Tasuki woke to the sunlight streaming across his face, he opened his eyes and he turned towards the bed that should have contained Alexisa's sleeping form, only to see that the bed was empty. His eyes opened in alarm as he got out of bed and pulled on his boots that stood beside the bed, and stumbled towards the door, only to run into something and be knocked towards the ground. Landing on the floor with both hands behind him, he looked up to see who or what he rammed into, to see Alexisa's smiling face looking down at him.

"Good morning bandit boy, bout time you woke up," she replied as she continued to smile and look down at him.

"Alexisa! What are you doing up?"

"Well it's a beautiful day, and we have lots we need to do."

"What about your injures? You still need to rest," he replied getting up of the floor and looking at her.

"Injures? What are you talking about Tasuki?" she asked as she closed the door, and looked down at herself. "I don't have any injures," she replied after examining herself. "Oh do you mean the pain from the light? Well ever since I woke up, it has slowly begun to fade."

"Oh, well I guess that is good then."

"Now come on, Genrou. Everyone else is waiting for us," she said as she grabbed his arm and begun to pull him out the door.

"Hey! What do you think you are doing? I can walk you know," complained Tasuki as he was dragged from the room and down to the inn's dining room. They entered to see that the room was filled with several people already going about their daily lives, Alexisa waved to her friends once she spotted them, they were seated at a large table in the opposite corner of the room, she also saw the inn keeper, behind the desk to her right. They both looked at each other and smiled briefly before they both went about their business. Alexisa took one last glance around the room, and began to make her way towards her friends, with Tasuki trailing in her shadow. Once they made their way through the crowd, they both took the empty seats in the middle of the table.

"Morning Guys. Sorry, had to get bandit boy here," said Alexisa jerking her thumb in Tasuki direction.

"Now that all of us are here, should we begin?" asked Tamahome

"Begin what?" asked Tasuki

"We need a plan as to where we go from here."

"There is no doubt about it that the Seiryu warriors are here as well, and since they know that we have the shinzaho, we all need to be on our guard, they might try to take it from us, you know."

"Yes, and if that Ashitare guy is still around, we can expect trouble from him."

"So the faster we get out of the city the better huh?" asked Miaka as she looked around at her friends.

"I am not sure that we should leave so fast."

"Alexisa, you know how strong Ashitare is, we both could barely stand up to him. I say put distance between us and the Seiryu Seven."

"I know Nuriko, there is just something else that I want to look in," replied Aleixsa looking up around the table.

"What is that, you know?"

"Just something that I heard about that I want to check out, that's all, nothing to make the whole group stop traveling. I mean there is still another shinzaho to get right?"

"What do you mean another one?" asked Miaka

"Well Taitsukun did say that first we needed to go to Hokkan. Don't you all remember?" asked Alexisa as she looked around at her friends.

"Oh yea, now that you mention it I do remember that, you know."

"Now where do we have to go?" asked Nuriko

"That I do not know, so I guess we need to chill here until we find out, and until then I can look into that other mater," said Alexisa standing up from the table.

"Where are you going?" asked Tasuki as he looked up at her.

"I am going to check on my supplies and wonder around the city," replied Alexisa as she began to walk away from the table. "Don't worry, I won't go anywhere without telling you all. See ya later," she waved as she went up the stairs, taking two at a time.

"What do you think she wants to look into?" asked Miaka after seeing her friend walk up the stairs.

"I have no clue," said Tamahome looking away from the stairs and towards Miaka. "Say Chichiri, do you think you could go talk to Taitsukun and see where the other shinzaho is?" he asked looking down the table towards the monk.

"Sure thing, you know,"

"So I guess until then we will stay here and rest up for the journey that is ahead," said Nuriko as he looked around at the six remaining faces.

