Chapter Sixteen

"It will feel good to be finally going home."

Aoiketsu glanced at his reflection briefly in the mirror as he pulled his long dark hair into its usual warrior's queue, frowning as he cast his friend a glance. "Maichu, are you getting up this morning? Hyoushin-sama said he wanted to leave Hengei as early as possible. We've a full day's ride before we get to Kaidou."

"That's all very well for you to say." Maichu grimaced, sitting down on his bed as he pulled on his riding boots. "You don't mind getting on that death trap. Me, I've absolutely no wish to go anywhere near Kaidou or the damn boat any time soon. Once in a lifetime is enough for this soldier - trust me. I'm not built to float and that's that!"

Aoiketsu laughed, shaking his head in amusement as he surveyed his friend. It was early the next morning, and somehow, with the fresh light of day he felt bright and optimistic about the journey to come. Despite the dangers, after all, they had retrieved the treasures they had set out for, and soon would be setting foot once more on Eastern soil.

"You're such a wimp. It's only seven days, if that...and Suiko controls the waves so there's no danger." He said now. "I heard you last night, begging Hyoushin-sama to take us through the mountain path to Kounan and back home that way. You make such a fuss."

"You shut your face, Mr "I Puked On The Mountain."" Maichu picked up his sword, jabbing it warningly in his companion's direction before slipping it into its scabbard. "You weren't so smug when Miramu came out of the cave bleeding, now were you? Kayu told me you heaved your guts up good and proper...I can't believe you did that in front of that assassin, of all people! God knows what he thinks Kutou's soldiers are made of now!"

"He probably saw." Aoiketsu said smartly. "Besides, probably thanks to your big mouth, he already knew that I was squeamish. And at least, when I am, it's only for brief periods. Not a full seven day stretch - you're far worse than me."

He reached across to cuff his friend lightly across the back of the head.

"Get a move on, you ape, else we won't get any breakfast and I hate riding on an empty stomach."

"Okay, okay. I'm ready." Maichu grumbled, dragging his own wavy hair into a loose tail as he got to his feet. "Yeesh, you are in a hurry to get off."

"I want to go home, I suppose." Aoiketsu reflected. "It's always weird, being away from Kutou. And let's face it, Hokkan and Sairou aren't the nicest holiday destinations in the world."

"Tell me about it." Maichu acknowledged ruefully. "Snow enough to freeze anyone's hide or dust dry enough to rot your eyes. In comparison, the civil war seems fairly minor. I swear more people probably die in these so called peaceful places from the ugly climatic issues. Either that, or they're made of steel or somethin' like it. I swear, I don't understand how folk can even live in a place as dry an' barren as Sairou. On balance, I think I even prefer Hokkan. At least if you melt the snow, there's water."

"True enough." Aoiketsu reflected. "Which is why the sooner we get moving, the better."

"Are you guys actually getting up this morning?" At that moment, the door was flung open to reveal Kayu, his dark eyes bright with excitement as he gazed from one young man to the other impatiently. "You're the last - Hyoushin-sama sent me to get you. He wants to talk to you - and me -about something, before we leave. And he's getting pretty pissed at how long you're taking, too!"

"The Commander doesn't get pissed." Maichu said frankly. "And you could learn to knock, Kayu. I might've been indecent."

"You spend most your life bein' indecent, but with Aoi as a room-mate, I figured it was pretty safe." Was Kayu's response. "Even you wouldn't be so brazen as to slip a tavern whore in here under his nose."

"Damn right he wouldn't." Aoiketsu said darkly, and Maichu snorted.

"None of the women in Sairou are that attractive, anyway." He reflected. "The only one even vaguely pretty was that Toroki dame - and she was a scary-ass witch."

"Too true." Kayu shivered, shaking his head. "But the Commander said we weren't to dwell on her. Come on, will you? He mightn't be yelling or stamping his feet, but it doesn't mean he ain't fed up...he's starting to get that look in his eyes."

"Do you think we're in trouble?" Aoiketsu asked hesitantly, as the three men hurried down the main stairs towards the solar where their Commander was awaiting them alone, the rest of the party being engaged with breakfast. Kayu shrugged his shoulders.

"No idea, but I got the feeling he wasn't one hundred percent keen on whatever it was." He said. "I think he reported back to the Emperor last night - probably. Maybe it's orders from him...direct from headquarters."

"Maybe." Maichu pursed his lips. "Though I can't imagine that'd piss Hyoushin-sama off. He doesn't ever seem too worried by things the Emperor tells him to do."

"Well, maybe not." Kayu admitted. "But even so..."

