Disclaimers: Mouse-chan’s list of FY inventory: Two video box sets. Four CDs. Two (or more) bootlegged WinMX CDs. Two wall scrolls, both featuring everyone’s favorite purple-haired cross-dresser. One OVA2 video cassette (the first one). Five home-made FY plushies, one minus clothing because of lack of correct fabric. ( ~.^;; ) One pin with Tasuki on it that is now lost somewhere between the French Building and the History Building. ( **sniff** ) Notice the series itself is not listed among these assets. Notice that no characters are, either.

Warnings: For the first time in a million years: TASUKI LANGUAGE!!! Multiple personalities. Frozen custard. And, oh yes: SHOUNEN AI!!! In BIG LETTERS so blind people can see it!!! ^_^ If you don’t mind it, then please, read on! If it’s not your thing, DON’T!!! If it’s not your thing, I can respect that. But if you know you won’t like it and you read it anyway, it’s your fault, not mine, so go read something else that you might give an even chance. ^_^ Okie dokie? Okie dokie. ^_^ But when all’s said and done, this chapter is definitely not as sappy as recent chapters have been. There’s actually a little more plot this time. O.O DUDE!

Notes: Another big thanks to everyone who’s reading! Hope you like it, and hope everyone’s having fun. ^_^

"Genrou," I breathed, and the focus of the room was immediately turned from the metal fan to me.

"Ryuu-chan!!" Keisuke exclaimed, eyes going all sparkly, grabbing my shoulders and fairly bouncing in excitement. "You remember? Do you do you do you do you???!!!"

"Ahhhhhhhhhhh, stop!" Trying to disentangle myself from him was useless, and I was shaken like a maraca. It was Taka who saved me, inserting his arm between us and knocking poor Keisuke in the face. He stumbled backward in surprise and fell on his butt.

"Can we be calm?" Taka stated, dusting his hand nonchalantly on his shirt.

"It’s Tasuki’s," Miaka confirmed for my benefit. "But where did you find it??? How???"

"It was the strangest thing," Keisuke mused, not even bothering to pick himself up, but lying there sprawled on the hardwood. "I smashed one of Mom’s old plates accidentally, and when I went to the antique shop to try to find a replacement…there it was. I can return it, if it isn’t the right one…but I remember it was…"

Taka was appalled. "How much did it cost??!"

"Well…" Keisuke shrugged. "I dunno. Tetsuya was the one who actually bought it. He and Yui-chan swung by on their way to the city, luckily enough; I’d put the thing on hold so I could call him and ask for money, and then there he was, right at my door. Said he got a decent deal on it, though. You know how those places like to haggle."

The thing glistened softly in the sunlight trickling in through the windows, and Miaka regarded it in awe; she lowered her hand and almost touched it, but…stopped, and drew back. "I don’t believe it. How is this possible?"

"You got sucked into another world through a book, and you’re wondering how this is possible?" I giggled, nudging her with my elbow.

"That’s a very good point," said Saihitei quietly, and I realized I’d forgotten to say hello in the excitement…dammit. "Perhaps it doesn’t need an explanation. It’s here." He looked about to say something else, but cut himself off. A moment later, though, he continued. "It could be a sign. A signal that we should…let Tasuki know who he is. Maybe let all of them know."

I turned worried eyes to Taka, knowing, from what Saihitei had told me, that he wasn’t exactly 100% behind that idea. My friend was standing with his jaw set stubbornly, but a thoughtful expression had also crossed his features.

The idea was exciting, but kind of…I dunno…terrifying. I guess I had gotten used to the fact that Gen-chan and I had known each other in a different life, but if they told him…he wasn’t going to appreciate it. But if we told everyone, then they, too—once they got over the initial shock of it—could feel what I felt, that wonderful feeling of having been a part of something special. And I wouldn’t have to keep it such a secret anymore; maybe, through them, I could learn more about who I had been.

"Taka," said Miaka softly, green eyes wide and serene. "Please."

That was it; I don’t think Taka could’ve denied Miaka anything when she said it like that, even if he’d wanted to. With a nod that was almost reluctant, he agreed. "I suppose it has to mean something. And it’s not right seeing the tessen without Tasuki. Even though, you realize, we’d be releasing a dangerous arsonist into this peaceful town."

"At least stuff would happen here, then," I joked. Genrou and fire. This thing… this was his weapon. Flame-thrower type deal. Holy crap. And we’re gonna give it BACK to him???!!!!

