Ai no Ato

Chapter One

Miaka.

The voice murmuring her name sounded familiar; melodic and soft, but still husky enough that there was no mistaking the masculine timbre. Hearing it sent shivers up her spine and made her heart ache with deepest longing. She knew that voice. Knew it like the way she knew her own face. And yet, despite her visceral reaction, she couldn't quite place to whom it belonged or where she'd heard it before.

When gentle hands grasped her shoulders, she offered no resistance; her hands lifted to cover them with the tenderness reserved for those who were nearest and dearest to her heart. Smiling, she squeezed the hands lovingly, knowing that beneath the lily white skin lay a strength that could crush boulders. Her heart expanding with trust and a feeling she could only describe as love, Miaka leaned back into a lean chest and turned her head, curious to see the face of the person who held her.

Before she could get even a glimpse, the air flickered and the hands on her shoulders shifted shape, became rougher, more manly, and she found herself pressed flush against a very naked chest that was considerably more well defined in musculature than the one she'd been lying against previously.

Miaka.

Her name was whispered fiercely, and lips brushed her ear with barely restrained fervor while the hands left her shoulders to allow solid arms to wrap possessively about her waist. Miaka was not alarmed by the change, but caught up in wondering as hands began their foray across her body while her lover's face burrowed into the soft juncture of her neck and shoulder.

Try as she might, she couldn't suppress the moan that escaped her as intrepid lips forged a trail from her neck towards her aching breasts. When had her shirt disappeared? She squirmed, her own hands curling into his shirt when those lips latched onto her, her lover's nose lightly indenting her breast as he suckled, his hands traversing ever lower as their shared passion heightened. Her heart thudded as his searching hands drew ever closer to her most secret place.

Her lover's voice changed mid-groan, sounding deeper and more gravelly as her own hands began a quest for exposed skin. Her fingers dug into soft locks of hair, tightening when rough fingers found her sensitive opening. Her own voice seemed much higher in pitch than normal as fire blazed wherever he touched.

Miaka.

The harsh and raspy tone made her toes curl with excitement and her heartbeat quicken against sweat slicked flesh. Somehow along the way both their clothes had vanished and she could feel him pressed against her in desperate want. One arm that had held her close slid up to lie across her back, gripping her shoulder to ardently cup her against himself.

Her breath came faster as the heat between them swelled, the tangible energy ballooning into an inferno as he entered her in one smooth, swift motion. She'd always heard it would hurt, but she felt no pain- only the intense desire to be one with her lover as her hips began to move zealously in time to his eager thrusts.

Miaka's eyes clenched shut as her lover filled her completely, allowing himself free reign over her as she clung to him for dear life. Just when she thought she might burst, her lover sighed, his body relaxing and his voice softening into a muted tenor as he murmured nonsense phrases into her ear.

Miaka.

Her name passed his lips, uttered this time like some sort of divine entreaty, and the sheer emotion in his voice shook her very core. Unthinking, she gripped the silken bed sheets with whitened knuckles, her back arching with her lovers steady movements. The motion pressed her breasts flat against his chest so she could feel his heart beating in tandem with her own. Lean hands threaded into her hair as he increased his pace and it wasn't long before every muscle in her body seemed to contract at once. She threw her head back with short gasping breaths as she felt her body begin to shake. A cry of ecstasy was cut short as her lover swiftly covered her lips with his own and swallowed her cries of passion as he brought her to climax.

Several moans escaped her between heated kisses, wordless encouragement to her lover to languidly continue thrusting as his frame shuddered with release. Still high from her orgasm, her blood was singing with warmth and pleasure as she slowly relaxed. In the dim light, she tried to catch a glimpse of her lover- a hint of the color of his eyes or hair or even a recollection of his name.

She frowned. Why couldn't she remember his name?

Her lover, however, seemed content to distract her by leaving a trail of kisses from her ear to her shoulder.

As if by some sort of magic, his voice seemed to belong to several people as one as he whispered: Wo Ai Ni.

The shrill abruptness of the alarm had Miaka's eyes flying open and her heart flying into near cardiac arrest. She sat straight up with a gasp that was half panic and half dazed pleasure. The sight of sun streaming in through her half-cracked blinds was unwelcome at best. She cast a muddled look about the rumpled sheets for her lover only to realize the entire thing had only been another disconcertingly realistic dream.

