The Future is in the Stars

By Cranberry no Miko

Disclaimer: I don’t own FY or the characters. I DO own Shinzui, and I DO want to keep him! ^.^

Warnings: OOC, yaoi, some "mature content" but nothing too graphic

Please! Give me feedback! I want to know how to improve the story.

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A gentle knock, and the door of the small bedroom opened. A cloaked and hooded figure stepped in, and nodded at the occupants of the room, one on the bed and one in a chair. The one on the bed nodded back and smiled slightly.

"Ah, I’m so glad you’ve arrived. Now, what is your name?" The hooded person shook his head.

"I do not have a name." The man on the bed looked a little surprised, but did not comment.

"Alright, what can I call you?"

"You do not need to call me anything. Just skip the formalities and get down to business." The man on the bed nodded, slightly irritated at his guest’s rudeness.

"Fine. We have a large group of people we wish you to work your services on. We can give you their names, pictures, and places of residence. For all of this we will give you 250 gold ryou plus expenses. Are we agreed?" The cloaked person nodded.

"Yes. Shall we say half now, and half upon the successful completion of my mission?" The man on the bed nodded, and tossed a purse and a large packet at the hooded figure. The purse and packet were caught, and tucked away in the voluminous folds of the cloak.

"Thank you. I will check in after I have…plied my trade…to a few people on your list. Expect me then." The hooded person rose, gave a curt nod, and left through the door.

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"Miaka."

"Tamahome." Amid a huge group of shiawase bubbles, Miaka and Tamahome sat, gazing adoringly into each other’s eyes. The rest of the Suzaku seishi sat or stood nearby. Tasuki looked at the oblivious couple, and rolled his eyes.

"Oi, do those two ever separate? They’re makin’ me sick!" Chichiri grinned hugely and laughed.

"Ahh, Tasuki-kun? Weren’t you ever in love, no da?" Tasuki rolled his eyes again, and shook his head. Chichiri smiled indulgently, and sighed. "Then that’s why you don’t understand. Just let them have their happiness." Tasuki rolled his eyes again, and turned to look at the rest of the seishi. Nuriko was drooling over Hotohori, who was admiring the beautiful flowers in the gardens. Mitsukake was playing with Tama-neko, and Chiriko was reading a book. Tasuki snorted.

"Who’s idea was it to have this picnic anyways!?" The rest of the group ignored him with practiced ease. Chichiri smiled.

"I think it was your idea Tasuki-kun no da." Tasuki’s jaw dropped, and Chichiri grinned. "It’s ok Tasuki-kun, we all make mistakes no da!" As if to add insult to injury, the cloudy skies rumbled, and a few tentative drops of rain fell. The Suzaku seishi and Miko ran for the cover of the thankfully nearby palace.

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In Kutou country, the Seiryuu seishi were all in different areas, each pursuing his or her interests. The twins were out in the courtyard, Suboshi doing some target practice on dummies, and Amiboshi peacefully playing some new music he found in the Kutou palace library. Amiboshi looked up from his flute.

"Ano…Aniki? Do you mind if I go in for a while? I’m afraid my music is going to fade if I stay out here in the sun too much longer." Suboshi gave him the barest of nods.

"Sure Aniki, I’m going to stay out here a while and practice." Amiboshi nodded, gathered his music and flute, and went inside the Kutou palace. He headed for his room, opened the door, and stepped inside. After putting his precious music on a shelf, he turned and noticed a girl about his age laying on the floor at the foot of his bed. Amiboshi walks over to the her, and leaned down to take a closer look at the girl, who he found was asleep. Maybe I should wake her up, so I can find out who she is. He tapped the girl lightly on the shoulder. No response. He tapped her a little harder, and the girl sat up quickly, almost hitting Amiboshi in the head.

"Ah, I’m so sorry! I was sent to clean your room, and I seem to have fallen asleep. Please forgive me!" Amiboshi smiled at the girl, who was very obviously nervous.

"Don’t worry about it. I’ll help you clean so you can get on with whatever else you need to do." The girl’s face lit up, and she leapt to Amiboshi, giving him an enthusiastic hug.

"Oh, thank you so much! You’re so nice!" The girl let go of Amiboshi, and together the cleaned Amiboshi’s horrifically messy room. About an hour later they were finished, and exhausted. Amiboshi flopped down on his bed.

"I never thought cleaning was so much work. You must be worn out. Come sit down, and rest a while." The girl hesitated, but Amiboshi’s friendly smile convinced her.

"Alright, I can stay a while. I don’t have any more chores for the day." The girl flopped down on the bed next to Amiboshi. He propped himself up on one elbow, and looked at the girl. She had long hair that was almost identical in color to his, and gorgeous brown eyes that wouldn’t let him look away. Gods, she is too pretty to be a servant. The girl blushed under his scrutiny, and turned away slightly.

"So why did you save my room for last?" The girl looked up, and blushed a brighter shade of red.

"Well, because it’s such a mess usually…" Her voice was very small. Amiboshi grinned.

"I’ll try to keep it cleaner. I’m sorry." The girl shook her head.

"No, it’s no trouble. I really don’t mind, for you…" She trailed off, and blushed again. Amiboshi smiled inquisitively.

"What do you mean?" The girl blushed, and stammered slightly.

"W-well, I-I always k-kind of l-liked you, and you are v-very h-handsome…" She blushed, and turned her face away from Amiboshi. "I must sound really stupid." Amiboshi put one hand lightly on her shoulder, and turned her around. He smiled at her.

"No, you don’t sound stupid at all, to me." She looked up, and her eyes were sparkling with…something. Amiboshi suddenly leaned over, and kissed her very lightly. As he did, both girl and seishi disappeared.

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Out in the courtyard, Suboshi had just stopped to take a break from his practice when a young woman walked up. Her long chocolate brown hair came down to the waistband of her loose pants, and she wore a loose shirt that was open to her collarbone. She glanced at Suboshi.

"Hey, want to do a little hand to hand practice?" Suboshi nodded. "Loser gives a forfeit, alright?" Suboshi nodded again, and stood. The two fighters made their way to the shade of the wall, and stood a few feet apart.

"Ready, begin!" The two circled each other, neither one striking. After a few moments, Suboshi leaped towards the woman, kicking her legs out from under her. She rolled forward, knocking him to the ground. Suboshi quickly got up, and shoved her backwards, hard. She tripped, and fell flat on her back in the dust.

"That hurt! You’re very good. You win." Suboshi smiled.

"So what do I get as your forfeit?" The woman sat up, wincing, as shrugged.

"It’s your choice." Suboshi helped the woman to her feet, then pulled her close to him. Her eyes were a beautiful shade of brown, and they seemed to be incredibly deep. Suboshi smiled slightly, and leaned down to kiss the woman. A moment later, the pair of fighters vanished.

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Another soft knock, and the door of the room was opened. The two men who had been playing chess looked up to find the cloaked figure standing in the doorway.

"I am reporting, as you asked. I have caught two of the group you asked me to, the twins Amiboshi and Suboshi." The man playing with blue pieces nodded.

"Good work. Where did you put them?" The hooded persons started to speak, but was cut off by the player using red pieces.

"More to the point, how did you manage to get them?" The hooded figure smirked.