He shrugged.

"You see for yourself." He said eventually, as they reached the door of the solar. He raised his hand, knocking sharply on the door, and at the commander's call, he swung it open, leading his companions inside.

As they crossed the threshold, Hyoushin turned from where he had been gazing out of the window, eying each man in turn. He pursed his lips.

"It seems that you require more time than your companions to dress in the morning." He murmured softly, and although there was no active reproach in his tones, the flicker in his amethyst eyes conveyed his disapproval. "You aren't usually so slow back home in Kutou - I trust this is a temporary state of affairs?"

"It's my fault, sir. I was slow getting up - Aoi was chivvying me." Maichu said honestly. "To be truthful, the thought of getting on that boat again...I guess it made me sleep in, or somethin'."

"Ah yes. The boat." Hyoushin's expression became thoughtful. Then he smiled slightly, nodding his head. "Then my news will be pleasant for you at the very least, Maichu."

"News, sir?" Aoiketsu looked startled. "Has something happened?"

"No, not yet." Hyoushin shook his head. "It is more that I have a specific mission for you three to carry out. Particularly you, Aoiketsu."

"Me?" Aoiketsu frowned. "What kind of a mission, Commander?"

"I will come to that in just a moment." Hyoushin's gaze flitted between Kayu and Maichu, then he nodded his head.

"The pair of you will not be accompanying us back to Kaidou today." He said softly, and Kayu's eyes opened wide with dismay.

"Not..." He faltered. "But why...?"

"We're not getting on that damn boat?" Maichu demanded. "Are you serious, sir? You're really not making me go through that again?"

"I have another task in mind." Hyoushin shook his head. "Kayu, do not look so distressed. You are in no trouble - on the contrary, this is a mission with the Emperor's direct blessing. I have asked his permission to deploy you three in this manner, and he has accepted your trustworthiness and suitability for the task. Therefore you should take pride - your King has faith in you."

"The Emperor." Aoiketsu murmured, and Hyoushin nodded.

"Indeed." He agreed. "And it is a mission of some delicacy. It involves entering enemy territory, and there is some personal risk in doing so. You are all three going to cross the border into the southern lands - Aoiketsu, you will leave immediately. Kayu and Maichu, you will remain here in Hengei a further day, and then track across the border yourselves. If possible I want you to avoid the toll path that leads to the bandit mountains of Reikaku-zan and Kaou-zan."

"We're going to Kounan?" Kayu's eyes almost fell out of his head. "For real?"

"Yes, you are." Hyoushin confirmed. "But I am relying on your discretion. Your presence there must not be unearthed - you are travelling undercover, and as such, your true identities as soldiers of Kutou's army must not be discovered. It is not so long since we were in a war situation with Kounan, and now their Emperor is of age, we do not wish to antagonise him into avenging the death of his father. After all, Lord Saihitei is said to have martyred himself for Kounan on the battlefield against Kutou's Shougun and his army. Such a memory is not one we wish to stir."

"So we're going as spies?" Excitement glittered in Maichu's eyes, and despite himself, Hyoushin's lips twitched into another faint smile.

"To be strictly accurate, Aoiketsu will be the only true spy." He reflected. "Maichu, you and Kayu will be his point of contact. I wish you to station yourselves in convenient positions - you will cross into Kounan together, but once there, Maichu will head to Eiyou, and Kayu, I think it best you travel to the town known as Kahou. You will receive Aoiketsu's reports and convey them back to Kutou. I wish you to carry this task out in person - which is why I am deploying two of you. You will meet, compare notes and then one of you will travel East to pass the information on to us. The other will remain in position to gather more information. I will be trusting both of you to adjudge the situation as best you can in terms of your own security and of course, Aoiketsu's. He will, after all, be taking the most risks."

"I'm...to be...a spy?" Aoiketsu asked faintly, and Hyoushin met his gaze with an even one of his own.

"Yes." He agreed. "And shortly I will discuss with you a little further what it is I want from you. Maichu, Kayu, before we depart this place, I will make sure you both have maps of the area you will be going. It will be up to you to make contact with Aoiketsu through whatever means available, without generating suspicion - do you understand the mission I have assigned you?"

"So long as I don't have to get on a boat, I'll do anything." Maichu said fervently. "It's understood, sir."

"Kayu?"

"Yes, Commander." Kayu nodded his head. "I understand - I'm to go to Kahou and receive information."

