jychan: I don't own Saiunkoku Monogatari so no suing please….

4. An Instinct

Recap:

WHOOSH WHOOSH

"Who's there! I command you to present yourself!" Himeko said as she stood up being alert,

The 'thing' came out of the bush and presented himself,

"Himeko-hime?"

Himeko bit her lip...

End Of Recap

"Dare desu ka??" Himeko called as her eyes widened on the sight of the person,

"Eh? I'm Li Koyuu. If so, I assume you're Himeko-hime or rather, Kogo Himeko."

The man replied as looked away from the Empress of Shinyen,

"H-Hai." Himeko replied as she nodded,

"The Emperor, rather, told me to look for you. HE told me that you might get lost." He said as he scratched his head,

"Sou ka. So, where are we to go now, Li-san?" Himeko asked as she looked at him,

"Eto... Anou, w-we were supposed to go the Daigokuden as there is a big feast in accordance to your arrival." Koyuu told the Empress who nodded and said, "I suppose. But I wanted my presence to be known tomorrow, though. Say, Li-san, have you heard abo- never mind. It seems even Ryuuki-ten'no didn't know about it as well. How could I forget."

She sighed as Koyuu just nodded while they walked,

"Eto, Li-san, Are we lost or something? We've been walking around already. And it seems we've passed by this place lots of times." Himeko asked Koyuu who was about to burst out,

"Stupid map! I should've known!" He muttered as Himeko chuckled to his annoyance, while he kept on twitching,

"Sumimasen desu. It's just that you were quite funny there, Li-san. No offense, though." Himeko said as Koyuu sighed,

"Hopefully, someone would pass by." Koyuu said as Himeko nodded as she looked away, wherein she noticed someone. A someone with a familiar face. Someone she'd known long before...

"Seien-sama?" She called as she walked to the person's direction, while the said person noticed Himeko and ran away from her,

"Eh? Kogo Himeko?" Koyuu called the Empress, who was walking away,

"Seien-sama! Chotto matte kudasai! Seien-sama!" She said as she ran fast to catch up to the person, but to no avail, she failed.

"S-Seien-sama..." Himeko murmured as she fell on her feet,

"Kogo Himeko? Why are you like that? What happened? Did someone do something to you?" Koyuu asked as he looked at the weeping Empress, who wiped her tears,

"Sumimasen, Li-san. I just thought that I saw someone very familiar, but it seems I was wrong. I simply was just imagining things. After all, a dead person can't be alive and be here, right?" Himeko said as she faked a smile at Koyuu, who sighed in relief,

"Sou ka. Well then, shall we, Kogo Himeko?" Koyuu said as he massaged his temples,

"Ah hai, Li-san."

Meanwhile...

"Ughh... Ryuuki-nii, what's taking Onee-sama so long?" Hidari grumbled as she was wearing an annoyed expression,

"Maa, maa, Hidari-hime, calm down. She must be coming already. After all, I sent Ko- shoot. I forgot about Koyuu's poor sense of direction." Ryuuki said as he widened his eyes,

"Eh? The person you sent has also a poor sense of direction! Geesh, Ryuuki-nii, how could you forget that Onee-sama also has a poor sense of direction. Being new to Saiunkoku is not an excuse. She even gets lost in Shinyen!" Hidari said as she scolded Ryuuki,

"Gomen nassai, Hidari-hime!"

"Nevertheless, I'll just be looking for her." Hidari volunteered as she stood up from her seat and was about to leave,

"I'll be going with you, Senshi-hime." Shuuei said as he smirked,

"Chigau desu. (Don't.)" She said as Shuuei sighed in frustration while Hidari looked all-over,

Aha!

"I'll take Shi-san, instead!" Hidari said as she grabbed Seiran,

"Eh? Chotto matte, Senshi-hime-sama." Seiran said as he was being grabbed by Hidari to the outside,

"Shoot. Now I have Seiran as a rival." Shuuei muttered as Ryuuki chuckled as he heard what Shuuei said,

"Doushite ka, Ryuuki-sama?" Shuuei asked Ryuuki, who was snickering,

"Don't worry about Seiran." He told Shuuei, who raised an eyebrow, with what his Emperor said to him.

All the while...

"Li-san, we've been to this place already. I'm getting alarmed already as the sun is going to set any time now." Himeko reminded Koyuu who was still walking, while she stopped,

"So, I guess. Hontou ni gomen nassai, Kogo Himeko." Koyuu apologized to the Empress, until they heard voices,

"Eh? Shi-san, why are you going to wear a helmet?"

"Anou, Senshi-hime-sama, I have to. It's really necessary to wear a helmet as I am a soldier, although Ryuuki-sama doesn't mind at all."

"Eh? Hidari-hime? Is that you?" Himeko called as she heard the voice of her younger sister,

"O-Onee-sama? Where are you? Onee-sama?" Hidari continued on calling her sister, wherein a few moments later, they saw each other,

"Onee-sama, there you are. I was starting to worry." Hidari said as she went near her sister,

"Don't worry, I was fine, after all, Li-san, was also with me, wherein I also got a small tour around." Himeko said with a smile, until she noticed that Hidari was with some one,

"So, who is this young lad?" Himeko asked as she eyed on Seiran,

"Shi Seiran, Kogo Himeko." Seiran said as he bowed before Himeko, who was staring at him,

"How about him, Onee-sama?" Hidari asked,

"Eto, Li Koyuu. Domo." Koyuu said as he bowed at Hidari,

"Saa, watashi wa Senshi Hidari. Her younger sister. Anyways, let's go back, anou, Onee-sama? Shi-san?" Hidari called on the two as Himeko was still staring at Seiran, who was sweatdropping,

"Shi-san, would you mind if you took off your helmet?" Himeko asked as Seiran was sweating,

"Eto... Kogo Himeko..."

"Mou, Onee-sama, it's required for soldiers, like Shi-san to wear their helmets." Hidari told her Older Sister as Koyuu raised an eyebrow about this,

"Sou ka."

"We're finally here." Koyuu said as he sighed in relief,

"I suppose." Himeko nodded as Hidari and Koyuu proceeded on going in,

Wherein Himeko continued on staring at Seiran. She did not understand at all why she was staring at the lad. It's like she felt that she knew him already. It felt like he was someone who she deeply knew and met in the past, she just didn't understand why as she, in her lifetime, never met a 'Shi Seiran'. It rather felt that it was like Seien who she was with.

She shook her head on the thought. It was utterly preposterous for her to feel Seien this time. She reminded herself of what happened to Seien a long time ago.

She sighed and went inside.

Well, luckily, 2 people reviewed!!! YoSHi! YOSHI! YOSHI! Kakkoi to Sugoyi neh! (So cool and amazing!)

Stelra Etnae: I just corrected last chapter. It seems I had a typographical error concerning with Shouka-san's name... Gomen nassai. Well, earlier it wasn't Seiran, but Koyuu! I'll take note of what you said about what you said. It really helps me a lot. How about Koyuu? Did I get it right? Please. Help me. I'm really not good with fanfics and such, despite writing already some...

unknown player: wow... You knew about the song? Well here's the newest chaptie. And this time, Seiran's here! Yep! He's here!