nudged him with his elbow, sending him an incredulous glance. "If I'd said that - even if I'd said it the way you did - she'd have blacked my eye or somethin'!"
"The difference is, Tasuki-kun, that you wouldn't have said it like that." Chichiri's good eye twinkled with amusement. "I told you. If you were just a little more tactful, you'd get a lot less bruised."
"I can't help being direct. It's just the kind of man I am." Tasuki objected. "I give it straight, that's all."
"Then you should be prepared for the consequences." Chichiri shrugged. "Sometimes truth hurts."
Tasuki's eyes narrowed.
"Come to think of it, where did that money come from, anyway?" He asked suspiciously. "You don't usually carry coin like that with you. Chichiri, did you raid Reikaku-zan before we left on this little trip?"
"Ask me no questions and I'll tell you no lies." Chichiri said serenely. "It's going to feed you, isn't it? You shouldn't complain."
He paused, holding up his hands as they reached the edge of the street, and Tasuki obediently halted his stride, frowning as snippets of a conversation drifted across towards them.
"Shit." He muttered. "I'm having delusions now...that girl's hauntin' my brain, I swear it!"
"Tasuki?" Chichiri stared at him, non-plussed, and Tasuki pulled a face.
"Anzu." He replied. "I swear...for a moment there, I could hear her voice."
"Well, I suppose that's logical." Chichiri said with a shrug, eying him with a wicked smile. "That she'd be so easily in your thoughts...you know?"
"Chichiri, if you want to be brained with a large metal fan, you're goin' the right way towards it."
"You're so sensitive about women." Chichiri sighed, shrugging his shoulders. "Besides, you're not hallucinating. That is Anzu's voice - she's here."
"In Eiyou?" Tasuki's eyes almost fell out of his head. "What the hell? Why is she here, of all places? Is she stalking me?"
"She was here before us, so that seems unlikely, you know." Chichiri chuckled. "But since she's here, you can come and ask her."
"Hell, I don't care about Anzu!" Tasuki retorted. "We're here to find his Highness - not pander to some girl's weird behaviour!"
"That's not a problem." Chichiri said evenly. "Hotohori-sama is with her."
"What?" Tasuki looked flawed, and Chichiri spread his hands.
"Seems your girl has found our lost stray before we did. I'm impressed." He reflected.
"She is not my damn girl!" Tasuki exclaimed, sending a couple of scavenging birds fluttering into the sky at his yell, screeching raucously in protest at the sudden disturbance.
"So much for the element of surprise." Chichiri shook his head in resignation, gesturing for his friend to follow him across the uneven terrain towards the source of the voices. "Although I think it's all right, you know? If Anzu is with him, and she's all right - I think maybe His Highness has come back to himself, at least somewhat."
"He'd damn well better have done." Tasuki said grimly. "Dammit, is that girl stupid? She knows he fired a village, so what, she goes looking for him, on her own?"
"The levels people will go to for true love." Chichiri bantered, and Tasuki frowned, sending his companion a sidelong glance as he completely misread the monk's innuendo.
"Are you saying...Anzu and...Hotohori-sama?" He asked slowly. "Yeesh, that's just sick! He's married! He's dead! He's..."
"...Right over there." Chichiri interrupted calmly, as the tree under which the two travellers sat came into view. At the sight of them, Tasuki faltered, his hand twitching towards his tessen as he registered the fact Anzu's arm was around Hotohori's shoulders.
"Anzu, dammit, are you crazy?" He demanded. "What are you doing! Get away from him, you idiot - you have no idea what he might do to you!"
"Genrou!" Anzu's eyes lit up with surprise. "Chichiri! Oh, it worked!"
"What worked?" Tasuki looked suspicious, his fingers still hovering in the direction of his weapon. "What are you talking about?"
"Hotohori-sama." Chichiri approached them, dropping down on the ground beneath the spreading tree branches as he cast the befuddled swordsman a grin. "You were trying to find me, then - that was Anzu's idea, wasn't it? That's what she means."
"Chi...chiri?" Hotohori frowned, his brow creasing in confusion, and Chichiri nodded his head.
"So you do know who I am. I wondered about that." He said pensively. "I'm glad we found you - and that you're in one piece. More or less."
"Wait a minute, wait just one minute!" Tasuki held up his hands. "Can someone explain to me what's going on here? Last night, this guy burnt down my village. Today, everyone's hugging him and actin' buddy-buddy like it never even happened?"
Hotohori looked stricken, and Chichiri frowned, sending the bandit an admonishing glance.
"Don't shout. Just because Anzu is hugging him, there's no need for that." He said sternly.
"This has nothing to do with goddamn Anzu! What about my village?!"
"I...I don't remember." Hotohori said softly. "Anzu-san told me...and I am truly sorry if I caused harm. I do not...I do not recall."
"It's not his fault, Genrou." Anzu got to her feet, coming to the bandit's side as she raised a pleading gaze to his. "You know that, deep down, don't you? You wouldn't believe at first that Hotohori-sama was able to do something like that - you didn't believe it was him. You know he wouldn't hurt your village...and really, he's been nothing but kind to me. He saved me from some slave traders, when I thought I was in a real jam. So please don't be angry with him. I know he didn't mean what happened last night."
"That doesn't rebuild the village." Tasuki said quietly, and Hotohori dropped his gaze.
"If I were still Saihitei, and still able to make such decisions, I would do whatever I could to restore the damage I have caused." He said soberly. "But if there is anything I can do, even in this form, that will help - please, you have only to ask me. I...I do not wish to be the cause of people's pain."
Tasuki stared at him for a moment. Then he swore, shaking his head.