She looked down, and her face grew hot at seeing the state of her obviously aroused body. She definitely needed a shower before she went to meet Keisuke, Yui, and Tetsuya for brunch.

Idly shutting off the alarm clock, she pondered the latest offering of her subconscious. It was exciting to have such a vivid imagination, but she was beginning to grow concerned with the increasing frequency of these recurring dreams. It wasn't normal to dream about sex so much was it? Especially not sex with people whose faces you couldn't see or remember. Miaka ran a hand through her slightly sweaty hair and sighed as the last vestiges of sensation from the dream dissipated. The last time she'd felt anything like the connection she had with her dream lovers had been in the Universe of the Four Gods.

Green eyes narrowed, then widened as the time on the clock registered. Apparently her alarm had been going off for a while- she should have been up half an hour ago! Redness returned to her face and she wryly congratulated her dream lovers for being so good that she hadn't noticed her alarm blaring in her ear for a full thirty minutes.

It was time to wake up, literally and figuratively. Five years had passed since she'd exited the book world, three since she'd stopped having exclusively romantic thoughts about Tamahome, and seemingly forever since she'd felt like a complete person. Shaking hands came up to twine into her hair. For God's sake, it was time to just let it go! Her role as priestess was done and over with. She'd summoned Suzaku, granted her wishes, and saved both her own world and Konan. Why did her thoughts continue to linger with the people she'd met within the pages of that book when there was nothing left for her to do?

Or was there?

It was true that seeing her Seishi all together again in the battle against Nakago had awoken something inside of her; a growing need to ensure that each and every one of them was the happiest they could possibly be. Each and every one of them had given up so much to join her and to bring peace to their country and she'd given them nothing in return.

If only she could have helped her Seishi create everlasting happiness for themselves. At the very least she wanted to see them all once more; her heart gave a painful twinge at the idea her beloved warriors existed only in her memories now. In the five years since she'd last seen them, she had relived every moment spent with all of them, and her feelings for them had deepened from devotion into… something else. Miaka couldn't quite name the feeling. She just knew that it was unlike anything she'd ever felt before. She missed them; All of them. So very much.

Swallowing hard and wiping at her suspiciously damp eyes, Miaka at last threw herself out of bed and staggered towards the bathroom. A good shower never failed to help her clear her head.

Keisuke had told her often that she needed to stay more focused on the here and now, and she was beginning to agree with him.

As dear as the memories of her Seishi were, unless she was given an opportunity to do something about it, she was going to have to move on with her life. None of her warriors would want her to spend the rest of her life worrying over them. They would want, and insist, that she take the dragon by the horns and be happy.

The pipes took a moment to heat up, dowsing her with cold water and effectively shocking her the rest of the way awake. Once the water was a decent temperature, Miaka took the fastest shower of her life. Moments later, she hurriedly dried her hair, dressed herself, and shot out the door after applying the minimum of eyeliner and mascara.

I am so late. So. So. So late! Keisuke was gonna kill her. And if he didn't, Yui most certainly would! Miaka hurried along the street, dodging the other pedestrians with a grace born of necessity. As she ran, her thoughts circled back to the mysterious lover in her dreams that morning. Why had this dream affected her so strongly? She'd had sex dreams before. What girl hadn't? But did other people's dreams become so intense? Was it normal to feel such a deep connection for someone whose face you couldn't see?

Lost in her thoughts, Miaka lost her grip on her purse. Luckily, it missed landing in a puddle and fell safely out of foot traffic. Muttering at her clumsiness, she halted and turned on her heel to retrieve her lost bag.

As her hand closed around her purse, a loud crack pierced the air. The sound of rending steel sent a chill down her spine as she straightened, glancing about to see what could make a sound like that.

A car crash? A quick perusal of the street made it clear that hadn't been the cause. Several gasps and a high pitched scream drew her attention as a few pieces of mortar pelted the sidewalk by her feet.

Blinking, Miaka turned her face upwards and felt her heart give a sharp thud of sheer fright as she saw a fourteen foot high billboard falling straight towards her. She told herself to move; jump backwards, roll to the side, run away—anything—but her feet seemed frozen in place.