"You and Maichu will be able to discuss your own rendezvous procedure on your ride south tomorrow." Hyoushin agreed. "I wish to get Aoiketsu into Kounan before you two are mobilised, so you will have time to plan before you leave. I am placing great faith in you both - and the skills you possess. So is the Emperor. We believe you both creative and capable enough to carry out this task without complication...do not let us down."

"Yes, sir." As one, the two young soldiers saluted, and Hyoushin inclined his head in acknowledgement of their gesture.

"Then you are dismissed." He said softly, and after exchanging looks, the two men withdrew from the solar, leaving Hyoushin alone with the dazed Aoiketsu.

For a moment there was silence, then,

"You want me to go south and spy on the people in Kounan, sir?" Aoiketsu found his voice, eying his Commander in some confusion. "Has something happened - is this to do with what Miramu said the other night?"

"Somewhat." Hyoushin nodded. "The truth is, Aoiketsu, Kounan are always an unknown quality. All we do know, truly, is that somehow they have had insider information we have not had. Certainly they knew the location of Seiryuu's Shinzahou before we did, and it seems they were also aware of Byakko's, too. More than that, they have enlisted the help of Byakko's guardian Seishi Toroki - what their appeal is, I do not know. But it has been agreed that before we venture south in search of Suzaku's own treasure, we must fully know our opposition."

"I see." Aoiketsu's expression became grave. "And that's where I come in?"

"Yes." Hyoushin agreed. "After discussion, the Emperor and I feel you are the best choice for this role."

"I don't understand why, sir." Aoiketsu admitted. "I mean, I know I'm a good fighter - but I'm useless in a battle situation. We both know that."

"If you would strengthen your will, Aoiketsu, I am sure you would find you had a genetic predisposition to combat skill." Hyoushin said cryptically, and Aoiketsu frowned.

"You say that," He began. "But..."

"I wish you to go there under a different premise, however." Hyoushin interrupted, before Aoiketsu could ask the fateful question. "I wish to make use of your other attributes."

"My other...?"

"Your identity as Kaiga Aoiketsu." Hyoushin smiled faintly. "The orphaned son of a destroyed noble family. I have complete trust in you, Aoiketsu. So does the Emperor. Your loyalty to Kutou has never been in doubt - which is another good reason we are sending you, even though there are significant risks should you be discovered. We do not consider our enemies to be fools - for this reason, your cover must be as convincing as possible. And so we have decided to send you into this situation as your own self - with a few modified details to better suit the situation."

He gestured to Aoiketsu's right hand.

"You have always worn that ring, since your finger was big enough to bear it." He added. "It was your mother's keepsake to you, which is your reasoning, I know. But it once belonged to Kaiga Gin as head of the Kaiga family. It is genuine, and will suggest to anyone who sees it that you are indeed a surviving son of that massacred family. I wish you to play on this - to pass yourself off as a hunted exile and the enemy of the Emperor and his army because of your blood connections. You have been well educated, and have good court manners when you choose to use them, on account of your unusual childhood situation. You are familiar with the geography of the four lands, and you have always had a quick memory for details and directions. Your fighting skill will only become a necessity if you are threatened - and I do not feel that is likely so long as you stick to the facts you already know about the Kaiga family and estate."

Aoiketsu's brows knitted together, as he absently fingered the ring on his middle finger.

"You talk about them as if I'm pretending to be Kaiga Aoiketsu now." He murmured. "Which is the truth, Commander? Am I him, or am I not?"

"For the purpose of this exercise, that speculation is unecessary." Hyoushin said pragmatically. "From this moment on, you are as I have just told you. Repeat it to me, please. I wish to know you have understood."

Aoiketsu sighed, but nodded his head.

"I'm the orphaned son of the Kaiga family, whose estate was destroyed by Kintsusei-sama and the Shougun's army during the war with Kounan." He said slowly. "And I'm in exile because I'm the surviving heir to the land - and so people want me dead."

"Correct." Hyoushin agreed approvingly. "Good."

"And I'm going to be seeking shelter in Kounan?"

"Well, there is a slightly unpleasant part of this task, too." Hyoushin admitted. "I am sending you south with Miramu as escort - he already knows the detail of this mission, and will accompany you as far as Reikaku-zan's surrounding territory."

"Miramu?" Aoiketsu stared. "Why, sir? I thought you didn't trust him?"

"I don't, but I trust you - and your skill to evade harm." Hyoushin said softly. "Besides, Kounan have allied themselves with Toroki. She told me herself that she is able to detect Miramu's presence. This, I feel, is a useful thing to know and to take advantage of."

"I don't understand." Aoiketsu looked confused. "Why would it be at all good for them to know I was in Miramu's company?"