"Those young boys were far too easy. I caught one under the guise of a maid, and the other under the guise of a warrior woman. They did not put up much of a fight." The blue player sighed.

"That’s fine. I didn’t expect them to. Now tell me, where did you put them!?" The hooded figure tilted his head slightly.

"Now now, let’s not be so impatient. The twins are safely imprisoned at my lair. They will remain there until I have completed my assignment." Both players nodded. The hooded person tilted his head inquisitively. "Which person would you like me to…take care of next? Oh, and do you have preferences on how the job is completed?" Both players considered for several moments, then the blue player spoke.

"I want you to take out the Suzaku Seishi Nuriko next. I think as long as you make it interesting, we have no preferences to how the job is completed." The hooded person nodded, bowed slightly, and left through the door.

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Nuriko peered out from behind the white marble pillar he was leaning on, watching Hotohori as he heard the complaints and requests. He settles everything so fairly and gently. Nuriko smiled sadly, and slipped out of the audience chamber. He strolled down a flower-lined gravel path to a small wooden bridge laced with vines. Nuriko leaned on the railing and gazed at the slow moving stream below. Ah, Hotohori-sama, why can’t feel the way I feel? Nuriko sighed again and wandered further into the deserted gardens. He walked to one of his favorite places deep in the gardens, where the garden split into two levels. Nuriko sank down gracefully under a weeping willow and looked down over the small waterfall that ran from the upper level to the lower one. Nuriko gasped as his eyes traced the waterfall down the hill. At the bottom of the waterfall there was a pond, and standing beside the pond was… Hotohori-sama! Nuriko’s heart leaped and he stood quickly, then hurried down the path between the levels. How did Hotohori-sama get here so quickly? Nuriko shrugged, and practically skipped down the path.

"Hotohori-sama~~~~!!" Nuriko gasped as the person turned to face him. It’s not Hotohori-sama, but this person is very similar! The person turned and smiled at Nuriko, who was apologizing.

"Please excuse me, I mistook you for—"

"The emperor, correct? I get mistaken for him quite often. I guess that is a compliment to me." Nuriko nodded, amazed. He looks much like Hotohori-sama, but he’s not vain at all…wow! The man noted the little hearts and shiawase bubbles around Nuriko and smiled.

"Ah, you must be Suzaku shichiseishi Nuriko. You are far more beautiful than I have heard." Does he even know I’m a man? The Hotohori look-alike smiled at Nuriko.

"I know you are a man, but your beauty is astounding. It is such a pity that you are so fanatically devoted to only one person. There are so many that would love to be the object of your affection," The man raised his eyebrow and smiled. "Myself included." Nuriko smiled and took a small step towards the man.

"Hmm. Maybe it’s time that I get over Hotohori-sama. They say the best way to forget is in the arms of another…" Nuriko raised his eyebrow suggestively. The man smiled, and stretched out his hand. Nuriko took it in his own, and pulled the other man closer, resting one hand gently behind his head. In the split second before their lips met, Nuriko saw the man’s eyes, rich brown, sparkling with triumph. Then their lips touched, and they both were gone.

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Nuriko woke with a pounding headache. He tried to bring a hand up to his aching head, only to find himself tied down. He shook off the last remnants of sleep and examined his prison. It was a beautifully decorated room, done in peaceful shades of green with subtle gold highlights. The bed Nuriko was lying on was soft, and extremely comfortable. There was a large wardrobe, and several chairs in the room, one of which was occupied.

"You!" Nuriko glared at the strange man. "What did you do?" The man smiled.

"I brought you to my home, and I am keeping you here, in my bedroom. In a much nicer fashion than my other two captives, I must say." The man raised one hand, and drew a circle in the air. In the circle Nuriko saw Suboshi and Amiboshi, chained to a wall in some dank dungeon. Nuriko’s eyes widened with shock.

"Who are you? Why did you kidnap us? What are you going to do?" The man stood, and shook one finger reprovingly at Nuriko as he walked towards him.

"Now, now Nuriko-koibito. One question at a time. You can call me Shinzui. I captured you under orders from another, no don’t ask who it is. I won’t tell you." Shinzui gave Nuriko a sultry smile. "Hmm, what am I going to do with you? Beautiful, tempting, helpless you." With every word Shinzui leaned over Nuriko, until he was a fraction of an inch away from Nuriko’s face. Nuriko’s heart leapt into his throat, and he swallowed hard. He looks so much like Hotohori-sama, scratch that, he’s just gorgeous! Shinzui leaned over and whispered in Nuriko’s ear.

"I can hear your thoughts, and understand your," He nipped Nuriko’s ear lightly, "Feelings." Nuriko was unable to move. Shinzui pulled back slightly, running a hand through Nuriko’s hair and looking at him lovingly. Nuriko was mesmerized by his eyes.

"I really hate to leave, just when things were getting interesting." He winked. "But I really must be going. I’ll untie you, so you can move around, but my home is sealed, so you can’t escape." He paused and looked over his shoulder, winking. "Assuming you want to. I should be back in a few hours, koibito." Shinzui waved one hand in Nuriko’s direction, and his bonds dissolved. Shinzui casually walked through a wall, leaving Nuriko to shake his head in confusion and wonder what was going on.

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Shinzui leaned against the door of the room Nuriko was in. Maybe if I ask nicely, my employers will let me keep this seishi. He is gorgeous, and so fun to tease! He probably wouldn’t mind staying here either. Hmm…this could work out nicely. With a very happy grin, Shinji shifted into the shape he was going to use for his next catch.

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Miaka was in her room, sobbing quietly over her and Tamahome’s latest fight. With her usual amount of intelligence, Miaka screamed at the top of her lungs.

"TAMAHOME DOESN’T LOVE ME ANYMOOOOOOORE!!!!! WAAAAAAH!!" Miaka stopped screaming as she felt a familiar pair of arms around her shoulders.

"Stupid. Don’t say things like that. You know I’ll always love you." Tamahome turned Miaka around to face him, wiping away her tears gently. Miaka smiled and snuggled against Tamahome.

"Do you really mean it Tamahome?" Tamahome hooked one finger under Miaka’s chin, tilting her face up and looking into her eyes.

"Silly girl. Of course I really meant it. Now let’s kiss and make up, alright?" Miaka was happy to comply, and the cheerful couple quickly disappeared.

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Nuriko was sitting on the bed, trying to decide what to do when Shinzui ran in through a wall, carrying a wailing Miaka.

"Koibito, can you please make her shut up? She won’t stop wailing about her precious Tamahome!" Nuriko stared at him for a moment, then burst out laughing. At the sound of a familiar voice, Miaka stopped sobbing and looked up.

"Nuriko! What are you doing here? Did he kidnap you too? Are you ok? Has he got anyone else?" Nuriko rolled his eyes and winked at Shinzui.

"Miaka! Yes, I was, as you put it, kidnapped. I’m fine. The only other people he has, I think, are Amiboshi and Suboshi." Nuriko turned to Shinzui. "Can she stay with me for a while?" He nodded, and walked off through a wall, blowing a kiss to Nuriko on the way. Miaka saw the kiss and looked slowly back and forth between Nuriko and the wall where Shinzui disappeared.