"Aie!" she cried, crossing her arms feebly in front of her face, eyes clenching shut. It was all she could do, and she'd rather not see herself be squashed, thank you very much.

"Look out!"

Before she could even register the warning, she was being bodily shoved out of the way just as the billboard hit the ground with a sickening crunch. Strong arms wrapped around her, taking the brunt of the impact as they landed on the sidewalk. A hand came up to cradle the back of her head, pressing her face against a well-defined and compact chest.

"Are you all right?" Her savior's voice was gentle, but firm. The strong grip about her waist relaxed slightly, and the hand at her head dropped to rest on her shoulder.

"I think so." Miaka sat up and pulled back from the stranger, her hands pressing politely against his chest to give herself some space. She shook her head to try and clear it. She must have hit it on something despite her rescuer's heroics. What was that weird light?

After a moment she managed to force her eyes open to more than a crack, coming face to face with the shining symbol of the Willow emblazoned across her savior's collar bone.

"Sheesh Miaka. You can't even walk down a street without attracting danger, can you?"

Those dulcet tones, so not in keeping with brute strength. A small gasp escaped as her lips parted in astonishment. Hardly daring to believe, hardly daring to even hope, her eyes slowly lifted past full lips and a perfect small nose to meet a pair of amused lilac eyes shadowed by disheveled lavender locks. Her eyes widened, abruptly filling with tears. It can't be…

Her hands curled into the front of the white button down as she sucked in a deep breath and threw herself headlong into the arms of her third Seishi.

"Nuriko!" She cried. Her voice was muffled by his shirt and chest.

She could hear the smile in his voice as he said her name, his arms tightening about her waist and shoulders in a protective hold. "I missed you too."

Their embrace lasted only a moment, but it seemed much longer to Miaka. Reuniting with one of her Seishi was like rediscovering a part of her soul she'd thought died long ago.

Before long, the concerned chatter of bystanders broke through Miaka's bubble of happiness and she realized that she and Nuriko were still sitting in the middle of the sidewalk amidst the shattered remains of the billboard. The two of them pulled apart, Nuriko climbing to his feet first and effortlessly pulling her to hers. She laughed out loud when her feet cleared the ground by a good two feet despite his only being about three inches taller.

A crowd had gathered around them, several people were on their cell phones and in the distance Miaka could heard the distinct sounds of police sirens. She sneezed, causing a small dust cloud to rise from her hair and immediately began patting herself down to try and rid herself of the stuff. Nuriko did the same, as well as giving her a couple of swats on the back that nearly knocked her on her face and laughing with a satisfied grin at her expense.

But Miaka didn't care. Eyes shining in wonder, she asked, "How can you be here?"

The self-satisfied smirk vanished, and the lilac eyes widened in a startled look. Miaka cocked her head in mute inquiry as her seishi attempted to school his delicate features into a neutral expression and fell suspiciously quiet.

"Nuriko?" Miaka prodded, raising up on tiptoe to better look him in the eye.

He steadfastly refused to look at her, a slight flush appearing across the bridge of his nose. He raised a hand to scratch his cheek nervously. "About that…"

The motion brought Miaka's gaze to rest on his watch. With a strangled cry, she reached out to grab Nuriko's wrist for a better look, her eyes nearly bugging out of their sockets. "Oh my god I am so late." Determinedly, she shouldered her purse and charged around the debris, dragging Nuriko with her. "Come on, I'm supposed to meet Keisuke, Yui, and Tetsuya for lunch!"

Nuriko didn't protest, even as he nearly tripped over several large pieces of billboard and debris with a high pitched yelp of "Miaka! Be careful! If you kill me who's going to protect you from yourself?"

Ignoring her Seishi's caterwauling, Miaka ran pell-mell the rest of the way to the small outdoor café, barely heeding the other pedestrians as she towed Nuriko along.

Once the small café came into sight, Miaka's determined expression brightened as she scanned the faces of the seated patrons. How great was it going to be to finally introduce everyone to one another? Scanning the crowd, it wasn't long before Miaka caught sight of Yui; her distinctive blonde hair served as a beacon, despite the other girl's diminutive size. She also recognized the less than pleased expression on her best friend's face and finally slowed her pace a fraction.