"Wait, what about the Seiryu Seven?" asked Miaka

"I have been thinking over that as well. They are bound to know that we have the shinzaho, so they will be targeting us. I do not think it is wise for us to wonder alone. We should all pair off if we decided to leave the inn. Safety in numbers, and I also believe that the possession of the shinzaho should be rotated between us all, so one person will not be the sole target," said Chiriko from the end of the table.

"I agree with Chiriko, we all have to be on our guard," said Tamahome "Until we find out the location of the other shinzaho, we all need to keep a low profile, if that is at all possible."

"Until we know of the second location. We all need to rest and recover, take inventory of our supplies, and see what we will need for the next part of our journey."

"Then it is a plan," said Nuriko getting up from the table.

"Nuriko, where are you going?" asked Miaka as she also got to her feet.

"Well since we have not had down time in a while, I thought I would go shopping. I saw some pretty nice looking shops when I was asking around ton earlier, and I wanted to go back and see what they had to offer," said Nuriko as he bought his hands in front of his face and pointed the index fingers towards each other.

"Great idea Nuriko, come on Tamahome," said Miaka as she grabbed his arm and dragged him out the door, as she and Nuriko giggled and laughed.

"Poor Tamahome," said Chiriko as he saw his fellow warrior face fall into despair.

"Well, I am off, you know," said Chichiri as he disappeared into his hat.

"So much for keeping a low profile," said Mits as he hung his head, and got to his feet.

"What are you planning on doing?"

"I want to restock my herbs, I have a feeling I will need more than I already have."

"Would you mind some company?" asked Chiriko as he hopped down from the chair and stood by Mits. "What are you planning on doing Tasuki?"

"I am going to stay here, I think I hear some sake calling my name," he replied leaning back in the chair and placing his boots on the table, as Mits, and Chiriko walked out of the inn. After the door shut, Tasuki took his feet off the table and leaned over the table. 'I wonder what she could want to look into, I mean we have the shinzaho, what else could there be in this place?' he asked himself.

"I see that you lady friend is feeling much better," said a voice bringing Tasuki out of his thoughts.

"Huh? What?" he asked looking up to see the innkeeper.

"Your friend that you carried in her the other day, I am glad to see her up and about."

"Oh yea, she is. Thanks for your concern," said Tasuki standing up.

"So I am guessing she did not tell you all," said the man as he looked at Tasuki.

"Tell us what?" asked Tasuki with a confused look on his face.

"Maybe asking her would be the best thing to do young man," said the innkeeper as he walked away from the table. Tasuki watched the man leave and then decided to walk upstairs to find Alexisa. Once he reached her room, he opened the door to see her leaning over the bed, looking into a bag.

"Hey," he said making his presence known to her.

"Hey Tasuki," she replied not looking up from the bag.

"With the way things are at the moment, we decided that we should only travel in groups."

"Okay, that makes sense when you think about it," she replied looking up at the wall and then turned towards Tasuki. "I'm surprised your not drinking sake. I mean after all it's been a while since we have some down time."

"Yea, ever since I've meet Miaka, we've been on the move. Not staying in one place for more than a few days," he said as he walked towards the window and leaned against it.

"Yea, I know what you mean, but at the same time I don't think I have been happier."

"What was that thing that you needed to check out?" asked Tasuki as he pushed himself off the wall and walked over towards her and looked down at the bag.

"Oh that, nothing. Just I heard another legend about the Genbu Seven and I am curious about them, that's all," said Alexisa as she stopped him from searching the bag.

"What legend would that be?"

"Nothing Tasuki. Just something that I want to find out more about, you don't need to worry about it. I can..."

"If you say you can take after yourself. I will tell you to shut up."

"Tasuki."

"Why can't you just tell me what you are planning? Don't you trust me?"

"It's not that I don't trust you, just this is something I have to do by myself," she replied looking up into his eyes.

"But by not telling me, its like you don't want my help," he said looking back.

"Listen Tasuki. I know that you can protect your self. And you know that I can protect myself. This is something that I need to do alone. I need to see, if there is someway to prevent my death."

