Author Fangirling: Bwahaha. Evil is as evil does; our poor rusty warriors will have to deal with Miboshi yet. And they'll have to deal with Mayo now, too. Could fate be any more cruel?

As easy as Mayo is to hate on, she really is fun to write once you can embrace her as a character instead of just an annoying plot device created for the sake of expanding the already very stretched out FY canon. I hope to redeem her a bit later, but she's got a deeper hole to dig first. That's the only way some people learn.

Thanks for reading, and all reviews are lovingly read and reread!-Appa

The silence didn't seem to bother anyone as Boushin, Chiriko and Tasuki traveled back to the capital. Their horses clopped along for hours without anyone saying a word, and though Boushin was hungry, he kept his mouth shut. Seeing how late it had already gotten, it seemed they intended to travel throughout the night to reach the palace. Boushin got carried up in a daydream about surprising everyone by finding a way to summon Suzaku, and didn't notice himself start to nod off.

As he began sliding to one side, he caught himself and snapped back awake. Looking around to see if anyone noticed, he spotted a familiar face among the trees. "Juan?"

A single word stood out very well amidst hours of silence, and Chiriko and Tasuki both stopped. "What'd ya just say?"

"Nothing," he turned back. "I just thought I saw Juan over there. My mind is playing tricks on me."

"Yeah, it won't even take another hour to get back into the capital, so there's no way he could'a beaten us here."

"Right," he smiled and thought they'd keep going, but Chiriko's horse was still stopped. He had his lips pursed, staring in the direction Boushin had indicated. Before the boy could ask what was wrong, his counselor had charged off. Boushin and Tasuki, both startled, pointed their horses in that direction and followed.

Chiriko continued forward. It wouldn't surprise him at all if Miboshi had sought out Juan and followed them. For a being with such a vendetta, it had likely been his plan all along! When he heard laughter from right behind him, he reared on his horse, and there was Juan's form, floating in the air, holding the spindle much like the one Chiriko had once stabbed himself with. The scholar could do nothing but glower back at him.

"That's it?" he cocked his head back with a smile, and then pulled on his new cheek. "I thought you'd give me more of a reaction than that."

He said nothing, analyzing the situation as best he could. Unfortunately, his character had already disappeared immediately following that morning's battle, and even after ten years of mulling over it, he still didn't have a new approach to contain him. For lack of a better resource, he moved his hand for his scroll.

"That again?" Miboshi's grin changed to a glare. "You won't contain me with that again. Not now that I can see it coming."

"Why have you come back now?" he ignored that comment to buy himself time to think. "You could have come to haunt me anytime you wanted."

"We both know that things are moving now," he leaned in close to tease him, close enough to breathe on each other. "I've only come to keep an eye on you for now, since we both know you won't be touching me."

"I'm sure you won't be extending the same courtesy."

He laughed. "You haven't even made a move. Maybe I'll let you go first. See if you can surprise me," he flashed him one more grin before he disappeared. "Not that my patience will last long."

Left in silence, Chiriko was soon joined by his companions.

"Where'd you go?" the other warrior asked. "That was just a little outta nowhere, don't ya think?"

"I'm sorry. I don't know what came over me. Let's hurry and head back."

"Well… yeah. It's been a long day. How about you, Boushin? Ready to see home again?" he glanced over and saw the boy nodding off again.

By the time they reached the palace very late that night, Boushin's horse was tied behind Tasuki's, and the emperor was asleep on Tasuki's lap. The guards, although excited to see Tasuki again and have Boushin home safely, whispered greetings as they brought him inside to bed. Houki was alerted that they had returned, and she quickly put on a robe to go meet them in the hall, first examining her son's sleeping face and and stroking it gently before whispering excitedly to the warriors.

"Tasuki, it's been so long!"

"Heh heh, I'm surprised you still recognize me."

"You should have come to visit, you would be welcome! Will Chichiri be coming too?"

"Not yet, but hopefully soon."

"I have news for you," she beamed. "Suzaku may have been unsealed."

