Episode Two

Atsuna and Chichiri exchanged glances with one another, both of them sighing when they heard yet another groan come from behind them.

"He seems whinier than usual," Chichiri noticed, turning over his shoulder just slightly at the bandit who stubbornly refused to move from his spot on the trail.

Atsuna shook her head, pressing her hand over her forehead. "We don't need to get into why, Chichiri. Let's just pray that we make it to an inn soon so I can attempt to better his mood."

"C'mon, guys! Why do we hafta keep walkin'?" Tasuki moaned, slumping his shoulders. "My legs hurt. How much longer till we get to the next village?"

Chichiri shook his head as he spun around on his heel, glaring through his mask at his companion. "Assuming a person maintains a normal walking pace, we could be there by nightfall, you know."

Tasuki's eyes widened. "Nightfall?!" His knees gave out under him, plopping him to the dusty ground beneath his feet. "C'mon, Chichiri! Why don't ya just take off yer tunic an' pop us over there? Then we can spend the rest of the day drinkin' at an inn an' flirtin' with some pretty girls!"

Atsuna folded her arms over her chest, a brow arching over an aggravated lavender eye. "What was that?"

The bandit chuckled, waving his hand dismissively in her direction. "I didn't mean me, babe. I don't need to do any flirtin'. That's what I have you for! I was talkin' about Chichiri here! It could be all like, 'Hey, fella, yer so handsome! I think I'm in love with you!' And then Chichiri would be all, 'Oh, I'm just a wanderin' traveler, ya know! If ya get involved with me, I'll just break yer heart, ya know!' And then she'd be like, 'Oh, ya would not, ya big meanie.'"

By the time Tasuki had finished his performance, the monk had picked up a stone and chucked it at the bandit's head, knocking him sideways. "Hey! What the hell was that for?"

"Stop acting like an idiot and start walking!" Chichiri scolded.

In a temper tantrum only fit for a young child, Tasuki kicked his legs and fell on his back, shouting out curses and swearing that there was nothing either of them could do to make him continue walking.

When Chichiri turned to ask for Atsuna's assistance, she was turned away, pinching the bridge of her nose. "How do you deal with him, Atsuna?" the monk asked, tilting his head to catch her gaze.

Atsuna sighed deeply. "Despite what you may think, he's not like this all the time. We get into our fair share of bickering, which normally leads to—" She stopped herself there, a sheen blush of scarlet splashing across her cheeks. "Well, we don't need to go there. Let's just say that things normally work themselves out in the end. Like children, I would let him exhaust himself out. He'll catch up with us eventually if we go on without him."

Chichiri opened his mouth to offer a response when something definitive clicked in the middle of his belly. He snapped his head towards the sky, brows furrowing in thought. "That life force…"

Atsuna rested her splayed hand against her chest. "I knew I felt it." She turned to Chichiri, who was still gazing hard at the bright blue sky. "You felt it, too, didn't you? Tamahome's life force."

"I did," Chichiri confirmed. He looked at her. "You've been feeling him?"

Atsuna nodded, her eyes falling to the dirt path beneath her feet. "Yes. I thought it was just my imagination at first. I always felt an inkling of his life force inside me, but lately it's been strengthened. I thought it was just from my wish to see him. I've missed him a great deal. I thought my emotions were trying to play tricks on me."

"No, I don't think that's it at all, you know," Chichiri replied, shaking his head. "I felt it, too. Tamahome has returned."

Clothing rustled to the floor in the darkness of a room. Kaen took several steps towards her master's bed, her arms crossed in front of her supple breasts. "Lord Nakago."

Tamahome, brows furrowed at being called such a name, turned over his shoulder, eyes widening when he saw the pink-haired woman standing before him in the nude.

"I'm not as good as Soi, but I can build up your life force to what it once was," she replied. She took another step towards him. "I would like to help recover your memories as quickly as possible."

"Please leave," Tamahome's voice rasped against the silence. He closed his eyes, his mind a jumbled puzzle of thoughts. He needed time, time that this woman just wouldn't give him. "It's all right. I just want to be left alone."

Kaen's mouth twisted into a sad frown. "But -"

Get out!" Tamahome spat, spinning over his shoulder once more with a vengeance in his eyes that could only be reminiscent of the former Kutou general.

Kaen backed up, her throat vibrating with a whimper, before she gathered her discarded clothes, hugged them to the front of her body, and fled from the darkened room.

