(insert song: "Omoitsuki" by Koyasu Takehito and Seki Tomokazu)

Riva cheerily marched through the streets, swinging her arms and singing, " I'm gonna find everyo~one! I'm not gonna let Schu be~eat me~!! "

**

(insert song: Yami no Matsuei main BGM)

Tsuzuki and Hisoka appeared above the city. It came as a shock to the two Shinigami that they were not alone there. Oh no, they found themselves accompanied by Trunks and Xellos, who were equally perplexed by the situation.

" Shinigami...? " Tsuzuki wondered aloud.

" No, " Xellos answered, " that would be Duo. "

" Duo...? " Hisoka blinked.

Trunks flew over to the two of them. " Maybe you can help us. We're visitors to this world and we've been separated from our companions. One of them is about, oh, the height of you- " he pointed at Hisoka, " -with short dark hair and wide green eyes. He was last seen wearing... "

" It's not just Subarukun we're looking for, Trunkskun. " Xellos interrupted.

Trunks' face turned red. " I was getting to the others. "

" Oh, I see. " Xellos said. " Please continue. "

**

(insert song: "Sweet Nothing" by Yuuki Hiro)

Ryuuichi and Tasuki were in a department store killing time while they thought of something to do, when suddenly they were not alone in the mens department. A boy wearing a pale red kimono with long white hair and dog ears appeared crouched on a mannequin's head. Behind Tasuki appeared a man who resembled the boy, with a crescent moon on his forehead and dressed in a rich kimono and modified samurai armor. A monk appeared in a rack of blazers, along with a little fox-demon in the sock bin. A young girl in a green and white school fuku fell from the ceiling, where Ryuuichi caught her.

Tasuki blinked. " This is unusual. "

" Daijoubuka? " Ryuuichi asked the girl.

" Hai, I'm fine Inu Ya-- " she blinked at Ryuuichi. " You're not Inu Yasha... what phase of the moon is it? Or... what did you do to your hair? "

" I'm over here, Kagome, " Inu Yasha said dourly, leaping off of the mannequin to snatch Kagome back from Ryuuichi.

Tasuki tilted his head to the side. " That's the third person with your voice so far, Ryuuichi. "

" Aah... " Ryuuichi smiled broadly and put his hand behind his head. " So it is! "

Miroku worked his way out from within the blazers and pointed his staff at the man behind Tasuki. " This must be some sort of trick by Sesshoumaru! "

" Yeah! " chimed Shippou, crawling out of the sock bin.

Sesshoumaru smirked. " I assure you I would never use such cheap tricks. It's obvious we've transcended dimesions
somehow. " He turned his gaze upon Kagome, " I'd blame the wench. "

" Who're you calling a wench! " Kagome demanded, then hid behind Inu Yasha when that gaze became a glare.

" Ryuuichi, " Tasuki said, ignoring the newcomers for a moment, " how many did Riva say we were looking for? "

Ryuuichi thought over this. " Uhh... sixteen... I think... maybe seventeen... "

" How many of us are there right now? Not counting Riva. " Tasuki asked again.

Ryuuichi counted on his fingers quickly. " Fourteen... " He looked at the newcomers. " We need more yet! So... now I guess the other worlds are coming to us. "

Inu Yasha took a break from glaring at Sesshoumaru and glared at Ryuuichi. " What the hell are you talking about? "

" You get the feeling we're somehow even more in the dark than Riva is? " Tasuki commented.

**

(insert song: "Moonlight Eternal Mobius" from Zetsuai Cathesix)

Duo was just about to take a sip of his soda when a hand reached over and cupped his face. A visiable shiver ran through the boy's body and turned his head to stare at this invader of his personal space in umbrage.

" You look a little pale, " commented the intruder.