Folding the red fabric back around the…tessen, Taka placed it carefully back into the box. "All right, so if we’re gonna tell him, which of us is it gonna be?"

"Not I! I am just the messenger," said Keisuke quickly. "I don’t think you were really considering me anyway, but I just had to make it perfectly clear…"

"Hotohori, you had good luck with Nuriko," Miaka suggested.

Saihitei’s face flushed the tiniest bit. "I…I think my speech about being in love with him probably had something to do with that. I don’t suppose you expect me to say the same thing to Tasuki."

I giggled. "He’d run."

"I don’t think he’d listen to me," Taka pondered. "I’ve played too many jokes…and besides, this was your idea."

"You’re just afraid he’d flame you again," laughed Miaka.

"What about Ryuuen?" said Keisuke. "He’s Genrou’s best friend, right?"

For the second time in about three minutes, all eyes turned to me.

I blinked, and shook my head. "Ummm…hello? Keep in mind, you guys, I don’t even remember much of anything, so how am I supposed to explain stuff?!"

"I still say Saihitei’s the best bet," Taka reaffirmed.

"But what about me?" His girlfriend looked a little insulted.

"Do you really want to be there when he finds out, Miaka-chan?" It was a rhetorical question, and Miaka snapped her mouth shut at once.

With a small sigh, Saihitei crossed his arms. "Now the problem is, even if I’m able to explain things well, Tasuki doesn’t know me. How is he supposed to believe these things from almost a complete stranger?"

Crispy Saihitei. I snickered, hiding my mouth with my hand.

"Well, what if Ryuu-chan went with you?" Miaka offered. "He can’t explain things, but he could at least be there for support. If Gen-chan sees that Ryuu-chan believes stuff, maybe he’ll be more ready to accept it."

Crispy BOTH of us. My smile faded a bit, but I nodded. It made sense, I guess. "Sure. If Saihitei goes, I’ll go with him."

"Why don’t you all go?" Keisuke wondered.

"Because we don’t want him to feel like we’re ganging up on him," said Saihitei, and the rest of us nodded.

"Yeah. If Gen-chan feels threatened, he’ll puff up like one of those spiky fish and be all aggressive and defensive," I agreed.

Miaka giggled. "I don’t think I’ve heard anyone compare Tasuki to a fish before."

"Especially given his attitude toward water," Taka smiled.

"So when should we tell him?" I asked, swinging my head over to look at Saihitei, who was frowning at the ground.

"Better be today," he muttered. "Otherwise I might have time to consider the consequences."

He’s so smart, my heart twittered.

"Ryuu-chan!!" Something poked me in the stomach.

"Uhhh?" I replied intelligently, winking back into reality.

"Little spaced out, there?" Taka said wryly, raising an eyebrow.

"I, ahhh…" I was just having an argument with myself. Nothin unusual.

"I said, why don’t you guys take Gen-chan out tonight?" suggested Miaka, the guilty tummy poker. "Have a guys night out, or something. An excuse for him to get to know Hotohori better."

"Good idea, considering the opinion he has of you now is that you’re a narcissistic drunk guy who keeps trying to sexually harass his naïve little friend," Taka smirked at Saihitei.

"I’m not naïve!" I protested.

They ignored me.

"Yes. Ahem," Saihitei said, sounding embarrassed. "Perhaps that’s a good idea. Yes. We shall bond, and then attempt to explain."

"I’ve been to parties with all sorts of outrageous things going on," I announced firmly. "I’m not naïve."

My boyfriend (eheh!!!) gave me a look. "Outrageous things?"

"Gaaaaaahahahah, I…I’ve never done any of them," I assured him weakly.

"He’s the one playing video games while everyone else is doing them," grinned Taka.

"But but but that doesn’t make me naïve," I insisted.

"Whatever you say, Ryuu-chan," Keisuke chuckled.

"It doesn’t!!"

"Anyone with cornucopias on their socks is definitely not case-hardened," Taka teased.

Miaka, meanwhile, had burst into giggles and was now beyond help. I was about to tell Taka to leave my freaking socks out of it when I felt a hand on my shoulder, squeezing it gently. Looking up, I saw that Saihitei was biting his lip to keep from laughing along with the silly girl. "All right, all right," he said. "Do you think you can bear another movie tonight? That’s always seemed to me to be the best way to grow comfortable with someone, just being alone with them in silence…"

For some reason, this seemed to make Miaka laugh even harder, and Taka and Keisuke both started snickering. Saihitei blinked at them.