"Your death?"

"Yes, the Guardian's final task, is to give their life once the Priestess has summoned the beast god, if I want Miaka to live, then I have to die. Tasuki do you know the real reason why I was able to open that door and no one else was?" she said turning her body and facing him. "Tamahome and Chiriko filled me in on their view, but the real reason is that, not only am I Guardian of Suzaku and it is my destiny. But until last night I had resigned myself to giving my life for Miaka. When I first heard that I would have to die in order for Miaka to live, I was so mad at her, but then over time as I traveled with her and the more I got to know her. I knew that it was not her fault that it could have been anyone chosen to be the Priestess, but I see why Suzaku chose her. Even after all she has been through she still has that innocence about her. She has seen death, and destruction, but she still acts like a child. Seeing her that way put me at ease, that someone could go through all that and still be as happy, and carefree as she is, made me happy. It made me glad to know that I would be saving her."

"Alexisa," he said as he put his arms around her.

"Tasuki, last night I was told that Genbu summoned a Guardian here, just like me, to help out his Priestess, and that she survived the summoning. She was able to stay here in this world, and she lived. And if she lived, what does that mean for me. I began thinking that maybe there is a way that my life would be spared as well," she replied as she fell into his arms.

"Is that what you wanted to look into? You wanted to try some proof she lived?" he asked as he hugged her to his chest.

"You don't know much I was ready to die for Miaka, but hearing that another Guardian lived, it started to put doubts in me, and I hate it. I had finally come to the point of acceptance of my death, as long as Miaka lived," she sobbed into his chest. "I know I am supposed to be strong, and protect everyone. I know that, but it's getting hard to. Seeing them together, knowing that I will never have that. I don't know if I can do this any more Tasuki," said Aleixsa as she continued to sob into his chest.

Tasuki wrapped his arms around her, as she continued to sob into his chest. "Alexisa, listen to me. You should not be thinking about that. You have enough on your shoulders at the moment to even be thinking that far into the future. You never know what could happen or what will happen. So instead of worrying about what could happen, why don't you just worry about what is right in front of you," he replied as he closed his eyes and rested his chin on top of her head. 'And let me worry about the future. I never knew she had all that weight on her shoulders. Must be hard to have your friends go about their lives, while you sit on the sidelines and just watch,' he thought as he moved his hands to her face, and slowly raised her eyes to meet his. "Please let me help you with this burden. I know you are strong, but everyone needs help sometimes. So let me help you with this burden that you carry," he continued as he closed his eyes and lowered his head towards her.

"Thank you Tasuki," she replied looking up at him, and meeting him halfway to finish the kiss between them. The two parted a few minutes later. "Well should we get going?" she asked stepping away from him and towards the door.

"Where?" he asked placing his hands in his pockets.

"Well we do have a free day, might as well enjoy it right?" she asked stopping halfway to the door.

"Tasuki, thank you for worrying about me. I don't know what came over me, but I am fine now. I don't know what to believe about the Genbu Seven and their Guardian. I just hope that when the time comes I will make the right decision," she said as she walked the remaining distance to the door opened it and looked back at him. "After all, the future is in the future, so I will worry about that when we come to it," she said smiling, and laughing. Tasuki looked at her, and a smile appeared on his face as well, he followed her out the door and onto the streets below to enjoy their one-day of freedom that they would spend together.

Author's Note:

Sorry for the chapter not being that long. Had a little diffculity in doing this chapter, and had a rough past week, broke up with my bf. But here it is, I tried to make sure there were no typos, I am finally abel to look at the moniter and just type without looking at the keys.... well mostly. Yea, hope you liked the new chapter, the next chapter will be longer, just wanted to get this out before I leave for vacation for a few days. Hope you all have a Happy Fourth Of July! And I will write more and update again soon.

Thanks to all my loyal readers, and those that review.

-JediMadchen86