"You…and him? Him…and you? Waaaaaah! I’m confused!!" Nuriko patted Miaka on the head.

"Don’t worry, I’ll try to explain."

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Chichiri sat on a large flat rock above his favorite fishing lake, watching the beautiful sunset reflect against the water. How beautiful. The peaceful sunset, and the quiet music. Chichiri paused, and looked around.

"Where’s that music coming from no da?" Chichiri looked around at the open field, but could not see the source of the soft music. Then he turned his gaze out over the lake. Standing in the middle of lake was a beautiful woman with incredibly long pale blue hair. She had her face turned up reverently towards the darkening sky, and her eyes shut. She was the source of the beautiful music, the music that sounded the way a perfectly clear crystal looked. Glorious, pure, and beautiful beyond all words. Chichiri started walking toward the lake, but when he felt the water around his ankles he snapped out of his trance. She’s a siren! Chichiri leaped out of the water, and ran back towards the palace, covering his ears. Who knows what she would have done had I gone out to her!

Chichiri went back to his room in the palace, and sat down on his bed, shaking his head to clear the last remaining bits of the trance away. Chichiri reached for a bowl of water and a cloth that were on his nightstand. As he looked into the water he saw the maiden in the lake, and heard the faint echoes of her song. Must not…give in. Chichiri looked up from the bowl only to see her standing in the middle of his room. He looked at her, their eyes met, and suddenly he was falling, drowning in the music and her eyes. Chichiri walked forward, his body moving without his control. He walked up to the maiden, and simply stared as she stretched out one delicate hand and cupped his chin with it. Her hair swirled around them as she pulled him closer, and kissed him softly. They vanished, leaving only a tiny splash of water on the floor.

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Nuriko looked up when she heard Shinzui’s footsteps on the soft carpet of the floor. He smiled at Nuriko, and flopped down on the bed beside him.

"Ah, koibito, I’m tired. I just caught the seishi Chichiri. He put up a real fight, managed to escape once before I got him." He smiled. "I put him and your miko in their own rooms, and I moved that Amiboshi boy out of the dungeon, as you requested." Nuriko smiled. Shinzui sighed and closed his eyes, completely exhausted. Nuriko smirked ever so slightly.

"Aww, you look so tired koibito, you should relax!" Shinzui opened one eye and looked at Nuriko suspiciously.

"What do you mea—" He was cut off by Nuriko neatly flipping him over, and sitting on his legs.

"Now, now koibito, don’t tell me you didn’t know my seishi power? It’s strength. Now just lay quietly, and let me work." Nuriko gently pulled Shinzui’s shirt off over his head, and whipped a small bottle of oil out. He spread the oil over his hands and went to work massaging Shinzui’s shoulders. After an hour or so Nuriko had a very relaxed puddle of Shinzui.

"Ah, koibito…" Shinzui was incapable of a coherent sentence. Nuriko grinned happily.

"You do have to return the favor some time, but for now, let’s get some sleep." Shinzui was too tired to protest, and snuggled comfortably next to Nuriko after he turned the lights out.

"Oyasumi nasai koibito." Nuriko whispered.

"Oyasumi nasai…aishiteru." Nuriko’s heart leapt again as Shinzui cuddled closer and fell asleep.

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Cloaked and hooded once again, Shinzui knocked on the door and entered. He found the two men playing checkers.

"I have captured the Suzaku seishi Nuriko and Chichiri, as well as their miko. Do you have any new orders?" The red player smiled.

"No, no new orders…enjoying your captured seishi?" The red player raised one eyebrow and smirked. The blue player rolled his eyes.

"I do have some new orders for you…you do not need to capture the Seiryuu seishi Miboshi or Ashitare. The thought of anyone kissing them is enough to make me nauseous." The red player smiled.

"Also, you do not need to capture the Suzaku seishi Mitsukake. He is far too devoted to his recently deceased lover." Shinzui nodded and bowed slightly, turning to leave. The red players voice floated after him.

"You can take a day or so off if you need or want to, and it will be fine by us." Shinzui grinned and bowed again.

"Domo arigato gozaimasu!" He heard faint laughter as he walked out the door.

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Soi was sulking in her room. Why can’t Nakago-sama return my feelings…he’s so cold to me. Soi’s eyes clouded and she fought back the bitter tears. I’ll show him! I’ll go down to the town and pick up some gorgeous guy, then bring him back here to show him off! Soi put on a short, dark red dress that complimented her hair and showed off her figure, then stormed down to the town.

Soi found a medium-sized tavern and slipped inside. She found herself in a room full of whirling bodies dancing to a fast paced dance tune being played by some musicians in a corner. Next to the musicians sat a person with long, red-blond hair. The fast pace song ended, and the person stood up.

"Ladies and Gentlemen! Our feature entertainment is about to perform!" The room was instantly silent as people backed away from the middle of the floor, leaving an open space in the middle. Soi managed to stand in the very front of the crowd and see what was going on.

The red haired person stood up and walked out of the shadows, and Soi’s jaw dropped. Oh…my…god… The man was wearing a skintight transparent red shirt as well as skintight black pants that left very little to the imagination. The musicians started playing, a song with a hypnotic drumbeat and a mesmerizing tune. And then he started to dance.

Soi felt her knees weaken as the gorgeous long haired man danced around the floor, graceful and suggestive at the same time. He stretched one arm out towards the crowd and locked eyes with Soi. Soi couldn’t move, couldn’t breathe, couldn’t think about anything, except how gorgeous he was. Her chest ached and her head spun as he danced on. Then, suddenly, the music stopped. The man turned away, winking at Soi over his shoulder.

As soon as the crowd started dancing again, Soi rushed over to the spot where the man had been sitting, only to find him gone. She noticed a dark door in the corner, and rushed into it. She found herself in a bedroom, decorated in red silk. There was a large bed against the far wall, with semi-transparent silk hangings, and on the bed sat the man. Without his shirt. Soi nearly passed out then and there. The man stood up, and walked over to Soi, wrapping an arm around her.

"You look a little tired. Why don’t you just let me hold you?" Soi was more than happy to comply, falling against his bare chest. She looked up at him, and he smiled, brushing a few strands of hair away from her face, and leaning closer. Ohmygod…Ohmygod… Soi couldn’t take it any longer, and she passed out in the stranger’s arms. He smiled, then burst out laughing before disappearing.

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Nuriko was sleeping when Shinzui returned. She woke to find him holding a very unconscious Soi with little hearts floating around her head. Nuriko raised an eyebrow and looked at Shinzui.

"Good grief koibito, what did you do to her!?"

"Well, Nuriko-koibito, it’s hard to explain, so I’ll just have to show you." Shinzui stepped through a wall, then returned without Soi. His clothes changed and suddenly he was wearing a skintight transparent red shirt, and the skintight black pants. Nuriko’s eyes bulged out and drool started forming at the corner of his mouth.

"What did you do, look at her? That would be enough for me!" Shinzui smiled.

"Oh, no Nuriko-koibito. I danced." Nuriko nearly fainted on the spot when Shinzui started moving, and nearly died of sheer bliss when he pulled his shirt off and started dancing closer to Nuriko. After approximately five seconds Nuriko fainted, was caught by Shinzui, woke up, then fainted again when he realized who was holding him. Nuriko managed to squeak out three words before going back into his bliss-induced coma.