"Puh-puh-poetic!!" Miaka managed through her giggles, bent almost double on the floor. "Alone… Silence… T-TASUKI!!!"

"Oh, dear," my boyfriend deadpanned. "Was it really that funny?"

"Apparently so," I said, though the humor of it all was rapidly catching up with me, as well.

"And the movie?"

"Fine with me," I nodded. "Can we take your car? Gen-chan might kill us all on the way there." And besides, your car is COOL.

"Certainly."

~*~

Seven o’clock rolled ‘round, and Gen-chan met me outside my dorm. He’d been only too happy to go see a movie, especially since the local cinema was giving big-screen showings of ‘Saving Private Ryan’ for the first two weeks of November, in honor of Veteran’s Day.

"Been a fuckin while," he greeted me as I hopped down the stairs, wrapping my scarf around my neck. "Whassup?"

"Not much!" I replied cheerfully.

"We walkin to the lot to get the car?" he offered, taking a step in the direction of the student parking area.

"Oh! Nope," I said, trying to appear as though I’d accidentally left out the part about Saihitei coming along. "Saihitei’s gonna drive. That okay?"

He narrowed his eyes. "Fuckin Pantene Pro-V Hair-Model Dude? You guys a fuckin item now, or somethin?"

"Cut it out, Gen-chan; he’s really nice," I said adamantly. "Miaka and Taka wouldn’t like him so much if he wasn’t."

"Hmph," was his good-natured response. "I just don’t fuckin like him makin moves on ya when ya don’t fuckin know what the hell you’re doin."

Don’t hit him. Don’t hit him. Remember, we’re going for TRUST here. "I know what I’m doing."

"Ch," he snorted. "Right. You’re a fuckin veteran."

But any other argument was spared by the arrival of Saihitei, and I gratefully slid into the front seat, leaving Gen-chan to shuffle into the back like a pissed-off human slug and slam the door. Saihitei winced at the uncalled-for abuse of his beloved vehicle, but wisely kept his mouth shut.

"Good evening," he said brightly, looking back at his cantankerous passenger by means of the rear-view mirror. "Nice to see you again, Genrou."

"Hn," Gen-chan grunted, glowering.

I rolled my eyes, sighed, and dropped back against the headrest. Well, aren’t we off to a fantastic start.

Once at the theater, Saihitei tried to make peace by paying for all of our tickets, and buying us popcorn and soda. But Gen-chan just grunted again, and snatched his food sullenly, as if my boyfriend had attempted to steal it from him. Through it all, I managed not to drop kick my utterly obnoxious and childish best friend into the Harry Potter movie poster hanging on the wall. Barely.

And then, to add to my frustration, he had the nerve to insert himself between me and Saihitei when we found our seats.

And I thought my PARENTS were over-protective!!! I wanted to scream. The way things were going, I didn’t think we’d ever get him opened up enough to tell him about his Tasuki Connection.

As it turned out, thankfully, luck was on our side that night. At the end of the movie—a good three hours later—only the three of us remained in the theater all the way through the ending credits, relishing in the effect of the film while everyone else hurried out to their cars.

"Fuckin great movie," Gen-chan mumbled.

Saihitei nodded. "Wonderful. I have the wide-screen edition at home, but it’s so much more striking on the big screen."

Looking surprised, Genrou turned to stare at him. "Really? Ya have the tape?"

"Mm. You’re welcome to borrow it, if you like," he replied cordially.

My red-haired friend blinked quickly, as if he didn’t understand why Saihitei was being so nice to him after he’d spent the last few hours acting like a total brat. (To tell the truth, I didn’t quite understand it, either. That was just Saihitei. Gosh, he was so great…)

"It has a special documentary that goes along with it, as well," Saihitei continued. "It’s really quite interesting."

I sighed in relief as I watched Genrou’s shoulders slump, saw the gears in his brain working, and reading them perfectly. Hey, this guy’s not so bad, I guess, those gears were saying…but with a lot more cussing and slang words.

"Well, ummm…" I cleared my throat. "Should we go?"

Gen-chan sent me an ashamed look, then lowered his eyes quickly. When we’d all stood up to put our jackets on, he grinned like a maniac, his mortification pushed into the past with whatever other bad memories he had stowed away there, and said, "Hey! Guys wanna go for some kick-ass frozen custard?? Stuff fuckin rocks, and it’s on me!"

