The couple walked towards Central Park slowly, Cheree occasionally looking to the mirror. It seemed that the closer they drew, the faster the symbols flickered in and out. They had to be there...

"How did you get that mirror, anyway, no da?" Chris tightened his grip on her hand, leaning in a bit closer to peer at the small object. "I don't remember you having one like that before."

"I didn't... I was digging in my bag to find a change of clothes and it fell out. I'd never seen it before then, and when I picked it up is when the characters appeared." She was just as confused by it as Chris was, although she had a much better grasp on everything that was happening thus far. "Taiitsukun gave the mirror to Miaka in the story..." She looked up to Chris then, shrugging faintly. "Maybe she's still watching."

"Maybe. It would make sense, no da. From what I was able to see, she helped out the seishi quite a bit. Hard to believe I was her student, though. Can I really do all the things I saw Chichir-... the things I saw myself do?" He was still coming to grips with the fact that he was, indeed, Chichiri. Cheree couldn't blame him... she had no idea how *she'd* react if she found out that her past life was an anime in the present.

She didn't know how to answer that one, though. There was a chance it could be done, but last time around, he'd been trained by Taiitsukun herself. "I don't know... I would think so, with how you stopped that car the night of the party. I think you remember everything, you just don't realize it."

"Subconscious, then?"

She nodded, quickening her steps as they came within sight of Central Park. There were many entrances, so there was no way of telling just where the other two seishi were. If they were lucky, Chris might pick up on something if they crossed trails. "I say we head towards Ren's little remodeling project. Chances are that if they're here, they'll look for it the same as we did."

It made sense, and Chris didn't argue, their steps turning to take them towards where they remembered the attack area to be. It took them a bit to find it, but eventually they settled down next to a tree within sight of the police-barred grove.

"I wonder..." Chris mused idly. Cheree turned to look at him questioningly and he simply smiled, inclining his head faintly. "Each of us had an 'object' that was given to us, no da. Tasuki got his tessen back... maybe the rest of us will get ours back as well, no da?"

She chuckled, holding up her hands slightly. "Again, I don't know. Taiitsukun's watching, I'm certain of it. The mirror is proof of that. I'd be willing to bet that she's the one who gave him the tessen, as well. It helped jar his memories... maybe she'll get to the rest of you in her own time." A slight shadow fell over Chris then, a tentative voice breaking their conversation.

"Chichiri?"

Chris spun, bringing his feet beneath him to face the voice, his smile growing. "Chiriko??" His smile faded quickly then, his expression one of confusion as the sight that met his eyes was not what he'd been expecting. His mind worked, trying to place a name with the face... Cheree, however, nearly dropped the mirror in her surprise.

Indigo eyes... the dusky blonde hair and easy smile. There was no doubt in *her* mind who it was. "Oh my God..." She stepped forward, startled for a moment as the boy caught her hand within her own and bowed slightly to her respectfully. Not quite knowing how to react to this rather unexpected wrench thrown in the works... she at least recovered herself enough to whisper a name, enough to bring the name and face together in Chris's mind as well.

"Amiboshi..."

It made sense... if the Suzaku seishi were coming back, it made perfect sense that the Seiryuu would as well. They'd appeared simultaneously the last time. Cheree sat with her back to the tree, Chris and Amiboshi... Jesse, he'd told her his name was... sitting in front of her, slightly to either side so that the three of them formed a crude triangle. Her gaze kept flickering to the area surrounding them, however. To say she was on edge would have been an understatement. If Jesse had his memories and knew to find them here, then who was to say that some of the other, less amiable Seiryuu might show up as well?

It wasn't a Seiryuu that caught her eye, however... it was a dark haired man walking with a small boy towards the area that had been roped off by the police. She narrowed her eyes, leaning forward slightly to see if it was who she thought it was. Chris and Jesse had been discussing the other Seiryuu, and what their place in this might be. Apparently Jesse had no idea of why his memories were coming back now, any more than any of the Suzaku did. Neither noticed her attention shift. Cheree's guess as to the two who approached was confirmed as she saw the boy catch sight of them and grab hold of the older man's hand excitedly.

"There they are! CHICHIRI!!" Corey took off at a dead run, the grin on his face visible long before he got near them. Chris looked up, half afraid of who it might be this time... but when he saw the boy racing towards him, he got to his feet quickly. He had only made it a couple of steps when he found himself tackled back into the dirt, laughing as Corey latched onto him tightly. "You saw it too! Tasuki's here, isn't he?"

Cheree brought one hand to her lips, smiling as she watched the two. Chris couldn't have wiped the grin off his face if he tried. Her attention shifted then to the quiet one who walked towards them, his eyes and smile soft as he nodded to her. Mitsukake... by far the quietest of the seishi. Even now, he said nothing, made no move. He seemed perfectly content to watch the reunion for now. She cleared her throat softly, catching Chris's attention and inclining her head towards the larger man.

He gently unwound himself from Chiriko's grasp, standing and smiling up to the tall healer. One didn't need to look very far to see the tears that started to slip from his eyes the moment he'd seen the two of them. His memories were now starting to return, being triggered by the day-long viewing of the anime that seemed to tell their story. He had seen the both of them die... it wasn't just something that he associated with the anime any longer. He saw it in his mind as clearly as if it had just happened. Mark seemed to pause for a moment, extending his hand towards Chris. The gesture was returned, the two eldest of the seishi standing there in silence until something between them seemed to crumble. Chris moved first, keeping his grip on the healer's hand as he pulled him into a tight embrace. Mark nearly pulled back at first, but then brought one arm around the smaller man. The two of them hadn't said a word to each other before then... but Cheree heard their whispered words to each other, more revealing than any simple 'greeting'.