"Yes, we're aware," answered Chiriko.

"That's good," she smiled. "Then this girl from another world really might be the Priestess of Suzaku after all."

"The next morning, the Vessel of Suzaku awoke and thought she saw a face looking down at her, but as it disappeared, she surmised that she was merely coming out of a dream she could not remember."

"Sakaki, Sakaki, Sakaki… cut back over to Miaka already! This girl's not even doing anything! Doesn't this book know anything about plot? And, you know, moving it?"

"Geez, Tetsuya, you haven't taken your chill pill today."

"My girlfriend was stalked down by a crazy high school girl and sucked into a book that's already scarred her for life. What is there to be chill about?"

"Good point. It's not that we really want things to progress too fast, though, right?"

"I'm sure they're progressing. Who knows how much could have already happened elsewhere in this time?" he said, though what he really meant was, "Who knows what's happening to Yui?"

The poor priestess in question was being terrorized by five-year-olds. Kouei and Shuuei had taken an instant liking their "distant cousin," and had been showing her around the entire village. She had borrowed some clothes from Xi Fang, and Kaika's mother had bound her hair according to local customs. When Yui saw herself, she thought that even if someone from Kutou came looking for her, they might not even recognize her. An instant later, she noticed her reflection was smiling—maybe that was part of why she wouldn't be recognizable.

Her smile only kept getting wider throughout the day as the boys played tag with her and she taught them games that she used to play as a child. She hadn't relaxed and laughed quite so much since she had been playing those games with Miaka back in grade school. Closer to lunchtime, the twins raised their voices and shoved each other around, arguing over who would sit next to Yui. "I have two sides you can sit on, sillies," she giggled.

"I wonder if Kaika was like that when he was younger," their mother sighed after scooting them out the door, a bit worn out by their energy. Thinking the better of it an instant later, she looked to see if her mother-in-law was listening, but it didn't seem she was as she was.

You could not help but feel that the question was directed at her. "I never saw him and his brother together, so I never… I mean…"

"Please, you don't need to worry about having a past with him. We both know we had pasts with other people before we met each other."

"I see."

"Yes. Kaika doesn't remember her, but that dress you're wearing belonged to a girl he met here some time ago. His parents still remember her."

"Oh, is it? I thought it was yours."

"When I first met them, they made a lot of comments about the resemblance," she seemed embarrassed.

"Then you had someone before too?"

"In a way. My parents asked me to care for someone for them. Come to think of it, he was a celestial warrior as well. A Suzaku warrior."

"That's right. They had come to Sairou some time ago."

"Tamahome. Perhaps you knew him?"

"Tamahome! That… oh…" she seemed to laugh at herself, something that would have been hard to imagine doing before. "You could say he was my first love."

"What? You're the Priestess of Seiryuu, and you were in love with a Suzaku warrior?"

"Yes, but I can't say it lasted very long…"

"Ah. Because you have Suboshi now, right?" replied Xi Fang. Yui didn't answer right away, and Xi Fang read the air. "I'm sorry! I thought for sure…"

"No, I can't blame you for thinking that," she shook her head. "Actually, I'm dating someone in my own world right now. And I left him hanging at the restaurant on the corner! I'm sure he's already looking for me, if I haven't given him a heart attack already."

"Oh dear."

"He's very understanding about my past, too. He knows all about Tamahome, and Suboshi, and the other Seiryuu warriors, and… and Miaka," she sighed. At last, the smile faded.

"Lunch!" Kaika's mother cut in between them to carry a steaming pot to the table. "You'll have to forgive my simple fare for this afternoon, but Xi Fang will cook us dinner tonight! You're in for a treat."

Mayo was fully awake by the time a servant came to serve her breakfast. "Is it to your liking, Lady Mayo?"

"It's fine. I'm not that nauseated at the moment," she said without looking in the servant's direction as she sipped her tea. She reached for a spoon to start eating her rice porridge, but it slid away from her. After all the previous incidents, she was not surprised and slammed her hand down on it before it could get away again, startling the servant.