"Oh…my…god…"

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It was a bright, sunny day, and Chiriko was out in a beautiful field by the palace. Reading. He was completely absorbed in his fascinating scroll about human relationships, and so he was badly startled when he heard some soft giggling from behind the tree he was leaning against. Chiriko stood up peered around the tree trunk, only to have a daisy chain put in his ponytail. He turned and looked the other way, only to have a pair of small hands put another daisy chain around his neck. Chiriko quickly grabbed the hands that held the daisy chain, and pulled the person in front of him.

It was a girl, a little younger than Chiriko, wearing a pale pink dress. She had light brown hair and gigantic chocolate brown eyes that were sparkling with innocent mischief, and was covered with daisy chains. She smiled up at Chiriko, and tilted her head slightly.

"Do you want to play with me?" Chiriko blinked, stunned. Play…with a girl? The girl smiled reassuringly. "We can go pick flowers, and make daisy chains. It’ll be fun! Come on!" She tugged on Chiriko’s arm, and pulled him away from his scroll and out into the afternoon sun.

Chiriko and the strange girl spent the sunny summer afternoon together, picking flowers hand in hand, laughing all the way. The girl taught Chiriko how to make flower chains, and they gave the chains to each other.

As the sun started to sink, the little girl frowned.

"Aww…I have to go home now!" She turned and gave Chiriko a big hug. "It was so much fun playing with you! We have to do it again tomorrow!" Chiriko nodded and smiled at the girl. She was so sweet, and so cheerful.

"Alright, I’ll meet you by that big tree tomorrow." The girl started to pull away. "A..and, umm, thank you…for today…I had a lot of fun." The girl hugged Chiriko again, then stretched up a kissed him on the cheek. The flower bedecked children disappeared.

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Yui peered around a pillar in the hallway by her room. She was trying to hide from Suboshi, who had been overly…affectionate recently. Sneaking up on me and then yelling "YUI-SAMA!" at the top of his lungs. Who wouldn’t be a little paranoid? Yui sighed. He could be really cute if he’d just stop being so…scary! She laughed at herself. Oh yeah, stop being scary. Funny! He’s Suboshi for heaven’s sake! Scary is his natural state. Yui heard footsteps coming down the hall and quickly ducked back behind her pillar.

She jumped a mile when she felt a gentle tap on her shoulder. She spun around and saw Suboshi…dressed very strangely. He was wearing semi-formal court wear, no headband, and he didn’t have his Ryuuseisui. He bowed and smiled at Yui.

"Yui-sama." Yui’s jaw dropped. Suboshi wasn’t yelling, and was dressed and acting like a gentleman.

"Umm…umm…Suboshi? Why are you dressed like that? Why aren’t you yelling?" Suboshi smiled.

"Ah, Yui-sama. Aniki and Nakago-sama have been lecturing me about not being so…wild. They said that if I mellowed a little you might like me better…" Yui gaped. He is calm, dressed nicely…and pretty good looking! Yui smiled slightly and nodded.

"So, Suboshi, what did you have in mind?" Last time Suboshi had asked Yui on a date he had asked her to come to a public execution.

"Well, I was thinking we could go out to dinner, then go watch a play or an opera if one is in town. How does that sound?" Yui’s jaw dropped again. She nodded.

"S..Sure, just let me go change…" Suboshi nodded. Yui went to her room and picked out a beautiful kimono, blue with tiny golden dragons woven in the fabric. She went back to Suboshi, who stared at her as she walked out.

"Yui-sama… You look wonderful!" Yui blushed and smiled, taking Suboshi’s proffered arm. They left the palace, and headed for the town, where Suboshi led the way to a tiny restaurant on the riverbank. They had dinner, then Suboshi took Yui to a play that was in town, a romantic comedy.

Well after midnight they headed back for the palace, and Suboshi led Yui to her room. Yui paused in front of the door, and smiled at Suboshi.

"Suboshi, thank you so much. This has been the best day I’ve had in a long time." Suboshi smiled, bowed, and started to turn away, only to feel Yui’s hand on his shoulder. She turned him around, and kissed him softly, then disappeared.

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Shinzui walked into his bedroom to check on Nuriko, only to find him fast asleep. So beautiful… He smiled at his sleeping form, and took Yui to another room. He was settling Yui into a bed when she woke up.

"Oh my head… Hey! Who are you? Where’s Suboshi? What happened?" Shinzui smiled.

"My name is Shinzui, I was the Suboshi you went out with, and when you kissed me we were transported back here, to my home." Yui eyed him suspiciously, then sighed and hung her head.

"I knew that Suboshi calm and dressed nicely was too good to be true! I wish…" She stopped talking and sniffed. Shinzui smiled.

"You wish…to have the Suboshi you went out with?" Yui nodded miserably. Shinzui grinned. "I might be able to arrange that. You see I caught Suboshi a few days ago, and he is being kept in the dungeon, on account of his violence." Yui perked up.

"You could change that Suboshi into the Suboshi I went out with?" Shinzui nodded, and smiled benevolently. Yui’s eyes were shining.

"Oh! Thank you so much!!!" Shinzui simply nodded.

"Alright. Now you get some sleep! You’ve been up all night for heaven’s sake!" Yui laughed and nodded before settling back into her bed and falling asleep. Shinzui smiled, and walked back through the wall to his bedroom. Nuriko was still asleep, so Shinzui grabbed a pillow and curled up on the floor beside the bed.

"That was a very nice thing you did koibito." Nuriko’s soft voice floated down to Shinzui.

"What do you mean?" He could almost hear Nuriko smiling.

"Promising to change Suboshi into a gentleman for her. It gives her hope, and makes her happy. It was a very nice thing to do." Shinzui sighed.

"She needed it. You should have seen her face when she saw "Suboshi" acting like a gentleman. She was so happy, and I want her to stay that way. People deserve to be happy." Nuriko laughed.

"Well then koibito, get off the floor. That will definitely not make you happy." Shinzui laughed, and complied, curling up next to Nuriko, and falling asleep almost instantly.

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Hotohori sat in his audience chamber, hearing petitions. He settled his last case and stood, preparing to dismiss all of the courtiers. Just then, his herald stepped into the room and announced another petition.

"An envoy from the kingdom of Sairo has brought you a gift, heika. They would like to be seen immediately." Hotohori nodded sadly, and sat down, waiting for the envoy to enter. An ambassador led the way, followed by palanquin carried by four men. The ambassador stopped at the foot of the stairs leading to Hotohori’s throne, and bowed deeply.

"Heika, our country wishes to give you this gift as a token of our countries friendship and everlasting peace." The ambassador backed away, still bowing, and the palanquin was brought forward. "This is one of the most talented people in our kingdom, and was deemed a worthy gift for you, heika. Please, accept this gift." One of Hotohori’s ministers whispered in his ear.

"Heika, please accept their gift. If you do not they may consider it an offense and that could strain relations between our countries. You need not…use…their gift, but have it sent to your room as if you intend to." Hotohori nodded.