"Because as an exile, I imagine you might be hunted by assassins." Hyoushin said evenly. "Particularly those who are already in the pay of Kutou's crown."

Aoiketsu's eyes narrowed as he absorbed this, and slowly he nodded his head.

"I follow." He murmured. "Miramu's the final piece of evidence that my life is in danger. The reason I've fled south is to escape from him."

"Yes." Hyoushin confirmed.

"And while I'm there - what is it exactly you want me to discover?"

"You have no complaints, then, with the mission I am assigning you?"

"No, sir. If it's the Emperor's will, and a direct order, I'll do it." Aoiketsu shrugged his shoulders. "If it will help Kutou's cause, you know I'll do what I have to. Even if it's unusual."

"That's what I hoped you'd say." Hyoushin reflected. "Very well. As for the information - any information you can discover on the whereabouts of Kounan's treasures - the Shinzahou and the relic - these are of great importance. Also, though, I wish you to discover whatever you can about the Suzaku Shichi Seishi. And...and the girl that aligns herself with them...the one they call Hikari."

"Hikari." Aoiketsu repeated thoughtfully. "That's the girl Miramu was mentioning, wasn't it?"

"Yes." Hyoushin inclined his head. "Whatever it is he isn't telling us - or whatever he doesn't know - I would like to. I feel sure I can trust you to relay this information to me."

"I will do my best." Aoiketsu promised.

"Then go with Miramu and infiltrate Suzaku's people as best you can." Hyoushin instructed. "As you heard, Kayu and Maichu will be in situe within a day or two, and I will instruct them to make themselves known to you by some means when they are. Your method of relaying information will be your own devising - your secret must be well protected, if you are to succeed and to evade capture."

"Yes, sir." Aoiketsu nodded, raising his hand in a salute. "I understand."

"Then you should eat, and prepare to leave." Hyoushin told him, and Aoiketsu almost thought he saw a faint flicker of regret in the Commander's eyes. He frowned.

"Sir, is it all right that I go?" He asked hesitantly, and the Meihi nodded.

"It is the Emperor's will, and my decision." He agreed. "We will be relying on you - before we can enter Kounan, we will need much more information than we have know. They are not an enemy to be taken lightly...as our history has proven."

"Well, I'll find out what I can." Aoiketsu said resolutely. "About the treasures and the girl, sir - you and the Emperor can both count on me!"

---------

So this was how it was.

Tasuki stood on the mountain ledge, leaning up against the trunk of a sturdy tree as he cast his gaze across the landscape that sprawled below them. From his vantage point, he could clearly see both Souun and the five villages that dotted around the foot of Reikaku-zan's great lupine expanse, and as he glanced at them, he sighed, realising he wasn't watching over them as Genrou of the mountain, but rather Tasuki of the Suzaku Shichi Seishi.

"We will protect Kounan, Jin." He murmured, turning away from the view as he paced the stony, uneven pathway back towards his original destination. True to Toroki's words, the carriage train bearing Jin's remains had arrived the previous evening and, mindful of the heat and the distress the situation had caused, Tasuki had decreed that he be buried right away on the slopes of the mountain he had loved so much. Stone from the mountain had already been heaved free by that time, with half a dozen strong bandits working on it tirelessly to fashion a basic coffin, and consequently a rough-edged stone casket stood in a woody clearing, steadied at its base by several larger rocks. In time, Tasuki knew, the grave would be covered in the same way as Hakurou's and Reirei's, to protect it from the elements. But such projects took time, and although men would begin on it that morning, somehow the whole endeavour felt hollow.

Slowly he set his hand down atop the stone lid.

"I ain't mad at you, kid." He murmured. "An' we will avenge this. I promise we will. We'll bring Hikari back to Reikaku-zan, any way we can. An' Shishi - I promise, you ain't gotta worry about Shishi."

He frowned, closing his eyes as now, in the solitude of the early morning he finally let his own tears fall. As Kashira, he had somehow found the will to remain strong during the previous day's events, but now, with the task completed, there was no longer anything to distract him, and he clenched his fists, allowing the tears to run freely down his cheeks.

All too clearly in his mind he remembered the first day he and Kouji had met the young boy, scavenging and stealing on the streets of Souun, and even then, despite his rough manners and obstinacy, Tasuki had seen real bandit potential in the waif and stray. When the six year old Jin had taken them back to the dishevilled shelter in which he had been staying, both Tasuki and Kouji had been struck by the barren nature of the building, and more, by the still, sleeping corpse of the boy's mother laying motionless in her bed. Kouji had immediately suggested bringing Jin to the mountain, clearly remembering his own family's death, and Tasuki had been quick to agree, giving a coin to the neighbouring tenants to see to the unfortunate woman's burial.

