Author Fangirling: This is right about where I started getting writer's block... for a good six months. Actually, I intended to quit here! Surely no one would have the patience to read this far, I thought. But after thinking about it later, I decided I still enjoyed it enough to keep going. Updates shall continue until the conclusion. Thank you so much for coming this far, Readers! And a double-thanks to Reviewers! You're awesome!

Miaka seemed fairly cheerful and perked up even more at the sight of Boushin. "We did it!" she shouted.

"Yes, and everyone is already aware."

"Oh," she laughed. "I'm in trouble, aren't I?"

"You're not the only one," answered Chiriko.

"Don't worry, I'm sure they'll all ralley together once they're over the shock," Tamahome assured her. He and all the other warriors were assembled, unable to control their smiles and excitement, as if they were blissfully unaware of the approaching violence.

Chichiri gave voice to Boushin's concerns. "The problem now is war."

"That's right. Now how should I use my wishes?"

"Save them!" said Tasuki. "I'm sure everyone feels just as invincible as I do now that Suzaku's finally been summoned!"

"I only wish the same was true for those of us who are dead," Tamahome frowned.

"It does give us a certain advantage, but we can't afford to get cocky, you know? Miaka, save those wishes for when we need them."

"Right. I'll be out there at the front with you all."

"You can't!" Boushin interjected as a gut reaction. "You have to keep yourself safe…" Instead of anyone agreeing with him, it felt more like he was getting blank stares.

"I've been to the front with everyone else before," she stated.

"Yeah! And she can even ride her own damn horse now!"

"You don't have to worry about it," she smiled sweetly to him. "I've survived a lot, and you can leave this to us now. You need to make sure you're the one who stays safe, alright? That's what's most important."

"…Right."

"You think we could go over to Counselor's Shu's villa now?" she turned to Chichiri. "I want to talk to Yui."

"Oh," the boy said. "Kaika may have already came for her. A servant from his villa came to deliver this note for you."

Miaka's expression changed abruptly as she shot her glance back at him. "He took Yui?"

"Yes. He said something about it before, so he already had planned—"

"You let him take Yui?" she raised her voice and her jaw dropped. "Why did you do that? When? You couldn't just let them take Yui away! Don't you realize she's in danger?"

"I'm sorry, I—!"

"That was very foolish, Boushin!"

"I didn't—"

"Don't worry, Miaka. I'm sure she's fine, you know? We'll find her."

"She shouldn't have left here. She was safe here, Chichiri!"

"I'm sorry," he said again under his breath. Though he felt ashamed of himself, he started to well up with anger at Miaka yelling at him for something that wasn't even his fault. And who was Miaka to talk about danger, anyway?

"Oh, that's right!" she changed tone again. "Boushin, do you still have the teddy bear? The one I gave your father a long time ago?"

"Yes, somewhere."

"Could I have it back? It might come in handy."

"You may have it," he turned to leave the room. "It's childish anyway."

"Boushin?" she frowned, but he didn't look back and dashed away.

"Boushin!" Juan instinctively called out and followed. "Boushin, wait up!"

"I don't want any sympathy!" he snapped, and unsuccessfully choked back the tears rushing to his face. Juan stopped a few paces behind, and listened as Boushin continued between determined gasps to keep from crying. "You don't need to be nice to me just because I'm the emperor, or just because I'm Hotohori's son, or anything! Not that I'd even deserve those titles if everything I do is wrong or childish!"

Juan waited until he stopped. "You're my friend."

Slowly, Boushin turned a flushed-red face back to him.

Juan smiled. "I've barely seen you lately, we've been so busy! Playing Suzaku warriors was a lot more fun than this."

Boushin let down his guard as Juan giggled awkwardly, doing his best to change the tone. As they walked together around the palace grounds, Boushin opened up his thoughts to him. "The only thing anyone wants from me now is for me to lock myself up and live a long time and have lots of wives and children someday. It doesn't matter who is the emperor, as long as there is one! Who should care what an emperor does, so long as there is one? What would it even disrupt if I were to hand my role to someone else? The court will handle everything themselves anyway. Why should I even get involved? Why should I even bother trying to do things right if all everyone wants is just for me to survive?"

"I think it's good that you're doing your best. I'm not a rich or powerful person, so I don't understand all of that, but I think normal people need a good emperor. It gives us someone to ralley around."

"A figurehead," he shook his head bitterly.