I caught Saihitei’s eye and grinned broadly. A peace offering! Finally! Thanks to the genius and universal appeal of Steven Spielberg and Tom Hanks! You know how sometimes people write in to celebrities telling how they changed their lives? Sure. Well, had the situation been different, I would seriously have considered doing just that. Somehow, however, I don’t think they’d quite understand a letter thanking them for allowing our friend to learn of his past as an ancient Chinese warrior with a magical flame-throwing fan.

Well, anyway. Frozen custard usually makes me feel sick, but Gen-chan practically shoved the stuff down my throat, a feat which was accompanied by cheerfully annoying comments about how I needed to eat more so I wouldn’t get mistaken for a purple blade of grass. Dork. The custard shop was closing, so we sat outside at little wooden tables, the only ones in sight save for the server sweeping the floor; the air was brisk, but surprisingly not chilly, and there was barely any wind to speak of.

Gen-chan’s mood had done a hundred and eighty-degree backflip, and he was as jovial as he was with Taka and Kouji, talking about his boring econ classes and displaying his awe-inspiring mastery of the art of vulgarity. After we’d sat and talked for almost an hour, Saihitei excused himself and went to get something out of the car. My heart began pounding with astounding force, because I knew he was going for the box with the tessen in the trunk.

He eyed the box inquisitively when Saihitei returned and set it on the table. "What the hell’s that thing?"

Saihitei cleared his throat. "Genrou. I…we…have something that we need to tell you."

Gen-chan stared at me in horror. "Fuck! You two aren’t movin to fuckin Holland??!!"

"Erm…no," Saihitei said smoothly. "It’s not about us. Well, not entirely about us." And he went on to explain everything…about Miaka and Tamahome, himself and me…and a bandit named Shun’u Kou, better known in myth as the Suzaku no Shichiseishi Tasuki. He unwrapped Keisuke’s find slowly, holding the heavy weapon out to Gen-chan, who accepted it with wide eyes.

When he’d finished, we were welcomed by a dead, dangerous silence. And with growing dread, I realized that my hopes that he’d accept his past as I had were dead, as well. Genrou’s eyes were hard, cold, and furious.

He stood up slowly, clenching the tessen in his fist, and grabbed my arm. "Fuckin psychopath," he shot at Saihitei, dragging me roughly up from the bench. "Yer a goddamn fuckin psychopath! What, ya got a goddamn cult of zealots that fuckin believes this shit?!"

"Gen-chan!" I protested with a yelp; his fingernails dug into my upper arm. But he ignored me, and shoved me behind him, backing us both away.

"Ya think it’s fuckin funny, messin with kids like this? Well, I’ll show ya fuckin funny, ya pansy-ass bastard! You fuckin come near him again, or any of my friends, and I’ll tear you into so many fuckin pieces that not even your fuckin teeth will be big enough to identify you!"

"Gen-chan, stop it!!" I shouted. "He’s not lying; it’s true!! It’s true!! I remember being there, too; let me go!!"

He yanked me back. "You have no fuckin clue what yer doin!!" he roared. "You don’t fuckin understand; there are people out there who want to hurt people like you! This guy’s no fuckin good; he’s tryin to brainwash you into believing some bullshit story that…"

"It’s not bullshit!!" I shouted back…and then, the strangest thing…a burning in my chest, fierce and hot… I tried once more to pull myself away from my friend’s forceful grip, and this time…this time… Genrou went sprawling on the pavement, propelled by the force of my move.

His eyes were as wide as I knew mine were, and staring at my chest in unmasked alarm. Ever so slowly, I looked down and saw…glowing. Red light radiating from a mark below my left collarbone that had never been there before. I was frozen except for my heart, which was now pounding hard enough to shake my entire body; finally, after much effort, I yanked my eyes back to Gen-chan, panting on the sidewalk with a face full of horror.

I made a gulping sound, trying to say something, I don’t know exactly what; but before I could find the strength to do so, he’d scrambled to his feet, tessen still in hand, and ran off into the darkness.

TBC…

Notes: Well, drama quota for the chapter is present and accounted for… ~.~() Feel free to email me with questions or (polite) criticisms/suggestions: purplemouse105@hotmail.com. ^_^ Happy Two Days Before New Year!!

Chapter Twelve