"You were determined to defend her, even though she beat you and cursed your existence." Tasuki murmured, running his fingers along the top of the casket. "An' I promised her, too, that we'd see you all right. Guess I ain't so good at keeping promises as I thought I was. I hate that. I hate it. I hate seein' Anzu cry. I hate seein' Shishi cry, too. But I...I don't blame you for it, Jin. After all, I taught you well. An' you were...only carryin' out my orders. Protect them, I told you...what the hell else would you do, but obey me?"

"It's not your fault either, you know."

A soft voice from the greenery startled him and he swung around, seeing Chichiri standing watching him. His brows drew together as he registered the sorcerer's shakujou clutched between his fingers, his kesa slung over his shoulders and his kasa on his head.

"What are you doing here?" He murmured, and Chichiri's gaze softened.

"I thought we'd go to Taiitsukun." He said quietly. "And ask her to explain everything we don't already know."

Tasuki was silent for a moment, then,

"Whatever the hell she says, she ain't gonna bring him back." He said flatly. "I won't forgive her for that."

Chichiri sighed, resting a hand on his friend's shoulder.

"I came for another reason, too." He admitted. "I knew...yesterday, you had to stay firm for Anzu and Shishi, and for the other bandits. If they'd seen you lose your composure and break down, it'd have caused panic. But I knew you'd have to let it out sometime. And I was worried about you. That's all."

"Heh." Tasuki snorted, shaking his head. "I'm all right, Chichiri. Life goes on, doesn't it? I should be used to this by now."

"You never get used to burying the ones you love." Chichiri said seriously. "I do understand that, you know. I've been there many times myself."

"Yes, I know." Tasuki admitted, raising his bronze gaze to meet the sorcerer's ruby one. "I just...when we took him in...I never..."

"Jin made a choice." Chichiri said softly. "Listen to me, Tasuki. Jin knew what he was doing. And even though he probably knew people would be upset by that choice, in the end he made the right one. His death is a tragedy for you and your people here on the mountain. But it also serves another function. If anything happened to Hikari, this world would be doomed. Everyone. Shishi. Anzu. The whole of the mountain. Everyone. I think, from what Shishi and Myoume both have said, that Jin weighed that up clearly in his mind before he made any decisions. And I'm sure he didn't go into battle with Amefuri with the desire to die. More, I think he probably did it with the desire to make sure all those people he loved didn't die. In the immediate sense, it was Hikari he was protecting. But by protecting her, he's protecting everyone. Including the people who took him in when he had noone else to turn to."

He offered the bandit a slight, grave smile.

"In his own way, I suppose, he's repaying you for that." He murmured softly. "So we have to keep going. For his sake. No matter how much it hurts."

"I already decided that." Tasuki nodded, reaching up to brush away the tears. "As Tasuki, I ain't got any other choice. But Hikari still ain't here, is she? Have you had any luck contacting her?"

"Not yet." Chichiri shook his head, frustration glittering in his ruby eye. "I was hoping that Taiitsukun might help us with that, too."

"If there's anything left of her when I'm done." Tasuki muttered. "Necessary sacrifice or not, Chichiri, I ain't happy with it."

"Noone would expect you to be." Chichiri said evenly. "You were as much his father as I am Eiju's, after all. Even if it wasn't a blood connection. I know what you've lost."

He sighed, gazing up at the clear blue sky.

"I wonder how Shishi will be, this morning." He murmured. "In some ways, it will hit her harder than it's even done you or Anzu. She's never really known the mountain without him, has she? I wonder if it's wise to keep her involved in any of this, when Hikari finally does come back."

"Anzu doesn't want her to be." Tasuki shook his head, as they turned away from Jin's grave, heading slowly back along the mountain path towards the bandit headquarters. "She's sort of accepted that it's not something I have any choice in, where my own involvement is concerned. But she says that Shishi's not a Seishi and that she can't lose her daughter within days of burying her son. Maybe she's right. Maybe it was reckless to send them in the first place."

"Myoume said that it was always going to be that way." Chichiri reflected.

"You've spent a lot of time talking with this Toroki girl, haven't you?" Tasuki shot him a sidelong glance, and Chichiri nodded.

"I wanted a full picture of what happened in Sairou." He agreed. "And she was fairly adamant that she had long since expected both Hikari and Shishi to come to her cave. The lion and the light, as she put it."

"Meaning what?"