Duo took in the other man's white skin, white trenchcoat and suit, and the solitary silver eye visiable beneath a cascade of silver hair. He sweatdropped. " Coming from you I'm not sure how to take that comment. "

" I'm a doctor, " the man assured him, leaning forward intrusively, " I know what I'm talking about. Trust me. " He smiled thinly. " It concerns me because you look somewhat like someone I know. It's the eyes, that beautiful shade of purple... " his voice trailed off. Duo swallowed noisily. The doctor moved back and withdrew his fingers from Duo's face, leaving him suddenly chilled. " Forgive me. My name is Kazutaka Muraki. I advise you have yourself checked out, maybe you haven't been eating enough. It would be a shame for such a pretty boy as yourself to waste away, hm? " Then he was gone, walking down the street in the opposite direction of the general crowd and leaving Duo feeling very, very creeped out.

" Who was that? " Sanzou asked.

" I have no idea... " Duo answered, his fingers retracing the path Muraki's had taken on his face.

**

(insert song: "First Love" by Hikaru Utada)

Subaru ran forward, heading for the crowd of girls. He didn't hear them, didn't hear Eagle say his name, all he could hear was the echoing of that voice. That voice he was inexplicably drawn to, no matter where he heard it, where he heard it from. Pushing his way through the girls, he found himself within the crowded flower store, meeting eyes with a redhaired man in a horrible orange sweater.

" Irasshaimase, " Omi greeted the boy who had just pushed his way into the store.

Subaru didn't hear him, as he continued to stare at Aya his eyes glistened with tears that eventually overspilled and he sobbed,
" Seishirousan... janai... "

" Subaru? " Eagle wormed his way into the store and asked gently.

All the girls and the four men working the flower store blinked at the sobbing boy, who turned and buried his face in Eagle's shirt.

" Awhn, Subaru... " Eagle hugged him and gently stroked his hair. " Daijoubu... "

" It's not fair! " Subaru sobbed. " Why couldn't I have stayed ignorant? Why me? It's just not fair. "

Eagle smiled gently. " I don't know much about it, Subarukun, but at least this way you still have your sister, right? It's harsh to say, but, in the end, you would have lost both instead of one. " He listened as Subaru's sobs died down to sniffles. " You'll be okay. "

" It doesn't help that everywhere we go there's someone who sounds like Seishirousan, " Subaru said miserably.

" Guess not. " Eagle agreed.

" Hai, " Omi said, using the only tactic he knew to cheer someone up: holding out a flower. " I don't understand at all, but please cheer up. " He smiled.

Subaru wiped away his tears with the back of his hand and took the flower with a weak smile. " Thank you. "

" Yoush' okyakusama, " Youji ushered the girls outside. " We're going to take a short break to help out our friend here. If you are dead set on buying flowers, please go see Mima, " he indicated the little old lady with the kitten in the corner, " or come back another time. "

[was her name Mima? I can't remember. It started with an 'm' anyway... snort. Blame Schu. XD]

The girls made various noises of protest, but the four men had already disappeared in back with Subaru and Eagle.

**

(insert song: "Coconut" by Smile DK)

The group on the hill were still having a nice peaceful time. In fact, Yukito had fallen asleep.

**

(insert song: "Wish" by Ali Project)

" I am so going to have words for that onna when we find her, " Wufei growled.

" Riva-dono? " Koinosuke clarified.

" Who else do you think I mean? " Wufei snapped. " This has been nothing from trouble since the beginning. I'm not even entirely sure how she got me in that damned folding metal chair! I can't believe I'm stuck on this stupid quest. "

Koinosuke looked to the side as they walked. " Ooh... takoyaki... "

Wufei continued to rant, " I mean, how can you go on a quest and not know what you're even questing for? It's ridiculous. Why didn't she just bloody ask this master of hers? Why would he put up with her forgetting so much? It doesn't make any sense! "

" I'm kinda hungry... I could go for some takoyaki... " Koinosuke mused.

" Furthermore-- " Wufei was cut off as he ran into someone.

" Wufei-dono! Let's get some takoya... ki...? " Koinosuke trailed off, staring at the man Wufei had run into.

" Please excuse me, " said the man in question.

Wufei looked back and forth between Koinosuke and the new guys, having noticed the distinct similarity in their voices. He fumed. " Wonderful. " But what Wufei didn't realize, Koinosuke did.

The samurai pointed at Crawford and asked, " Riva-dono's master...? "

**

Next chapter: Department Store Disaster