"Thank you ambassador. I would be honored to accept your gift. Please return to your country with a message of gratitude and friendship, after you have stayed a night here, as hospitality demands." The ambassador smiled and bowed.

"Where do you wish us to place your gift, heika?" Hotohori smiled.

"In my chambers, of course." The ambassador’s smile widened, and he yelled an order to the men bearing the palanquin before bowing again and leaving. Hotohori stood.

"I declare this audience session official complete!" The large groups of courtiers departed hastily, hurrying to change out of formal court dress. Hotohori hurried to his rooms, and started to slip out of his formal clothing. As he slipped off the last robe, he felt a pair of hands around his shoulders, and a soft voice whispered in his ear.

"Konnichiwa heika." Hotohori jumped and spun around to come face to face with his "gift," who seemed to be wearing nothing but a few strategically placed swathes of nearly transparent silk. "What is wrong, heika? Surely I am not too offending to your eyes?"

"N-no, you j-just surprised me, t-that’s all." Hotohori’s eyes bulged as the "gift" slid the silk around his shoulders completely off. "Y-you…You’re a man!" The man smiled at Hotohori and slinked closer, hips swaying under the silk.

"Yes, heika, and so are you. A very," Step, "Very," Step, "Gorgeous man." Hotohori was so shocked that he couldn’t move as the strange man slid his arms around Hotohori’s neck. The contact snapped Hotohori out of his trance and he backed away quickly, tripping and falling to the floor.

"Now, now heika, I have to report to the ambassador, and you wouldn’t want me to have to say that you rejected his gift, now would you?" Hotohori shook his head slowly, trying to control his wild heartbeat and rapid breathing. "That’s good." The man stepped closer, the silk around his hips sliding down slightly. Hotohori didn’t move a muscle as the man sat down on his lap and slid his hands around Hotohori’s neck. The man leaned on Hotohori, and looked him straight in the eye.

"This would be your big chance, but it seems you can’t move. Maybe I can remedy that." The man leaned down and gently bit Hotohori’s ear. Hotohori gasped, then pulled away. The man shook a finger at Hotohori.

"Remember what I said…" Hotohori nodded, and half-whimpered before letting the man sit on his lap again. The man smiled and kissed Hotohori on the tip of his nose, then disappeared.

********************************************************

Shinzui walked into the bedroom, slightly apprehensive about what Nuriko would think about his latest catch. Please don’t be angry, please don’t be angry! Nuriko smiled happily as Shinzui walked in.

"So, koibito, who was your latest catch?" Shinzui smiled, a little nervously.

"Hotohori." Nuriko’s eyes widened. "He was very…shy, and well, rather funny actually." Nuriko raised an eyebrow curiously.

"How so?" Shinzui grinned.

"Well, I think I came on a little strong, and shocked him fairly badly. He’s obviously not used to being seduced by men wearing next to nothing." Nuriko’s eyes widened and his jaw dropped.

"What exactly did you do?" Shinzui smiled.

"Well, I can show you what I wore, and how I acted. Just take off your shirt and turn around." Nuriko raised an eyebrow at his strange request, but did as he was asked. After taking off his shirt, he felt a pair of hands slide around his neck and a soft voice in his ear.

"This is what I did koibito. Your Hotohori-sama didn’t take it to well, so he backed off and tripped." Nuriko found himself sitting on the floor, looking up at Shinzui wearing nothing more than an almost transparent piece of silk loosely wrapped around his hips. Nuriko’s eyes nearly fell out of their sockets.

"Hotohori was able to resist this? He has amazing control…" Shinzui stepped towards Nuriko, the silk at his hips sliding downward a few inches.

"He was shocked into immobility, so I simply sat on his lap." Nuriko gaped as Shinzui suited action to word, sank down onto Nuriko’s lap, and slid his arms around Nuriko’s neck. "He still couldn’t move at this point, so I tried to snap him out of it." Shinzui leaned forward and nipped Nuriko’s ear. "He pulled away at this point." Nuriko gasped and smiled blissfully.

"That was stupid of Hotohori-sama…" Shinzui nodded, and ran his lips down Nuriko’s neck, nipping softly at his shoulder.

"Yes, it was very stupid, wasn’t it koibito?" Nuriko didn’t answer, just sighed with contentment. "And now, I think I’ll have to pay you back for that lovely massage you gave me." Shinzui oiled his hands and slid them down Nuriko’s neck and shoulders and over his chest. "Well, how do you feel koibito?" Nuriko didn’t speak, just moaned softly as Shinzui gently massaged his chest and shoulders. "I’ll assume that means your happy." Shinzui grinned and thought to himself. I think I’ll have to postpone my next catch until tomorrow…

********************************************************

Tomo relaxed as he went through his usual evening routine of lighting the candles in his tent and removing his makeup. He changed out of his habitual opera outfit and into a simple outfit, white shirt halfway open, loose black pants, and no shoes. Tomo took off his headdress and let his hair down, leaving the silvery ends swinging around his ankles. He blew out the candles, settled down onto his small cot, and closed his eyes, letting his breathing slow.

In the dark silence Tomo heard footsteps and a hesitant voice.

"Tomo-sama?" Tomo sat straight up in bed and reached for his knife and some matches.

"Who’s there?" Tomo lit the candle next to his bed and held it out. "Come into the light!" A person sized shadow broke off from the rest of the shadows in Tomo’s room and stepped into the small circle of candlelight, revealing a young man. He looked about 17 or 18, light build, medium height, golden hair that shone in the candlelight, and dark green eyes. Tomo raised one eyebrow.

"Who are you, and what are you doing in my room in the middle of the night?" The man smiled and bowed slightly.

"I saw you performing in an opera, Tomo-sama, and you intrigued me." Tomo smirked and slid out of bed.

"And…?" The man smiled.

"I wanted to know if you would allow me to work for you, as a servant, or in some…other capacity." Tomo smirked again, and nodded.

"Well then. That seems to be a fair request. I have one small test for you. Simply convince me that it is in my best interest to keep you around…" Tomo paused and smiled. "Without speaking." The young man smiled and nodded, stepping towards Tomo. The man gently pushed Tomo onto the bed, and sat down next to him. He pulled Tomo’s shirt off, and Tomo felt the young man’s strong hands massaging his back. Ah…this boy is good! The man stopped after a little while, and looked questioningly at Tomo. Tomo rolled over onto his back, and smiled at the man.

"I think you can consider yourself hired, and not as a servant." The man smiled, and bowed slightly.

"That is very kind of you, Tomo-sama. Allow me to show you my gratitude…" The man leaned over and kissed Tomo, then vanished.

********************************************************

Shinzui walked into his room, and found Nuriko slumped in a chair.

"Ah, koibito, what’s wrong!?" Nuriko looked up, an evil grin on his face.

"I’m just thinking that maybe we should make the other captives’ lives a little more…interesting…" Shinzui smiled, and raised a curious eyebrow.

"Ooh, how so?" Nuriko grinned and beckoned him over to whisper the plan in his ear.

********************************************************

Shortly after Nuriko talked with Shinzui, some of the captives found their rooms suddenly had doors. Suboshi’s chains dissolved, and he headed out the newly appeared door to see what was going on. He found himself standing at the entrance to a large bath house. Suboshi shrugged, and walked in.