Yui might be a little peeved at her for now, but that was sure to change as soon as Miaka explained things. Tetsuya's mouth was quirked into half smile as he watched Yui from behind his sunglasses. Someone should tell him those things don't make you invisible, Miaka thought in amusement.

"Yui-chan!" She called, waving exuberantly as she and Nuriko neared the table Yui and Tetsuya had procured.

Yui turned her face away in exaggerated irritation, eyes closed and mouth set in a firm line of displeasure. "What took you so long?"

"Yui-chan! You'll never guess what's happened!" Miaka tugged Nuriko forward, her hand still firmly clasped around her Seishi's wrist. "I—"

"Well whatever it is," Yui stated smugly, "it can't be better than the surprise we've got for you-" The blonde stopped, noticing for the first time that Miaka had someone with her. Blue eyes immediately focused on the grip her friend had on the very pretty man standing next to her. Her brows knit together curiously as she appraised the newcomer. "Who's this?"

Miaka laughed, unfazed by Yui's shrewd appraisal of her seishi. She released his wrist to cling happily to his arm. "Yui, I'd like you to meet Nuriko, one of the Suzaku seven!"

Yui's eyes widened and Tetsuya's eyebrows suddenly became visible over his shades. Her voice held a note of disbelief. "One of the Suzaku Seven?" Her jaw seemed to refuse to close all the way as she took in this new information.

Nuriko had the grace to at least appear embarrassed at all the attention. "Hi there. Pleased to meet you."

"Ah! The gay one right?" Tetsuya slapped one fist into the other open palm. He grinned. "You were always so cool!"

While Nuriko preened, Miaka glanced around for her brother. "Where's Keisuke? He's always giving me grief for being late and now he's not here? What gives?"

Yui and Tetsuya shared a look. "Remember that surprise we mentioned? He'll be here shortly. He had to stop to pick it up."

"Miaka!" Keisuke called out, weaving his way through the crowded café. "Sorry I'm late, I got held up. Did you know there's a billboard that fell down and nearly crushed some people not three blocks from here? We had to go around!"

Miaka's reply that she had nearly been the one crushed died on her tongue when she realized something. "We?" She asked. Who would Keisuke have brought with him? Had he finally managed to get himself a girlfriend?

"Wait 'til you see what I found!" He told his sister.

"Oh? Something nice, I hope."

Nodding mysteriously, Keisuke smiled.

"Keisuke, slow down!"

A bolt of electricity lanced through Miaka, causing her heart to skip a beat and her palms to sweat. That voice…

Keisuke, his smile wide enough to rival that of the Cheshire cat, stepped aside to reveal his 'find'.

Time seemed to stand still as Miaka took in the familiar teal hair and sun kissed skin. Her grip on Nuriko's arm faltered as she took a step forward, as though pulled by an unseen force, hands coming up to press against her trembling mouth.

"Tamahome?" She whispered, her heart was suddenly flooded with emotion.

Amethyst eyes regarded her curiously and to Miaka's dismay, she saw absolutely no recognition in them. Only polite interest and slight confusion at her emotional display.

"My name is Sou Kishu—" He stopped mid-sentence as his gaze dropped to the ring she now wore on a chain around her neck. Miaka's heart thudded painfully, a wave of yearning striking her body like a physical blow. Her hand grasped at the ring, only to realize it was warm, with a slight glow emanating from between her fingers.

An answering light appeared beneath the opening of his blue t-shirt, pulsating with what could only be the holy light of Suzaku. Once it had faded, Miaka dared to look him in the eye again and was overjoyed to see them brimming with the love and devotion she had pledged to him all those years ago.

"Miaka…" He breathed her name as though the mere sound of it gave him life.

Hesitant, she whispered, "You… remember?"

"Of course I do." He raised a hand to lightly brush her cheek. "Who could forget you?"

Miaka bit her lip to keep the tears from spilling over, moving to embrace the man she'd promised to love forever. When they touched, once again it felt as though a piece of her had finally returned. With a contented sigh, she rested her head on Tamahome's chest.

An annoyed sounding cough ripped the two of them out of their reverie.