"No! If we can have faith in you, it gives us hope! We don't think of anyone else that way."

"Not even the Priestess of Suzaku?"

"Well, she's a hero, but she's not our leader."

"Most of the citizens of Konan will never even know what I look like. It doesn't matter what I'm really like, the court will just make a good reputation for me anyway."

"'It's still something that only you can do, Boushin. You're in a position no one else has, and I believe in you."

"Are you telling this as Juan, or just trying to make me feel better as Mitsukake?" he took a sharp tone.

Juan jumped as though something had appeared directly in front of him. "I… I don't know…" he fumbled, wide eyes searching within himself. "I… I think I'm Juan, but I know I'm Mitsukake. I don't know which one of me is talking sometimes."

"I—I'm sorry, I didn't mean to…"

"I'm so scared that my memories are from the wrong lifetime. I have to tell myself all the time that my parents never got lost in a flood, and that Shouka was never attacked by any monsters… but she was, and they weren't, and sometimes I'm just not sure anymore," his chocked out as his face wrinkled in distress. "And Nuriko, and Miboshi, and the shikoki monster, and Miaka—I know they're all real, but I don't know anymore what I've seen and what I haven't seen!"

"Ju… I'm sorry…"

He quieted down as his eyes searched the sky. "I remember dying, but I don't remember being born," he said. "I'm still Mitsukake, even though I'm Juan now."

Things began moving too fast for Boushin to keep the events straight in his mind. The court and the Priestess of Suzaku and her warriors held a session to vent their frustrations against each other, then reconcile and start working on a strategy. The conclusion they came to was that the best defense was a good offense, and they would set out immediately to meet Nakago's inevitable force at some strategic point closer to the Kutou border and away from the Konan capital.

No one had thought to invite the child emperor to this discussion, but the Suzaku warriors and priestess at least thought to say bid him farewell.

"We might be gone for a while," Tasuki knelt before him, grinning the same smile he had since Miaka finally came around. "But it was good to spend some time with you. Don't forget you're always welcome hang out at Reikaku when this is all done with."

"I appreciate the invitation. It was good to meet you, too."

"His Majesty and I can't do anything directly, but we're going to keep an eye on everyone out there," Nuriko smiled to him. "So keep an eye on your mother in our place."

"You don't intend to fight?"

He shook his ghostly head. "We could use our life force to protect Miaka as need be, but without physical forms, we can't do much else in war."

"My sword," added Hotohori, "Will stay in your possession."

"I'll take good care of it."

"Take good care of yourself too, you know!"

"Of course. You too, Chichiri." The forced pleasantries strained on his tired nerves. If they were leaving, they should hurry up and go. "Please make sure you all do your best. Take care of Miaka," he looked between them, and then his eyes stayed on Juan. "And take care of each other."

Boushin hadn't been so calm when Juan first informed him he'd be going.

"You're not Mitsukake anymore!" he had shouted. "You saw Suzaku be summoned. Shouldn't you be satisfied now? When did you go and become so important?"

Juan had smiled back kindly to his outburst. "Worrying about people makes us do funny things. Instead of telling people we love them, we get angry with them instead."

"You're right, though I don't know what part of you is saying that."

"Maybe it's Mitsukake saying it for Juan. Whatever part of me it is, I love you too, Boushin. It makes me happy to have you worry about me."

"I'd be happier if you stayed here with me."

"It wouldn't be right to do that now."

"I'm sure Shouka would have been happier too if—I'm sorry, I didn't mean to go that far."

Juan's smile grew tired. "It's alright, if that makes you feel better. We both know what I have to do."

Standing before him again and ready to head to battle with the others, Juan said nothing but held his head fairly high for an 8-year-old. Boushin did his best to smile back for him. If he couldn't contain him, he could at least try to be kind.

Initial troops departed the very same day, and the court officials were moving to mobilize the populace. The boy emperor simply watched as it moved like clockwork.

Two days after the Suzaku band had left, Mayo did as well, leaving the following note:

Boushin,

Thank you for all that you've done for me. Now that I've fulfilled my role as Suzaku's vessel I'm free to help Konan in any other way necessary. I'm going on a long journey and may never come back, so I wanted to say good-bye and that I'm sorry for the mean things I said before. I have something important to do, so don't send anyone after me. Konan will be safe soon! Until then, do your best!

Love,

Mayo

Indeed, no one went after her.