*************************

Yui walked out of the door to her room and saw the entrance to a large bath house in front of her. This is nice, I can finally take a bath! Maybe if I’m lucky they’ll be some clean clothes in there. Yui walked into the bath house, grabbed a tub with a complementary towel, soap, and bathrobe, and headed into the baths.

*************************

Suboshi took of his clothes, and sank into a large tub of warm water, scented with some purple flower petals. He reached for the soap, also purple, and began to scrub the grime from the dungeon off. The scent from the flowers and the soap is very relaxing…so peaceful. Suboshi stepped from the tub and walked over to the larger soaking pool. When he reached the pool his jaw dropped. Yui-sama! Yui turned around and saw Suboshi standing at the edge of the pool, gaping.

"S-Suboshi! What are you doing here?" Suboshi closed his mouth.

"I have no clue, Yui-sama. There was a door in my cell, and my chains disappeared, so I went out the door, and here I am." Yui stared at Suboshi.

"That’s exactly what happened to me. How strange." Yui smiled, and gestured towards the pool. "Come on in, the water’s nice." Suboshi’s jaw dropped again, but he nodded and slipped into the pool next to Yui. Yui smiled at him, and Suboshi smiled back. Their eyes met, and something snapped.

"S-Suboshi, why are you acting s-so calm?" Suboshi considered for a moment, then shrugged.

"I’m not sure Yui-sama. I’ve had some time to think, and I’m tired of you rejecting me over and over. I thought if I calmed down a little you might like me better…" Yui’s eyes widened, and she took a deep breath.

"Well, Suboshi, I-I don’t know what to say…" Suboshi turned away, instantly depressed. He jumped when he felt Yui’s hand on his shoulder. "I’m so happy that you’ve decided to calm down. I could definitely like you if you act so calm all the time." Suboshi’s eyes glazed over as Yui turned him around.

"Yui-sama…" He breathed, unable to make a coherent sentence. Yui smiled, and kissed Suboshi on the cheek.

"Maybe we can go back to my room, and talk about this?" Suboshi nodded mutely as Yui pulled him towards her room.

********************************************************

Miaka was startled when a door appeared in the wall of her room, but she immediately hopped up and went to see what was on the other side. Miaka opened the door, only to be faced by another door. She knocked on the door, and waited. A few moments later the door was opened by Chichiri.

"Miaka no da! Please come in no da!" Miaka nodded and skipped happily into Chichiri’s room, which was identical to hers.

"Chichiri, I’m so happy to see you! I was afraid I was going to be stuck in that room all alone for ever and ever and ever and—"

"Don’t worry Miaka-chan, I’m here no da!" Chichiri patted Miaka on the shoulder and smiled reassuringly. "I found a Go board and some playing cards in my room, so we can pass the time. It’ll help take our minds off our situation no da!" Miaka nodded, Chichiri brought out the board and cards, and the settled down to play.

********************************************************

Nuriko looked at the picture of Miaka and Chichiri playing cards, smiled and hugged Shinzui.

"Arigato koibito! That will make them both much happier." Shinzui smiled back.

"No problem koibito! I just wish you had let me influence them a little so they would be a couple…" Shinzui pouted cutely. Nuriko shook one finger at him.

"Now, now, don't be bad! Miaka is in love with Tamahome, and that's not fair to him, her, or Chichiri." Shinzui smiled and nodded.

"Fine then koibito. Now what should we do with the rest of them? We have Chiriko, Soi, Amiboshi, Hotohori, and Tomo." Nuriko paused thoughtfully.

"Let's just give Chiriko some nice scrolls to read. As for the rest…umm, I don't know. Just match them up any way you want. Maybe catch another person or two?" Shinzui nodded, and walked out through a wall.

********************************************************

The loud girl struggled violently against the ropes that held her, flinging her long red hair around and chafing her ankles and wrists.

"Let me go you baka bastards! Let me go dammit!" The small group of bandits laughed at their captive's antics and joked bawdily among themselves.

"Oi, she's a feisty one!" The bandit nudged another in the ribs. "Bet she's good in bed, men, ne?" The bandit's comment was met with much rowdy laughter. The captive was silent, but when one of the bandits reached towards her, she leaned forward and bit him hard enough to draw blood. The bandit jumped back instantly and drew his knife.

"Why you little bitch! I oughta—"

"Ya oughta what? I think we have some rules about harming women, don't we men?" The bandits snapped to attention and nodded.

"Hai, Kouji-sama!" Kouji nodded.

"Good then. Leave the captive with me!" The men departed, leaving the captive woman on the floor. Kouji walked towards her.

"Hey, sorry 'bout my men. They're just men, ya know, they don't know better. Oh thank you so much for saving me! I'm so grateful! Aww, it was nothing, don't worry 'bout it." The girl on the floor looked at Kouji in confusion, but when he reached towards her she tried to bite him.

"Oi, ya aren't very friendly, are ya?" The girl glared at him and was silent. Kouji sighed. "Oi, Genrou, get in here, I could use a little help!" Tasuki stepped into the doorway, leaning casually against the doorframe. He glanced around the room, noting the girl glaring, and the blood on her lips.

"Lemme guess, she's a biter?" Kouji nodded. "Well, lemme take care 'a her. I can handle 'er!" Kouji nodded again, then left without another word. Tasuki turned his attention to the girl.

"How 'bout we make a deal?" The girl kept glaring and looked at him suspiciously. "I don't try anything funny with ya, and ya don't try ta bite me, alright?" The girl paused, then nodded slowly.

"Alright. Ya try anything funny and you'll be missing some skin, understand?" Tasuki nodded, and moved forward. The girl bristled and glared.

"Down girl! I'm just gonna untie ya, alright?" The girl nodded. Tasuki pulled the ropes away, revealing the raw skin underneath. "Oi, that looks painful! Ya want some salve for those cuts?" The girl nodded again, and Tasuki grabbed a jar of salve, spreading it gently over her wounds. "Now then, that's not so bad, ne?" The girl nodded, and smiled slowly. Tasuki gave her a fanged grin in return. "Ya look a lot better when ya smile, ya know." The girl smile grew wider, revealing her own set of small fangs.

"Thanks. Ya don't look so bad when you smile either ya know. So fang boy, are those fangs just for looks or are they actually useful for anything?" Tasuki raised an eyebrow.

"Ya sure are bold! My fangs are good for things, but I don't trust that ya won't bite me if I try anything." The girl nodded.

"Hey, can I tell ya something?" Tasuki nodded. "Lean over." Tasuki leaned over, putting his ear closer. The girl leaned closer and whispered.

"I promise I won't bite hard…" She nipped Tasuki's ear lightly, then pulled one fang lightly down his neck. Tasuki gasped, and pulled back, putting the girl at arms length.

"Ya really are bold! Where'd ya learn that little trick?" The girl laughed and pulled Tasuki closer.

"You should that those kinds of things only come with experience fang boy." She smirked. "I probably know more than you do!" Tasuki laughed, then knocked the girl's legs out from under her, making her fall into his lap.

"I don't think ya know more than me, fang girl! Why don't we just put it ta the test?" Tasuki leaned over, and kissed the girl soundly on the mouth, then vanished.