"Does anyone remember me?" Nuriko lamented dryly.

"Or us?" Yui added with a deadpan expression. Tetsuya hid a smile while Keisuke continued to grin idiotically.

"Nuri-ko?" Tamahome asked, releasing Miaka to stare dumbly, mouth agape at his brother Seishi.

Miaka shot Yui an apologetic grin. Yui shook her head slightly, mouthing 'Don't worry about it.'

Unfazed, Nuriko chirped, "Heya Tama-kins, long time no see!"

Tamahome looked back and forth between Miaka and Nuriko in confusion. "How can this be?" He asked, incredulously.

Nuriko scowled. "What, did you think you were the only one who loves Miaka enough to want to protect her in this world too?" He sniffed delicately, turning his nose up with great dignity. "Hmph. Obviously, a Seishi's bond with his priestess knows no bounds."

Keisuke suddenly loomed close to Nuriko, his expression starry with hero worship. "You gave your life for my sister once already and you still want to protect her? That's so noble!"

"Hopefully in this world she won't need so much protection." Nuriko shot Miaka a meaningful look. "But after this morning, I wouldn't count on it."

Cheeks reddening, Miaka protested, "Honestly, I'm not normally attacked by things falling from the sky!"

Laughing, everyone settled down into seats at the table, Miaka wedged between Tamahome and Nuriko, each of her hands tightly holding one of theirs. Even though Yui was across the table, the two girls were able to hold quite a detailed conversation as the boys started asking questions.

Yui's wide blue eyes flicked between Tamahome and Nuriko and then back to Miaka in clear questin, What's going on here?

Miaka shrugged her shoulders and bit her lip. I'll let you know when I figure it out.

Satisfied that her best friend would follow though, Yui turned her attention back to the boys with renewed interest.

"So you were reborn too then?" Tamahome asked. "You're not a ghost this time?"

"I'm as flesh and blood as any of you." Nuriko confirmed with a mischievous grin. "I've had a whole life here in this world. Though until today my memories of my past life were nothing but dreams." He cast a meaningful look at Miaka, voice softening. "It wasn't until I saw you in danger that everything came flooding back in one fell swoop."

Everyone fell silent as the waitress came to take their drink orders and inform them of the day's specials. Once she was gone, the conversation started up again.

"How did you find Tamahome, Keisuke?" Miaka turned her questioning gaze on her brother. Wasn't a Seishi supposed to be drawn to the priestess?

"Well, oddly enough, he's my new neighbor." Keisuke admitted, scratching his nose idly. "I saw him moving in and couldn't help but recognize him." Adopting an air of importance, he leaned back in his chair to wave a hand dismissively. "So I did what any honorable big brother would do and started playing detective. I offered to help him move in and, of course, we two romantic heroes hit it off right away."

Tamahome looked as though he'd like to object, but kept his mouth shut, shooting Miaka an amused look as her brother hammed it up.

"I saw the ring and started asking questions and before long he mentioned that he'd had weird dreams ever since he was a kid. I knew it was fate; I had to bring the two of you together again. Destiny demands it!"

Miaka laughed softly. Her brother sure could be delusional, but she'd let him have it for now. After all, he'd just reunited her with Tamahome.

Quietly she snuck a peek at Nuriko out of the corner of her eye. The purple haired Seishi was listening, laughing at all the right things, but Miaka could see he seemed distracted. Once again, her most flamboyant Seishi was uncharacteristically quiet. Something was definitely up.

"So if Tamahome goes by his real name then…"

They call me Chou Ryuuen here too." He smiled, his eyes softening as they lit upon her face. "But to you I'll always be Nuriko."

"I wonder if everyone was reborn under their old name?" Yui chewed a thumbnail thoughtfully. "That'd make it a lot easier to try and find them if they did all happen to be reborn, wouldn't it?"

"We can see about that later." Tetsuya nodded, gently prying Yui's hand away from her mouth and covering it with his own. "Right now we should give the three of them time to get reacquainted. Don't you think?" He shot a meaningful look at Keisuke, but the older Yuuki was paying him no attention, instead flipping through the menu frantically as the waitress returned to take their meal orders.