"Well, Hikari isn't Suzaku no Miko - at least, right now, she's not." Chichiri frowned. "But she did come to this world to help save it. And because of that...I'm starting to feel like Shishi - and Jin, too - are like us in some ways where Hikari's safety is concerned. Hikari doesn't have Celestial Warriors she can call on, probably because she's not a true Miko. But even despite that, she still has acolytes...maybe even ones Suzaku chose. I've begun to wonder whether or not the reason Shishi and Hikari are drawn together is because of Shishi's Celestial blood after all."

Tasuki faltered, looking stricken.

"Because of me?"

"Yes." Chichiri agreed. "Even though they fought like hell to begin with, Tasuki...they've become very close very quickly. And don't forget, it was Shishi who originally found Hikari, when she first arrived in our world. I'd assumed it was us she was drawn to – but maybe I was wrong. Perhaps it was Shishi – in her own way, becoming a guardian of the Shinzahou just like you were a guardian of the Miko."

"Shit, you ain't serious!"

"Perfectly." Chichiri nodded. "For that matter, I've also noticed a bond beginning between Hikari and my own two children. It's as if the connection has spanned across a generation. Hikari is Miaka's daughter. Meikyo, Eiju and Shishi are Celestial children, just as she is. And Boushin, too - you didn't hear him, but he gave Hikari Hotohori-sama's shinken, and even expressed his regret at not being able to go to Sairou with them. Something in that girl draws out Suzaku's legacy in the people she meets. I'm sure of it."

"That doesn't explain Jin." Tasuki's brow furrowed, and he slowly shook his head. "Jin was just a bandit. A damn fine one...but that's all."

"True." Chichiri agreed. "But he'd aligned himself with you and with Shishi. For all you'd done for him - is it a stretch of the imagination to think he'd do whatever he could to repay you? He mightn't have had Celestial blood, Tasuki - but he grew up in Suzaku's shadow."

"Shit." Tasuki sighed. "Then this is even more messed up than I thought."

"Well, it does seem that Suzaku works in mysterious ways." Chichiri sighed. "There are a few things, though, that still bother me. Things Myoume has said and things I've come to realise on my own."

"Such as?"

"When Myoume's seen Hikari in her visions, she's not seen her as the Pheonix's embodiment. Just as light - pure and shining." Chichiri responded. "As if her significance was something...we didn't fully understand yet. Even though Suzaku's power is sealed within her, she hasn't fully embraced that role - that she's not yet become fully Suzaku's representative. And I wonder if that's why Taiitsukun was so negative about her being Suzaku no Miko. Because right now she's not there spiritually."

"Okay...let me pretend I understood that." Tasuki grimaced. "So because the kid can't use her magic, she's not able to do a damn thing to raise Suzaku? Right?"

"Something like that. At least, not right now." Chichiri agreed. "And the other thing is that, in Sairou, she couldn't sense the Shinzahou until she was right on top of it. Even then, she wasn't sure where it was. But in Hokkan, she was drawn to Seiryuu's. The difference was that you and I weren't in the West Country...I wonder if that matters. Hikari said herself that she thought she had some kind of connection to us - to me in particular. What if her magic is not strong enough to operate so far from Kounan?"

"Seems to me it's strong enough, if it can send her back to her world." Tasuki said frankly, and Chichiri sighed.

"Yes. That's true." He acknowledged. "Which is why I think it's time to talk to Taiitsukun."

"I'd like to come too, please, Chichiri."

As they reached the bandit base, they found the young prophet watching them, apprehension in her indigo eyes as she took in the sober expressions on the faces of the two Suzaku warriors. "If you don't mind. I'd like to come to Taikyoku-zan with you."

"Myoume." Chichiri looked startled, then, "Well, I don't see why you shouldn't. Tasuki...what do you think?"

"Whether she comes or not, it doesn't make a difference to me." Tasuki shook his head. "And however I feel, dammit, the priority now is to bring Hikari back to Kounan."

"Then it's decided. We'll all go." Chichiri nodded, bringing his fingers together before his face, his shakujou jingling in the sudden morning breeze. "I'll try and be as smooth as possible..hold tight, the both of you."

Tasuki clenched his fists tightly as the familiar whoosh of Chichiri's spiritual magic engulfed him, whirling them into the kasa and through time and space. For a moment, they seemed suspended in nothingness. Then, as the familiar, glittering landscape of Taikyoku-zan became visible, he let out his breath in a rush, steadying himself as they landed.

"Not bad, considering." Chichiri reflected. "Myoume, are you all right? I know this is a first time in my hat for you."