********************************************************

Shinzui walked in through a wall, and found Nuriko lounging in a chair.

"Hey koibito! How'd it go? Who'd you get?" Shinzui smiled.

"Let's just say I learned that fangs can be put to alternate uses." Nuriko giggled, then laughed hard enough to fall out of the chair.

"Ha! The mighty Tasuki finally falls! This is too sweet!" Shinzui plopped down on the floor next to Nuriko and leaned languidly on his shoulder.

"I have an idea about what to do with some of our illustrious captives, koibito, but I need to go talk to some people first. I'll try to be back soon, alright?" Nuriko nodded, and waved goodbye cheerily as Shinzui walked through the wall.

********************************************************

The two players were working on a Go game when Shinzui knocked and walked in. He bowed, and waited for them to speak. The red player looked up from the game and nodded.

"Yes, we can do that. Just say when, and we will do all the work." Shinzui nodded, and bowed again. "Oh, there is two small conditions. We have one in mind for Hotohori and Chichiri is to be left alone. Other than that, it is up to you." Shinzui smiled. This should be fun. Very fun. He bowed again, and left.

********************************************************

Shinzui hopped in through a wall, grinning insanely. He grabbed Nuriko and spun him around happily.

"Ah, koibito! I talked to some people, and they said that they could summon anyone we want for our lonesome captives." Nuriko's jaw dropped and he stared.

"But to do that they'd have to be g—" Shinzui silenced Nuriko with a finger on his lips.

"Don't say it, koibito. Wouldn't want to give it away, now would we?" Nuriko smiled and nodded.

"So, koibito, who should we pair up first? Miaka and Chichiri went back to their own rooms, so they're free." Shinzui pondered.

"Well, Amiboshi's been here the longest, so why don't we give him a companion first. The persona I used to capture him should be perfect." Shinzui called up a little circle and looked in on Amiboshi.

**************************

Amiboshi sat on his bed, staring at the oh-so-fascinating ceiling. He sighed with boredom, then perked up when he heard a voice.

"A-Amiboshi-sama!" The servant girl's voice was surprised and happy at the same time. Amiboshi sat up and turned, only to see the beautiful servant that he had kissed.

"Ah! It's you, oh, I don't know your name…What is your name?" The girl smiled and bowed slightly.

"My name is Kirena, Amiboshi-sama." Amiboshi stood and held out his hand.

"Please Kirena, just call me Amiboshi, not Amiboshi-sama" Kirena nodded, and stepped forward, only to trip on a pillow that was on the floor. She fell right into Amiboshi, who caught her and pulled her up gently. Kirena blushed at their closeness, but didn't pull away.

"A-Amiboshi…" Amiboshi smiled softly at Kirena and brushed some stray strands of hair out of her face.

"Your name is perfect for you. You are very beautiful." Kirena blushed, but she was smiling happily.

*************************

Nuriko grinned and turned to Shinzui.

"Aww, koibito, isn't that sweet? They make such a cute couple!" Shinzui laughed at the little hearts and shiawase bubbles floating around Nuriko's head. He batted them away, and grinned.

"So then, Nuriko-koibito, who should we pair up next? My vote goes in for Tomo." Nuriko nodded, popping the last few shiawase bubbles.

"Sure! Who do you have in mind for him?" Shinzui shrugged.

"I think the persona I used will be perfect. All of the forms I used to capture people in are actually real people, so we can summon them." Nuriko raised a curious eyebrow and looked back at the circle to see what would befall Tomo.

*************************

Tomo woke up slowly, and found arms wrapped comfortably around his shoulders, and a blond head resting on his shoulder. That's right…that man…I must have been really tired. The man woke up, his green eyes slowly fluttering open to meet Tomo's golden eyes. The man blinked sleepily, and yawned, cuddling closer to Tomo.

"Ah, good dream, good dream, don't want to wake up…" Tomo smiled and let the man fall back asleep. There was plenty of time for introductions and other things later.

*************************

Nuriko laughed at Tomo's companion. So kawaii! She turned to Shinzui, raising an eyebrow.

"Soi?" Shinzui nodded.

"Soi."

*************************

Soi jumped into a defensive position when she heard someone come into her room. She turned around, and promptly passed out when she saw a very familiar, very shirtless dancer. He rushed over and caught her before she hit the floor, and smiled at her unconscious form. I'll have to break her of that habit…

*************************

Nuriko and Shinzui laughed as Soi hit the floor yet again, turned to each other, and said in unison:

"Hotohori!"

*************************

Hotohori was sleeping peacefully when his companion came into his room. He awoke to an all-too-familiar voice in his ear.

"Did you miss me Hotohori-sama?" Hotohori tried to pull away, but he found that he had another person glomped onto him.

"A…anou…could you p-please let g-go of m-me?" The man shook his head and nestled closer to Hotohori, smiling.

"Do you really want me to let go?" The man slid one hand up to Hotohori’s face, caressing his cheek softly. Hotohori paused.

"Y-yes?" The man slid his hand over Hotohori’s neck to his shoulders, and stared massaging them very gently.

"You really want me to let go?" Hotohori breathed deeply, and shook his head.

"N-no, not r-really…"

*************************

Nuriko and Shinzui laughed at Hotohori’s abrupt change of heart. Nuriko raised one eyebrow.

"It’s not very hard to convince people to change their minds, is it koibito?" Shinzui grinned and shook his head.

"Not at all koibito."

*************************

Tasuki woke up in someone's arms. He looked up into the face of the female prisoner that he had kissed.

"Wha-What happened?" The girl smirked.

"Well, either you've had too much sake," Tasuki shook his head. "Or you were so overwhelmed by kissing me that you passed out." She smirked at Tasuki's blush. "Well fang boy, want to try again?"

********************************************************

Nakago stormed into the palace at Konan, and went straight to Tamahome's room. He kicked the door open, and glared at Tamahome.

"Tamahome! What have you done with my seishi?!" A very tired and groggy Tamahome opened one eye and stared at Nakago.

"Nakago? What the hell are you doing in my room in the middle of the night? Am I dreaming?" Nakago's symbol started glowing and he raised one hand menacingly.

"No you are not dreaming. If you do not get up in under a minute, I will destroy you. Now get up." Tamahome stood, and gave Nakago an irritated glance.

"Now what in Suzaku’s name are you doing in my room at this hour? Did you say something about missing seishi?" Nakago glared, and nodded.

"My miko and all of my seishi, excepting Miboshi and Ashitare, have vanished without a trace." Tamahome eyed Nakago suspiciously.

"You’re not joking?" Nakago gave Tamahome the look.

"I don’t joke." Tamahome sweatdropped, and nodded.

"My miko and all of my seishi, except Mitsukake, have also vanished. Do you have any clue what might have happened to them?" Nakago shook his head.

"I have noticed only one connection between all of the disappearances—the people who disappeared were never around anyone else when it happened." Tamahome nodded.

"Same here. So maybe it’s safe as long as you don’t go off by yourself." Nakago nodded, and Tamahome grinned. "So, Nakago, you wanna spend the night?"

********************************************************

Shinzui frowned at the image of Tamahome and Nakago.