Tamahome listened to the gentle pattering of her feet as it disappeared down the hall. Fingers gripped his hair as he grit his teeth together. He couldn't understand what was happening to him, how this woman seemed to think he was Nakago. He was Tamahome. Sou Kishuku. He knew who he was. He had memories of his childhood with his siblings, with his parents. He remembered his journey as a Suzaku Warrior with Miaka and his other comrades. He knew who he was.

So then why did he feel as if Kaen was telling the truth?

"Kai-Ka! That's enough for today! Let's go home and have some supper!"

A muscled arm rubbed against the burning sweat trickling down Kai-Ka's forehead. He brushed his beige bangs from his eyes, flashing a thankful smile towards his father. "I'm starving!" he exclaimed back.

"That boy of yours sure is a hard worker," one of the field hands said, patting his hand against Kai-Ka's father's shoulder.

"He certainly is. And he doesn't know when to stop. He'll be working long after any of us will," the older man chuckled.

Kai-Ka rubbed the back of his neck in slight embarrassment. "Come on, Father."

Brother. Brother!

Snapping his head in the other direction, Kai-Ka's eyes widened when he heard a very familiar voice in his head. It… It can't be, he thought to himself, ignoring the insistent call of his father's voice to head home. Su…Suboshi? Is that you?

There was a light-hearted chuckle against the wall of his head. It's good to hear your voice again…Amiboshi. And I need your help, if you'll give it to me.

Swallowing hard, Kai-Ka, or rather, Amiboshi, didn't think he could tell his dear brother no. Tell me what you need, Suboshi, and I'll be there for you. I'll always be there.

In the dead of night, there was a loud clatter, followed by the insistent shouting of men from outside in the courtyard. Tamahome jerked out of bed—not that he could sleep anyway—and rushed outside, finding Kaen standing on the terrace, eyes wide.

"Lord Nakago! Bandits!" she cried out, thrusting her finger towards the small lake in the courtyard.

Tamahome's eyes followed her finger, and found a raven-haired man standing with his foot propped up on a rock, a flurry of men standing behind him. "Who are you? Name yourself!" Tamahome demanded.

The unnamed bandit chuckled, shaking his head. "What? Yer not gonna talk with yer energy blasts? Why don't ya come out here an' fight me?"

"I have no intention of fighting you when I don't even know who you are," Tamahome answered calmly, although his hands were clenched into fists at his sides.

"You hafta be playin' dumb," the man scoffed. He unsheathed the sword at his hip, pointing the tip towards Tamahome. "Who do ya think wiped out the bandits of Mt. Reikaku? Who?"

Tamahome's eyes widened. "Mt. Reikaku bandits? You mean…Tasuki's guys?" And Atsuna.

"That's right." The man started forward. "I'm Genrou's best buddy, Koji. I'm gonna have my revenge against ya, Nakago."

As soon as the name passed through Koji's lips, Tamahome gripped the side of his head. That name again. He thought he was Nakago too? "What? What are you talking about? Where's Tasuki? And Atsuna?"

"Funny ya should ask about 'em since they're both dead," Koji spat. He sliced his sword through the air, listening to it whistle against the night. "But ya should know about that already since ya killed 'em both! An' I'm gonna avenge their deaths!"

Eyes wide, Tamahome shook his head in a daze. "No. I…I didn't. I wouldn't kill them! I didn't!"

"Ya need to die!" Koji shouted, jumping forward with his sword pulled behind his back.

"No! I swear I'm not him!" Tamahome cried out. "Wait!" He thrust his palm out, hoping to block Koji's attack, when his hand became engulfed by a bright blue he could pull his hand back, the bright energy blasted forward, splitting into bullets of energy that split through every bandit in the courtyard.

Tamahome watched in horror as every bandit fell to the ground, their crimson blood spilling into small pools of blood against the grass. And with them, Koji fell, as well, sword tossed thoughtlessly into the air.

The sounds of agonized moans near death swarmed Tamahome's ears. He wanted to vomit. He stared at his palm, unbelieving that a blue energy blast had left it. It was exactly like Nakago's own power. How was this happening to him?

There was a weak, rumbling chuckle, throwing Tamahome out of his thoughts and back to the harsh reality of the situation. Koji was fidgeting by the pond, his blood dripping into the water, staining it red.