"I'm fine." Myoume assured him, gazing around her with wide eyes. "So this place...is Taikyoku-zan?"

"Yes." Chichiri agreed. "I trained here for three years, before the coming of Suzaku no Miko. It's one of the places I know to find best, you know."

"I've seen it before." Myoume murmured. "In my visions and dreams. But I didn't know that this was where it was. So many things...slowly a lot of things are making more sense since I came to Kounan. I think it was definitely the right choice to make, to ally myself with Suzaku's people."

"Fine words, Toroki."

A familiar voice echoed out of the surrounding landscape, causing all three Seishi to turn in surprise and Tasuki's brows knitted as he rested his gaze on the enigmatic Emperor of the Heavens.

"I want a damn explanation from you." He said coldly. "What the hell did you think you were doing, lettin' Jin get sent somewhere for him to get killed? Dammit, why didn't you tell us the half of it?"

"If I had, would you have still let him go?" Taiitsukun met the bandit's gaze evenly, and Tasuki snorted.

"Damn it, of course not!" He exclaimed, and Taiitsukun sighed, shaking her head resignedly as her heavy jowls wobbled from side to side.

"Then the whole thing would have been futile, wouldn't it?" She said softly. "I did not know that Jin would die. That there was a possibility of it - yes. That was why I urged Hikari to seek Toroki and follow her advice. Unfortunately, Jin seems to have decided against it. But in the end, the choice he made was not a bad one."

"Meaning what, you stupid old bag?" Tasuki's fingers stretched towards his tessen, as he bristled with fresh anger. "That was my son, dammit! My son! Do you understand that? Jin wasn't just one of your goddamn pawns - he was my friggin' son!"

"Tasuki..." Chichiri held up his hands, slowly shaking his head. "Don't, you know? There's nothing you can do to change it...not now."

"Chichiri is right." Taiitsukun agreed. "And as Tasuki of Suzaku, you should understand that sacrifices are a necessary part of life."

"Yes. My life. My life, Taiitsukun. Not his." Tasuki shook his head. "I'm Suzaku's Seishi. I've got the mark. Jin was just a bandit. Nothing else. He wasn't to do with this."

Taiitsukun smiled slightly, eying him pensively.

"You should be prouder of him for that fact." She said at length. "His death was unfortunate, but in the end, it prevented Hikari's own. The destruction of Suzaku no Shinzahou has far, far more wide reaching consequences than you realise. As Toroki has correctly told you, Sukunami Hikari is the only person who has any power to right this world. Without her active involvement, everything is doomed."

She frowned, eying Myoume keenly.

"You have seen it, have you not?" She murmured. "The extinguishing of the stars, one by one? The death and destruction that will stalk the lands?"

"Yes." Toroki nodded, a clouded look entering her indigo eyes. "I've seen it."

"As I thought." Taiitsukun frowned. "You bear Toroki's spirit strongly, Geiyo Myoume. Even if your brother renounces his duty as Amefuri, you have taken yours seriously. And I'm glad to see it. You understand, I think, better than your Suzaku brethren just what's at stake."

"Extinguishing the stars." Chichiri murmured. "Taiitsukun, do you mean...Kutou are going to...do the same thing to this world as what happened when Tamahome originally left it? His stars vanishing from the sky caused so much instability for Kounan. Are you saying..."

"That a dark power in the Eastern lands will choose to rip the constellations from the sky, and the Seishi's spirits from the land below." Taiitsukun nodded. "Yes. This is what I believe."

"One of tribal birth." Myoume whispered, and Tasuki shot her a confused glance.

"What the hell?" He demanded. "Tribal birth? What's that mean? Our enemy is the Emperor of Kutou - ain't it?"

"I don't know." Myoume admitted. "A lot of the things I see I don't understand until they're almost on top of me."

"Such is the gamble of Toroki's sight, child." Taiitsukun told her gently. "You do well, considering your youth and isolation. But now you have made the right choice. Tasuki and Chichiri have much experience, and in this, your final aim is the same. Your own lives - these can be sacrificed for the sake of the lands you serve. But your spirits, as Celestial Warriors, underpin the survival of this world. Without them, the Shijin-Tenchishou cannot operate. There can be no life here, without the twenty eight stellar souls that make up the sky."

"That's a concept we're familiar with." Chichiri reflected. "So it's pretty important we bring Hikari back here as soon as possible? Can we do that, Taiitsukun?"

"I'm sure you already know that the decision lies with the child herself." Taiitsukun said simply. "Just as it ever has, Chichiri."