"You know, koibito, those two might just foil my plans. If I lead one away, the other will follow, so I have no way of separating them." Nuriko tapped one finger against his head thoughtfully.

"How ‘bout I distract Tama-chan, and you tackle Nakago?" Shinzui tilted his head, then grinned.

"I have a better idea!"

********************************************************

Nakago and Tamahome sat back to back, silent. They were on guard against whatever had been kidnapping their seishi, and were bored out of their minds. The monotonous silence was only broken by the faint echo of a wild drumbeat.

"Nakago, do you hear anything?" Nakago nodded, and stood up.

"I think who or whatever kidnapped our seishi has decided to pay us a visit." Tamahome stood, tense and ready to fight. The drumbeat grew louder and closer, until it sounded as if it were coming from some invisible drummer in the room. The doors of Tamahome’s room slowly opened, revealing two scantily clad girls dancing to the mysterious drumbeat. The two girls shimmied forward, and twirled in unison, flinging out long silken scarves. The scarves floated down to wrap around Tamahome and Nakago’s shoulders, and the two confused seishi found themselves pulled very close to the dancers.

Nakago looked at the dancer, and found that she looked incredibly familiar. Her long red hair was complemented by the red outfit she was wearing, and her dark eyes seemed to laugh at him. Tamahome also noticed that the girl he was near looked familiar. Her long purple hair hung nearly to the floor, and her eyes danced with mischief. The two girls spun and danced with the seishi until they were all too tired to keep going. The seishi fell back on the floor, eyes closed, only to find themselves being kissed by someone. The dancers, seishi, and drumbeat disappeared.

********************************************************

Nuriko, Shinzui, and Soi sat on the floor on Shinzui’s room, and laughed until their sides hurt. Nuriko grinned at Shinzui.

"That was a brilliant idea, koibito, having that dancer teach us a few moves, and then letting me and Soi take Nakago and Tamahome down. Those two are going to have a fit when they wake up, and we tell them exactly who captured them!" Soi nodded and grinned.

"That was a great idea." She paused. "Umm, could I go back to my room now?" She blushed. "I would like to say thank you to my…friend." Nuriko and Shinzui exchanged a glance, then burst out laughing all over again. Soi turned a darker shade of red, but didn’t comment. Shinzui nodded, and gestured to a newly appeared door.

"There you go." Soi nodded her thanks, and hurried out of the room. Nuriko giggled.

"People do strange things when they’re in love, ne koibito?" Shinzui smile disappeared, and he nodded slowly.

"Yes. Very strange things." Nuriko gave Shinzui a worried look.

"What’s wrong koibito?" Shinzui sighed, and looked away, only to have Nuriko turn him back around. "Something’s wrong, koibito, what is it?" Shinzui sighed again.

"Well, I’ve captured all the seishi I was supposed to, and soon I’m going to have to let them go. They’ll all be leaving." Nuriko’s eyes widened.

"You mean none of us can stay? Not even if we want to?" Shinzui shook his head slowly.

"No. My employers said that the mikos and their seishi have to go back to their lives, and have their memories of this erased." Nuriko gasped and covered his mouth. Erased…that means I won’t remember any of this, or Shinzui… Nuriko’s eyes widened, and he shook his head slowly. No, I won’t do it! I will not leave Shinzui!

"Koibito, I want you to take me to your employers. If I have to leave, I’m going to raise hell first." Shinzui looked up, startled at the stubbornness in Nuriko’s voice. He nodded, stood, and pulled Nuriko through a wall.

********************************************************

Nuriko didn’t even bother knocking on the door, he just burst inside, eyes blazing. The two men turned from their books to look at Nuriko.

"What do you want?" Nuriko slammed the door behind him.

"I want to know why you are making all the seishi Shinzui captured leave, and forget this whole thing ever happened!" The blue player gave Nuriko a cold look.

"It would disrupt their lives if they remembered this event. And besides, not all of them want to stay, I’m sure." Nuriko started to protest, but the red player silenced him

"We will compromise. If you can convince all the seishi that it is in their best interest to stay at Shinzui’s home, then they can stay, for as long as they wish." Nuriko smiled, relieved. "But!" Nuriko’s eyes widened. "If even one of the seishi will not agree to stay, all of them must leave, and forget." Nuriko swallowed hard, but nodded. The two men went back to their books, and Nuriko left.

********************************************************

Shinzui smiled reassuringly at Nuriko and patted him on the back.

"Don’t worry, koibito! I’m sure we can convince them!" Nuriko smiled wanly, but nodded. Shinzui smiled, and pulled Nuriko towards a wall.

"Come on koibito, there’s something I want to show you." Shinzui pulled Nuriko through the wall, and up a long flight of stairs. At the top Shinzui placed one hand over Nuriko’s eyes.

"I want to surprise you, so don’t peek." Nuriko nodded and closed his eyes. He felt himself being pulled forward a few steps, and then felt crisp night air on his skin.

"Can I look yet?" Shinzui removed his hand.

"Yes." Nuriko opened his eyes, and gasped. They were standing on a small wooden balcony that overlooked the tops of trees and a river of stars. The most amazing thing was the balcony they were standing on was built on a gigantic tree. Nuriko turned to Shinzui in amazement.

"Where are we?" Shinzui smiled, and took Nuriko’s hand.

"This, koibito, is my home. I live farther up than even birds can fly." Nuriko stared at him in astonishment.

"Then what does fly this high koibito?" Shinzui smiled, pulling Nuriko closer to him. Suddenly he jumped off the edge of the balcony, still holding Nuriko. Nuriko screamed, closing his eyes, then realized that they weren’t falling. He opened his eyes carefully, and he saw feathers. Hundreds of white feathers that made up the wings attached to Shinzui’s back.

"Angels can fly up here koibito." Nuriko gasped and looked down. They were hovering several feet away from the balcony, and nowhere near the ground. He clutched Shinzui tighter, afraid of falling. "It does take some getting used to, koibito. But since you’re going to be staying, we’ll have plenty of time, won’t we?" Nuriko looked at him quizzically.

"But I haven’t talked to any of the seishi yet! How do you know I can stay?" Shinzui smiled.

"While you were gone I took the liberty of asking everyone if they wanted to stay or not. I got a unanimous yes." Nuriko’s eyes sparkled. "And my employers agreed to do us one small favor, since you are going to stay." Shinzui let Nuriko go. Nuriko screamed again, and again noticed that he wasn’t falling. Nuriko opened his eyes and looked behind him, only to see a giant pair of wings. Purple wings. Nuriko laughed, and flew up to Shinzui.

"Koibito this is wonderful!" Shinzui nodded, and leaned over to whisper in Nuriko’s ear.

"You wouldn’t believe all the things you can do in the air." Nuriko raised one eyebrow, and slowly grinned.

********************************************************

Suzaku and Seiryuu looked up from their books, and smiled at each other. Suzaku winked at Seiryuu, and grinned.

"I told you that they would end up together. Love conquers all, Seiryuu!" Seiryuu rolled his eyes, but nodded.

"I suppose you’re right, this time." Suzaku nodded, paused, then grinned.

"I guess you could say their future is in the stars…or star warriors." Suzaku started laughing, and Seiryuu groaned.

"That’s disgusting!"

********************* Owari*********************