Tamahome shuffled over to him, leaning down at his head. "I'm sorry," he rasped. "I didn't mean to do that. I didn't want this to happen to you or any of your guys. This has been a mess." He gently pulled Koji's head into his lap, watching a thin stream of blood leave the corner of the bandit's mouth. "I know this is going to sound crazy to you, but I'm really not Nakago. I don't know what's going on around here, and why everyone thinks I'm him, but I'm not. I'm really Tamahome. I swear I'm him."

Koji shook his head weakly, his chuckle turning into a pained cough. "Tamahome. That's a funny story."

"Do I…do I look like Nakago to you?" Tamahome asked with night-shadowed eyes.

"Ya had the blue life force blast and the mark on yer forehead." Koji gave a rather cruel laugh, the deepest one he could muster in his weakening life. "Do ya really think that yer Tamahome? There's no doubt in my mind that yer Nakago. Ya killed my buddy Genrou an' Chichiri, killed Atsuna, too, over a year ago. They're dead 'cause of you."

Tamahome closed his eyes, trying to block off the onset of his tears. "It can't be. In my memory, Nakago had blonde hair."

"Hey. Gimme a hand, will ya?" Koji suddenly asked.

"What? Oh, yeah. Sure." Tamahome eased Koji into a sitting position. "I really am sorry for shooting you. I didn't mean to do it. It just…happened on its own."

With an arm wrapped around his bloody center, Koji winced. "The one with blonde hair an' blue eyes was Tamahome." With his other hand, he grabbed a fistful of Tamahome's hair. "I'm not gonna be fooled! Tamahome was Atsuna's brother! I just can't believe that Tamahome could be inside you! I'll take ya along with me when I die!"

A hand dug into a pouch at his side, yanking out a small grenade. Tamahome's eyes widened as Koji cried out and slammed his thumb over the top button. Water from the pond threw up in a heavy mist, Kaen's concerned cry ringing out into the courtyard for her lord.

When the spray finally cleared, a lone figure stood with a glowing blue mark on his forehead. Tamahome, or rather, Lord Nakago, lowered his head and closed eyes as his blue aura surrounded him like a warm blanket. He walked forward, feet spreading blood through the marred grass, until he came up to the terrace.

"Kaen."

Said woman cast a worried sideways glance at the young man as he made his ascent up the stairs. "Yes, Lord Nakago?"

"Bring me more of that wine." He didn't stop as he walked past her into the house.

Kaen watched him go, and as soon as his figure disappeared into the darkness, a smirk curled onto her thin lips. "Of course, my lord. I'll bring you your wine…with the kodoku." And in the darkness of the blood-soaked night, Kaen's chuckle turned into one never forgotten, the sinister chuckle belonging to Tomo of the Seiryu Seven.

Atsuna had her arms folded under her breasts as she stared at the night sky, the constellations of Suzaku sparkling down upon her and Chichiri. "What should we do about this? Tamahome's life force feels constrained. Something is happening to him, Chichiri. I can feel it in my heart."

"There has to be a reason Tamahome has suddenly reentered this world, you know," Chichiri replied, his brows obviously furrowed through his mask. "I'm pinpointing the location of his life force. Then we can go and discover for ourselves what exactly is going on."

Atsuna's face fell. "I have a bad feeling about this, Chichiri. A very bad feeling."

"Hey! What the hell are ya whisperin' about over there?" Tasuki's impatient voice shouted behind them. "What's the secrecy all about?"

Just as Atsuna turned over her shoulder to face the bandit, he had already stomped over to them, kicking dust behind his heels as he did so. "We have a change of plans, Tasuki. There's something else we have to do first."

With an arched brow, Tasuki tilted his head to the side in confusion. "What? What the hell are ya talkin' about, woman?"

Chichiri snapped his hand over Tasuki's wrist. "I've found him, you know. We're going now."

Tasuki opened his mouth to first demand that he get his hands off of him and then to ask once again what the hell he was talking about, but Chichiri's tunic suddenly swirled around the threesome, casting them all into an unwelcome darkness.

All Tasuki had the chance to do was curse the monk for his lack of warning.

Tomo stood upon a rock under the watchful moon, his eyes fallen over Tamahome's lifeless body as he held tight onto a jug of wine. "You shouldn't drink so much, Tamahome," he snickered. "You make this too easy." He craned his neck to cast an egotistical glare at the heavens, but as he did so, three darkened silhouettes dropped from the moon's light.