"You sound like Hotohori-sama." He admitted. "And you...you look like him, now, without that crazed look in your eyes. So what, were you trippin' on some wild drug or somethin' last night? Chichiri said he thought you were havin' some kind of delusion - is that true?"
"He was dreaming." Anzu said quietly. "About a battle against Kutou. He mentioned a man wearing armour - with a dragon on his helmet. The Emperor...Saihitei-sama was killed in conflict against Kutou, wasn't he? I think...I think he was remembering that."
"But if I am dead...how can I be here, in this form, with all of you?" Hotohori looked non-plussed. "With my memories so shunted out of place, and my heart so full of confusion? I don't understand...why has this occured? Am I truly Hotohori - or is this just another strange dream created in the mind of a deluded man?"
"This is real, you know." Chichiri reached out a hand to haul the other man to his feet. "And you're definitely real, too. You're not a spirit any more, but I can't say you've been reborn, either. I'm starting to think that that's part of the point - that this world still needs Suzaku's warriors in some way. So this existance - this body - is probably not permanent. I also wouldn't say it's necessarily living. That's why you're so disjointed, I think. You're out of sync, because you shouldn't really be here."
"Then I was Emperor of Kounan." Hotohori said heavily. "And I did die in battle against Kutou, as Anzu-san has just said. These memories are real?"
"Yes, they are." Chichiri nodded gravely, and Hotohori raised sad eyes to the monk's gentle gaze.
"In which case, Houki is not an illusion either, is she?" He murmured. "And the baby she protects...these are truly my wife and child? I really have abandoned my family for the sake of defending Kounan?"
"Not abandoned." Chichiri shook his head. "You made a sacrifice to protect them, and they know that. Houki-sama still believes you're protecting her, Hotohori-sama. She said as much, when we spoke to her - she said that it makes her feel safe. And your son is growing up secure and well within the palace walls - he will be a fine Emperor when he is old enough to take the responsibility. But right now, Kounan needs you again. You, and us, and the others. Even if you don't remember everything, if you remember me, you must remember something about being one of Suzaku's chosen."
"I...I do." Hotohori acknowledged. He gestured at Tasuki, who was still looking a little bemused by the whole situation.
"When Anzu-san described you to me, I remembered you, also. Fighting for your country, a sword in your hand." He added. "And when she called Chichiri by name, I recalled it clearly, that we had been acquaintances. That I bear the mark of Suzaku and I must also bear its burdens."
He frowned, then nodded his head.
"I will do what I can to help, if it can make amends even a little for the atrocity I have apparently committed on your home." He added, and at the contrition in his voice, Tasuki sighed, slowly shaking his head as he clapped a hand down on the Emperor's shoulder.
"Forget it." He said frankly. "That weren't you. This is. Even if you are dead and propped up by some weird magic. This is the Hotohori-sama I remember."
"Then we should find Aidou, and leave Eiyou." Chichiri suggested. "If she's managed to find food, we can eat outside the city, and then work out our next move."
"We're not going back to Reikaku-zan?" Anzu looked startled.
"Hey, what's this 'we'?" Tasuki rounded on her. "What are you even doin' here? I told you to stop behind with Kouji - don't you listen?"
"I wanted to help you. And I did. I found Hotohori." Anzu said firmly, tossing her head at the tone in his voice. "Don't yell at me. I did you a favour, didn't I? And I'm not going back there without you. I told you that's why I came back to Kounan - because I wanted to be alongside you. And I'm going to be - whether you like it or not."
"Anzu, this is not a picnic!" Tasuki exclaimed. "It's dangerous, dammit! It's not a trip for girls!"
"Then why is Aidou allowed to come, huh?" Anzu put her hands on her hips, looking petulant. "Because you're too scared of your big sister to say no? If she can come, I can come. And if you try and send me back to Reikaku-zan alone, I won't go. I'll just follow you out again."
"You were stalking me!"
"No, I was looking for you. It's a different thing!"
Chichiri sighed, sending the bewildered Hotohori a long-suffering smile.
"Young love." He said flippantly. "What can you do?"
A buzz of flame flared across towards them at this, and Chichiri nimbly jumped back from it's blast, pulling the former Emperor with him as he turned to send Tasuki an admonishing glare.
"You really shouldn't wave that thing around so near a built up area.. I told you - we've had enough fire." He said firmly, as sparks flickered from the tessen's razor sharp edges. "Put it away, you know? We'll find Aidou, and then we'll find somewhere to camp. If Anzu wants to come, then I have no objections. As she said, Aidou-san is already with us - and besides, she's probably safer with us than trying to go back to the mountain alone at night. You know that."
"Fine." Tasuki glowered, but he reluctantly re-sheathed his tessen, folding his arms. "But you're taking responsibility. This wasn't my decision."
"All right." Chichiri nodded. "If you want."
"So why aren't we going back to the mountain?" Anzu asked curiously, as they made their way back towards the centre of the city in search of Tasuki's determined elder sister.
"Because we've only found His Highness so far." Chichiri answered simply. "Whatever's happening in this world, Anzu - the re-emergence of Seishi who are meant to be dead, the negativity in the atmosphere, the disappearing stars...all of these things are connected, I'm sure. And it's connected to us, I'm sure of that, too. Tamahome isn't here, but if Hotohori-sama is, the others must be. I've felt Nuriko's chi on and off for the last few days, although I'm starting to think he's on the move, which is why it's been so difficult for me to pin-point. We need to find the other Seishi - for two reasons. One, in case they pose a danger to people, stuck in confused states like his Highness. And two, because I think resolving this problem is going to take as much Suzaku-driven strength as we can muster. Even without Tamahome, we must be able to do something - but only if we act as a team."
Tasuki frowned, glancing between his companions. Then he shrugged.
"Which means we've got some serious searchin' to do." He said quietly. "What are we waitin' for? Let's go."