"But we can reach her? Contact her?" Chichiri asked. "I've tried, using the timepiece Shishi had...but it's not been possible so far."

"You connected to the other world before to speak to Tamahome. Your brother in arms." Taiitsukun said softly. "I suggest that you try the same technique when attempting to reach Hikari."

"Meaning?" Tasuki demanded.

"Shishi." Myoume breathed. "That's it, isn't it? When I first met them, I noticed the strong bond Jin, Shishi and Hikari had forged between them. It was the reason why I tried so hard to prevent that vision from coming true. Shishi might be able to reach her - is that what you mean, Taiitsukun?"

"You are as smart as your predecessor." Taiitsukun bestowed the young woman with a smile. "Yes. Precisely that."

"But Hikari's connected to us as Suzaku Seishi - ain't she?" Tasuki looked confused. Taiitsukun nodded

"Yes." She agreed. "But she is not Suzaku no Miko. She is Suzaku no Shinzahou, but she is not Kounan's Miko. You must understand this, and understand it well."

"And Shishi might be able to reach her where I can't?" Chichiri looked thoughtful. "For spiritual reasons, Taiitsukun? Or simply because Hikari blames herself for Jin's death, and Shishi's the only one who might convince her it wasn't her fault?"

"Above all things, Hikari is a human child." Taiitsukun smiled. "And the word of a friend - of one who was there, one with whom she has forged a strong bond - will matter more than all the adult advice in the world."

"Then Shishi is involved, isn't she?" Tasuki sighed, and Taiitsukun nodded.

"Shishi must continue to support Hikari in her endeavours." She agreed. "Whatever the cost."

"And if I send my daughter into danger again, are you going to take her away from me too?" Tasuki demanded. "Or are you going to let Chichiri and I go too, the next time?"

"Your duty remains in Kounan." Taiitsukun said unsympathetically. "As well you know."

"It's all right, Tasuki." Myoume held up her hands. "Whatever they do, and wherever they go, I'll go with them. I'm not tied anywhere, not at the moment. And I'm not just another person. I'm a Seishi and I have power I can use to protect them. Besides..."

She glanced at her gloved fingers, then,

"If Amefuri was to return, I'd know." She added. "He can conceal himself from anyone and anything - such is his power. He can render himself invisible to the eyes and the senses both. But I...I can always see him. Because Toroki's sight is so wide-ranging, I always know when he's in the vicinity. And judging by his behaviour in Kitora's shrine, he does not seek a confrontation with me just yet. This being so, I'm pretty sure he'll keep his distance."

"Then it's decided." Taiitsukun murmured. "If and when you manage to bring Hikari back from her world."

With that she vanished, and Tasuki sighed, letting out a curse.

"Just as infuriating as ever." He muttered. "Dammit, why is it so important for Shishi to be involved, anyway?"

"Because she and Hikari are friends." Chichiri murmured. "And Hikari is, as Taiitsukun said, a fifteen year old girl. Some things are more important than just guardians, Tasuki. Taiitsukun is right. Hikari needs Shishi's support because they're of an age and they both understand what they've lost in Jin. Besides, I think Shishi needs Hikari too, at the moment. She's on her own, with Jin gone. She's never been given to making many friends, after all. Hikari is that...I think if we manage to bring them back together, it will be healing for both of them. And if Myoume is prepared to be their protector..."

"How strong are you, really?" Tasuki eyed the Byakko Seishi suspiciously, and Myoume shrugged, pulling her glove from her hands as she pressed her fingers together. She closed her eyes, then, as a white haze engulfed her form, she reached out her right hand, spreading the fingers as in the air before them, a faint haze of colour and light began to dance together to form pictures.

"What the...?" Tasuki faltered, staring in disbelief as the images became more vivid.

"This is the future of our world." Myoume said softly, and Tasuki's heart stilled in his chest as he registered the dead, barren land depicted before him. "For all people, rich and poor, old and young. Everywhere. This is my power, Tasuki. This is what I've seen since I was ten years old. And the thing I seek to prevent. Whatever it takes to do that is my goal. I will not hold back."

She lowered her hand, and the images faded.

"What the hell was that?" Tasuki whispered.

"Toroki's sight." Myoume smiled. "I am not just a fortune-teller, Tasuki. I have other gifts as well. And I will use them to the fullest to protect your daughter. You have my word. In Jin's absence, I will ensure no harm can come to her. I promise."

"Then let's go back to the mountain." Chichiri suggested. "I want to talk to Shishi...and see if she can help to bring Hikari back into the Shijin-Tenchishou."