Tomo's eyes widened when he saw falling to their feet before him were none other than Chichiri, Suzaku's own monk, and Atsuna, Hikari's chosen champion. Making a less than graceful entrance was the other remaining Suzaku warrior, the bandit Tasuki, and he fell hard on his bottom next to the twosome.

"What the hell, Chichiri? Why did ya suddenly fly us out in the middle of nowhere?" Tasuki snapped as he pushed himself to his feet, dusting the dirt from his pants. "'Oh, we'll get there by nightfall at a normal pace, ya know!' Who the hell ever said anythin' like that? Hey! Are ya listenin' to me, monk?"

Chichiri took a single step forward, ignoring the tirade coming from his comrade. "It's been a long time."

Tasuki's eyes darted over the serious furrows on both Chichiri's and Atsuna's faces before following their eyes, finding Amiboshi standing nearby with a staid expression on his own face that could quite easily challenge their own. His flute was strapped to his belt. "Hey! It's Amiboshi!"

"What do you intend to do? Can you answer that?" Chichiri asked.

"I can't believe it's Amiboshi!" Tasuki exclaimed, interrupting Chichiri's attempt at a questioning. He scratched a finger against his cheek. "Well, wait, it's Kai-Ka now, right?" He bent his head towards Chichiri's. "So what's the point? He doesn't have his memories anymore. He doesn't know what the hell he's even doin' out here."

Atsuna rested her hand on Tasuki's shoulder, immediately grabbing his attention. She was frowning, lines creasing her normally smooth features. "It's Suboshi, Tasuki. Not Amiboshi."

Tasuki released an exasperated sigh, drooping his shoulders. "Okay, so it's Suboshi." His eyes snapped towards the Seiryu twin. "Wait. Suboshi?!"

Tomo's chuckle resounded around them. "Well, if it isn't two Suzaku warriors and the messenger of light."

Tasuki growled deep in his throat as he yanked his tessen from his back. "Hey! Who said that?"

Tomo, not one to back down from tweaking at Tasuki's anger, walked into the moon's path. And next to him floated Yui, eyes taken over with a weak green. "You haven't changed a bit, Suboshi," he said, ignoring the anger beating off the nearby bandit.

Suboshi's eyes widened as they scoped over Yui's body. "Lady Yui!"

"Lady Yui is the new Priestess of Genbu," Tomo announced. "You should welcome her to this world, or you'll face the wrath of her celestial warriors."

Atsuna's eyes widened. "What? Genbu already had a priestess!" she exclaimed as two young boys emerged from the darkness, sandwiching Yui's body.

"How are you even alive, Tomo?" Chichiri demanded, pointing his staff incriminatingly towards the egotistical celestial warrior.

When it seemed as if Tomo's smile could not get any wider, it did. "I was reborn when Seiryu was summoned. I have been living inside of Shin this whole time."

A muscle ticked in Chichiri's eyebrow. "Tomo used Shin to take control of Lady Yui."

"How the hell is that possible when he's connected to the other world?" Tasuki asked.

"There is something dark connecting him to this world," Atsuna quickly answered. "I can feel an outerworldly presence within him, clouding him. He is not being kept here by ordinary means. There is someone behind this."

Suboshi took a step forward, his eyes never leaving Yui's form. "Tomo! What do you plan to do with Lady Yui?"

Tomo couldn't help but laugh, letting it ring sickeningly around them. "I think you're scared, Suboshi. What are you going to do? Are you going to kill me again? I would sure like to see you try."

Atsuna closed a hand over her heart, wincing. There it was again. The dark presence inside of Tomo strengthened just a bit, calling out to her. Her powers reached forward, trying to find the source behind it, but it was no use. Whoever was using Tomo for his own devices was good at concealing his presence.

She closed her eyes, ignoring the demands coming from Suboshi, the mockery from Tomo, and the impatient banter from Tasuki. No, she couldn't find who was behind Tomo's sudden involvement in this, but something she could do was try to locate her brother. Chichiri transported them here because he was obviously in the vicinity. She needed to find him, needed to see for herself what exactly was happening and why Tomo was here.

"I certainly didn't expect for my rest to be disturbed by you, Tomo," a familiar deep voice spoke up, interrupting everyone's thoughts, everyone's demands for the other. "You should know better."

Tomo's eyes widened as he slowly turned over his shoulder, a bright blue light all too familiar flooding around him as it molded into the form of one of the people Tomo feared the most.

"Nakago!"