"I'm pleased to hear that you're feeling a bit better today. When you are ready, there are two Suzaku warriors here to meet you."

"Finally," she rolled her eyes, and then heard all of her dishes clatter as the table shot a foot away from her.

Immediately after breakfast, Mayo was dressed in fine clothes, and prepared to go out and meet the warriors in the throne room. Houki was already there, and the officials were present and watching. Tasuki and Chiriko stood at one end of the room attentively, and noticed immediately the change in the atmosphere once she entered.

"You must be my celestial warriors," she said in a collected tone. "I am Mayo Sakaki, the new Priestess of Suzaku."

"So we've heard," Chiriko replied politely. Tasuki only gave her a calculating stare, which made Mayo a bit embarrassed. "I am Chiriko, and this is Tasuki."

"Ah, I see. As your priestess, might I ask to see your marks?"

They stood without acting for a moment, until Chiriko elbowed Tasuki, who rolled his eyes and pulled his sleeve down to reveal the red character on his arm. "Psst. Aren't ya gonna join me?" he whispered back, though loudly enough that everyone could hear.

"It's already gone again."

"Ha! That figures."

"While we're aware that Suzaku has been unsealed after all these years, I hope you'll understand that we're a bit apprehensive," Chiriko continued diplomatically. "Might as I ask how you are sure that you are the Priestess of Suzaku?"

"Do you mean to tell me you don't feel his presence within me?"

They would be lying if they said they didn't. "Suzaku certainly is present. I am simply very curious as to how you summoned him all on your own."

"It doesn't matter once I've already summoned him, right?"

Before Chiriko could respond, they heard a boy yelling from the hall. An instant later, Boushin strutted into the throne room in his night robe, and did not even bother reaching his throne before he confronted everyone present. "Did you mean to hide this matter from me?"

"Your Highness, we simply wanted you to have a chance to rest after your journey. But it is wonderful to see you—"

"A new Priestess of Suzaku is an important enough matter that I would have liked to have been woken up."

"Bou… Your Highness," Chiriko gave him an awkward look, pleading for him to stand down. "We can't be sure yet that she's…"

"She's a girl from another world, and Suzaku's presence is with her. How can she not be the priestess?"

"Are you forgetting, you know," hinted Tasuki, "that we already have one?"

"The previous Priestess of Suzaku is no longer someone we can depend on," he tossed their words back at them, before turning to Mayo. "Please forgive everyone's rudeness, Lady Priestess. I welcome you to Konan and implore your help in saving it."

She smiled. "With pleasure, Your Highness."

"'Your Highness," his young counselor said in a slow and sharp tone, wondering if telling him everything was a good idea after all.

"Do you mean to say that you do not acknowledge her?"

"I believe it's premature to say anything at this moment about Lady Mayo's role."

"I don't believe it matters whether they believe me or not, Your Highness," she said. "We already have Suzaku here. It seems he just needs more time to recover before I can make wishes."

"If they won't be your warriors, and if we can have a new priestess, then you should be able to have new warriors as well," the boy declared. "I'll protect you as one of your warriors."

"Your Highness!" Chiriko began to lose patience. "This isn't something you can decide on your own!"

"Frankly, the previous priestess and her generation of warriors failed. We have been given a second chance, and fate has been entrusted to new hands. Perhaps it is for this purpose that we met Juan, and we might meet others."

"I insist that you and I take some time to discuss this in private."

"Emperor or not, you're still just a kid and ya don't know what you're talkin' about," the other warrior finished less delicately for him. "Hold your damn horses and let's figure this out. We need to find Chichiri and get him in on this too."

"I know exactly what you mean by that. I don't see why Lady Mayo can't be involved in the discussion."

"My son," Houki finally found a chance to interject. "I believe you should listen to their counsel on this. Their experience exceeds yours."

"Mother," he turned to her. "You've spent the last few days at Lady Mayo's side. Do you find her untrustworthy?"

"No, I would not be able to say that."