Miaka ordered her favorite pork cutlet dish and waited politely for the others to finish. Under the table she gave each of her Seishi's hands a squeeze, simply allowing herself to relax and enjoy the feeling of finally being reunited with them. When had she last been this happy? Her heart was soaring so high she thought for a few precious moments that maybe she could fly too.

Her mood remained buoyant throughout the remainder of brunch—really more of a lunch now, as everyone swapped stories about what they'd been doing in the past five years. Or in Nuriko and Tamahome's cases, their lives.

Tamahome was a rising accounting star. His love of money had also seemed to transcend worlds and time because he was very good at it. In his spare time he helped coach Yotsubadai's basketball team. Miaka smiled at the news that he coached her old school. It was like he'd been just a few steps behind her all along and she'd never noticed.

Nuriko seemed to be doing quite well for himself in the fashion industry. His parents had owned a clothing company and he'd followed in their footsteps and was just now beginning to step out and make a name for himself as a designer. Miaka wasn't surprised. He'd always been fashionable whether he was dressing as a man or a woman.

Right now, he was definitely sporting more manly attire. The white button down complimented soft black slacks and some stylish shoes. His hair was short, like it had been right before he died. Miaka missed his braid, but couldn't deny that he looked good with short hair. His androgynous good looks made it impossible not to look at him. Somehow he managed to be both slim and beautiful, yet lean and muscular enough that Miaka found herself wondering what he might look like underneath said shirt.

Catching herself, Miaka tore her eyes away and purposely focused on Tamahome. He was beautiful in his own way as well, but his was a more wild beauty. No one would ever mistake him for a woman. The blue v-neck and khakis he wore were just tight enough Miaka could trace the lines of his biceps with her eyes.

This is not the time for this. Miaka scolded herself harshly. Rather than continue to fight with herself she released both of her Seishi's hands to dig into her pork cutlet. Of course she was finished in no time; decimating it in the time it took everyone else to eat only a few bites.

"Same old Miaka." Tamahome said warmly.

Miaka blushed, tucking a strand of auburn hair behind an ear and stealthily procured one of his eggrolls.

As nice as it was to see Yui, Tetsuya, and Keisuke, Miaka was glad when their meal was finally over and she Nuriko and Tamahome were left alone to wander the streets of Tokyo.

Flanked by her two Seishi, Miaka led them a short distance to a small park in order to escape the crowds and hubbub. Having the two of them with her once again made her feel more alive than she had in a very long time.

Tamahome reached for her hand and she took it, placing a gentle kiss to the back as they walked. At this, Nuriko dropped back a few paces, slowing down enough that Miaka grew concerned. "Nuriko, hurry up!"

"Don't worry about me!" He assured her. "I won't lose you!"

Once they'd reached the park and procured a bench, Miaka and Tamahome sat, making themselves comfortable while Nuriko stood, watching the antics of the children on the playground with interest. What was wrong, Miaka wondered, gazing at him. He'd been strangely quiet since the café. Wasn't he as happy to have his memories awoken as she was to find him? Were his cheeks a little pink? Was he embarrassed about something? Why wouldn't he look at her and Tamahome?

Miaka's gaze dropped to the sight of her and Tamahome's clasped hands. Society tended to frown on such public displays of affection, but she'd been so excited she hadn't been paying that any mind for the past couple of hours. Her brow furrowed, Nuriko had never seemed upset by her displays of affection before, so why-?

Five years of pain at seeing Yui and Tetsuya together all the time while she'd had no one suddenly stuck out in her mind. Though she'd been extremely happy for them, the constant reminder about what she didn't have sometimes felt like a hot knife in her chest. She had no right to feel bad, though, as she and Tamahome had never been discreet about their feelings for each other, even in front of the other Seishi.

Her cheeks burned with shame. It had been so easy to just fall back into old habits with Tamahome without even considering how it might make others feel.

With that thought, Miaka released Tamahome to grasp Nuriko's hand with both of hers, holding it with earnest assurance, wanting him to know in no uncertain terms that she was happy to have both of them back. "My life just hasn't been the same without the Suzaku Seven in it," she began warmly. "I couldn't be happier to have both of you back with me again." And I promise to be a better friend and not make you uncomfortable if I can help it! She vowed silently. She loved Tamahome, but she loved Nuriko too!