"Chiriko, Tasuki," he turned to them. "Do you not feel Suzaku's presence within her?" They looked away, unable to refute, and Boushin felt he had proved his point. "If there is something to discuss, I insist that Lady Mayo and I both be involved."

Chiriko didn't want to waste any more breath arguing, and insisted that they speak right away. As the four of them left the room, Houki also stood and left with her attendants, leaving the counselors to themselves. They felt they should have been ashamed of his behavior, but couldn't help but smile to each other.

"I was wondering when he'd do something like that," Counselor Chou smiled.

"In his bed clothes, no less," Counselor Shu looked like he would cry (for whatever reason).

"I'm proud, but," the other trailed off. "I'm afraid this won't turn out like he hopes it will."

"And we certainly can't have him going off into battle! Not like…"

"That wasn't for Suzaku."

Mayo was relieved and excited to finally see some progression. Perhaps with the warriors present, Suzaku would start listening to her, or perhaps she'd finally have the experience the failed priestess had spoiled. "So you're Tasuki?" she took a seat next to him. "I understand you're a bandit."

"I am. What's it to ya?"

"It sounds exciting."

"Wouldn't take it any other way."

"You wouldn't want to go to my world, then," she sighed. "Everything is so systematic. Not like this world."

"You've only been here three days and haven't left the palace, an' you already know all this? How much did you an' Her Highness talk?"

"Suzaku told me."

"Sounds like you found out everything faster than I did," said Boushin with a sideways glance towards Chiriko.

The counselor didn't pay that any mind. "We were attacked by Miboshi yesterday," he said. "This situation is more dangerous for Lady Mayo than it looks."

"Miboshi?" her eyes grew wide. "Isn't that one of the Seiryuu warriors?"

"Yes. There hadn't been any sight of him for ten years until yesterday."

"But he still needs to find another body," Boushin offered. "So we might have lost him."

Chiriko frowned with a downcast glance. "He's taken Juan."

Boushin and Tasuki both stood up in surprise. "He couldn't have! Not Mitsukake!" Tasuki raised his voice. "That couldn't… no!"

"He had been following us before he attacked us," he clenched his robe as he continued. "I believe that's what he planned to do from the start."

"Then I really did see him last night," Boushin said slowly. "Was it… was it really Juan…?" Although shocked, he didn't feel upset yet—it didn't seem real.

"Damn it," Tasuki banged a fist on the table and looked away. Mayo was startled, but didn't want to ask anything while she was still piecing together the situation.

Chiriko kept looking at the floor, but continued speaking calmly. "I believe he'll continue to watch us here since he knows it will be difficult to fight, so we shouldn't act with too much haste. If he does act, I don't feel confident that I can do much. My character has already faded away again. I'd feel much better if Chichiri could be here, too."

"I got it," replied Tasuki, thoroughly annoyed with all the new developments. When he had daydreamed over the years about his powers returning, he had assumed it would come with some final battle, but he was never inclined to anticipate new frustrations. "I'll go out an' track 'im down the old fashioned way. You should stay here an' keep an eye on these two."

"Are you mad at me, Tasuki?" asked Boushin meekly.

"Ya think I wouldn't be, after ya went an' said all that?" he growled back, immediately thinking the better of it seeing the color drain from Boushin's face in shame. "I'm more angry about everything else goin' on. It's got nothin' t' do with you, so you don't need to feel like it's your fault."

"Alright."

"When will you come back? You just got here," asked Mayo.

"I'll get back after I find Chichiri."

"Will I be safe here with just these two? After all, Miboshi might be after me."

"There's nobody safer to be with than Chiriko," he assured her without facing her as he stood to leave.

"I'll see you off," Chiriko followed him out.

Mayo folded her arms, irritated to see how her long-awaited meeting with the Suzaku warriors had been cut short. "Did you hear that? They just said this has nothing to do with you," she said to Boushin, trying to incite him to stay on her side. He did not respond, and when she looked over to him, she saw him grimacing back tears and a wail in his throat. Juan's situation had finally hit him with full force.