Almost immediately her face reddened at her own thought. As a friend. She corrected herself. She loved Nuriko as a friend. Even though it had taken five years for her to be reunited with Tamahome, her feelings of love for her Seishi were still as strong as ever.

A friend. You love him as a friend. She repeated to herself, even as her gaze perused Nuriko's profile with appreciation. She'd always thought he was beautiful, but she'd never been attracted to him, right? She squirmed at the memory of the night Nuriko had saved her and Tamahome from being electrocuted. The night he'd forcibly stripped her down to make sure she didn't catch cold and then teased her by pretending to kiss her.

If she was perfectly honest, she'd been kind of disappointed that he hadn't.

"It's about time you three showed up."

The three of them jumped at the intruding voice, Tamahome nearly falling off his end of the bench. Nuriko yelped, wrapping Miaka in a near strangle hold in surprise. Miaka squeaked, turning to see a pair of squinty eyes peering hard at her from a wrinkled face with extremely saggy jowls. Only one face could ever look remotely like that.

"Taiitsukun!"

Fighting her way free of Nuriko' s grip, Miaka hugged the Deity with unabashed glee. "It's so good to see you!"

"Are you sure about that?" Nuriko said in a stage whisper that earned him a glare from the Creator.

"Very funny." Taiitsukun huffed and Miaka took a moment to take in her appearance. She'd chosen to appear to them in modern dress, her small frame dwarfed by far too many layers of clothing for the warm weather they were having. Wrapped about her shoulders was a colorful scarf that somehow managed to give her a level of sophistication that the pink floating sash never did. A simple red felt hat and a bamboo purse completed the look.

"What are YOU doing here?" Tamahome demanded. He'd recovered from his near tumble and was making a show of readjusting his clothes.

Taiitsukun rolled her eyes. "What do you think? I just dropped by for tea and cookies? Numbskull! Obviously I'm here to tell you that something has gone amiss regarding the Universe of the Four Gods. "

Miaka frowned. "Amiss?" What could have gone wrong with the Universe of the Four Gods? Hadn't all four priestesses already been summoned? Hadn't the prophecies been fulfilled?

As though she knew what Miaka was thinking, Taiitsukun answered, "Though the prophecy has been fulfilled, the story has not ended." She gestured with a bony hand towards Tamahome and Nuriko. "Your Seishi's love for you transcends time and space. Unfortunately, that connection, and your sealing of Seiryuu has thrown off the balance of both worlds. You must summon Suzaku once more in order to put it right."

"I have to summon Suzaku again? B-but...is that even allowed?"

Taiitsukun's lips quirked in a smile. "These are very special circumstances. The four gods, powerful though they are, cannot grant their own wishes. It's against the rules. Because you, the Priestess of Suzaku, wished for Seiryuu to be sealed, only you can wish for him to be unsealed and restore balance to the Universe of the Four Gods."

"All right…" Miaka said slowly. "That sounds simple enough."

"Not as simple as it sounds, my dear."

"We just have to reassemble the Suzaku Seven, right?" Miaka said, and made a fist in determination. "That can't be too hard, I've already found Tamahome and Nuriko in the same day!"

Speaking as though to a slow child, Taiitsukun continued, "Yes, Miaka. Your bond with their spirits is strong and I doubt it will take you long to locate them. But there's something very different about this summoning."

Miaka's face scrunched up. "What's different about it?"

Taiitsukun cleared her throat, the wrinkles around her eyes and cheeks deepening slightly in amusement. "Well, in order to summon Suzaku a second time, it will require the use of a special technique to raise both your Seishi's chi as well as your own in order to summon Suzaku again."

"What kind of technique?"

"Bou Chou Jutsu."

To be continued…

Authors Notes: I just wanted to take a moment to say thank you to Kitty Lynne for being a good sport and helping me with some of the finer details of this story as well as being a fantastic beta reader! She also let me use an idea from one of her stories that isn't going to actually make an appearance for at least another chapter, but when it does I will be giving her proper credit!

Go read her Tasuki amd Miaka fiction! They are absolutely the best!

The fastest way to get me to update is to review and tell me what you liked! Or things that you think might happen! Please speculate! It makes me giggle with evil glee.