"I won't fail you this time... any of you." Chris murmured softly, closing his eyes as the memories drifted through his mind.

"You never did, Chichiri. Remember that..." Mark stepped back then, his eyes dampened with tears that refused to fall. Neither of them seemed to notice much else, until Corey's voice broke the silence.

"Who are you?" The boy was standing next to Jesse, looking up to him curiously.

Mark and Chris turned, Cheree mirroring their action. Mark seemed to tense for a moment, his voice soft. "Amiboshi... so you've returned as well."

"Oh no... HELL no! You are NOT bringing a god damned Seiryuu into my house, especially not HIM!"

"Ren, if you don't stop yelling, I'm going to duct tape you to a wall!" Cheree had *no* problem facing down Tasuki, especially when the younger man had flown completely off the handle at seeing Jesse. Apparently his memories of the time frame near the summoning was functioning just peachy. Unfortunately, it also meant that his temper was rising quickly. Jason had the good sense to grab the tessen and stow it away out of reach while Ren went off on his rant.

"You weren't there!" He stopped right in front of her, his eyes flaring in anger as he pointed towards Jesse. "You weren't the one tricked by that little bastard, and you weren't nearly killed by him! If Chiriko hadn't shown up, we'd have been dead." Ren turned then, stalking over to Jesse and bringing himself to look him in the eye. "I don't care what you did afterward... If it wasn't for you pulling that stunt, my friends and your own *brother* wouldn't have had to die!"

Jesse winced, stepping back from the older man and bringing up his hands as if to defend himself. "I... I had no choice... they had my brother! If I'd revealed myself... and believe me, I *wanted* to... they would have killed him."

Ren didn't seem appeased, but he moved away for the moment. "So instead, you carry out your precious 'orders' and wind up making things worse." He glanced towards Cheree then, who was about to lay into him again... and then to Chichiri, who stood beside Jesse and refused to move. "Alright, whatever... do what you fucking want with him. I'm warning you now though... he screws up like that again, and I'll kill him myself!" He fell into his customary chair, glowering at Jesse, but at least not objecting to his presence anymore. "Since you brought it up... where is the little psychopath, anyway?"

Jesse blinked, sighing faintly. "He's with my father in Japan. He had to make a business trip there, and when Jamie found out about it, he spent two weeks talking dad into letting him go."

Chris started slightly, looking to Ren then. "Japan... that's where Yui and Miaka are, no da!" The redhead was about to answer, when Corey stepped forward.

"It makes sense, sort of. If Yui was Seiryuu no Miko, there's a chance her seishi are being drawn to her even now." He appeared to think for a moment, then shook his head. "But then why aren't we being attracted towards Miaka, like we were the first time?"

"Here's another question for you..." Ren lifted his voice, drawing the attention of the others in the room who were finally moving to get comfortable. "Last I checked, we were missing three people. Where the hell are *they*?"

Corey nodded faintly, bringing his hands together as he thought. "Nuri-san, Hotohori-sama and Tamahome are still missing."

"Cheree..." Chris lifted his gaze then, looking to her hopefully. "What's the mirror doing, no da?"

Cheree reached for it, pulling it up and looking at it. She sighed softly, turning it to face the others in the room. "It's being a mirror. The symbols stopped flashing the moment we met up with Mitsukake and Chiriko." Gods, what she wouldn't give for that kasa-hopping trick to work right now. They could cover ground in no time... not that it would do much good. They had no earthly idea where the other three could be.

"You know... if we're back, that means that Suzaku must be summoned again." Corey sat curled on the floor, not looking at anyone in particular. It seemed as though he was simply thinking aloud. "If the Seiryuu are coming back, it also means that Seiryuu must be summoned. The only thing that brought this about the last time was an impending war between two countries. There's nothing like that happening now, though. Unless..." He paused, not noticing anyone around him for the moment. "Seiryuu being summoned was a part of Nakago's plan the last time... perhaps Suzaku was simply being brought around to even the odds." The others in the room fell silent, just watching the boy as he worked through what little they knew.

"The task of summoning the seishi was left to the Miko, however Yui never really actually went out and found any of her seishi, Nakago did. The Suzaku seishi were attracted towards Miaka, sometimes out of sheer luck." He looked up then, his eyes widening as he looked towards Jesse. "Your brother's on the wrong trail. Summoning the gods nearly killed both Yui and Miaka... the same was said to happen for Genbu and Byakko. To expect them to do it again would be suicide for them, and even the gods aren't that cruel."

Chris leaned forward then, part of him knowing what was coming next. "Chiriko... what are you saying, no da..."

The youngest seishi turned towards him, his eyes set with the resolve he felt upon coming to his conclusion. "Miaka and Yui aren't the Mikos.... not this time."

The light from the television was all that illuminated the small apartment this night. Ryan sat curled within a chair, idly flipping the channel in hopes of finding something that would keep him awake. The nightmares returned each night... already his eyes were showing dark circles beneath them and his frail stature was becoming even thinner. Nicholas hadn't been by for a few days... all that he had was a message on the answering machine that let him know that the blond haired man would return soon. No destination, no warning... Since then, his appetite had nearly vanished... this, coupled with lack of sleep, was slowly taking its toll on him.

*In other news... the Metropolitan Museum of Art was the location of an elaborately staged robbery last night. The only items reported missing were from the current display of Religious History, which was due to complete its run at the Met next week. The items in question were from the Chinese era, and were well over 1000 years old. No word has been given on the estimated value of the four items, but police say that there was no sign of burglary at all until the theft was reported. The secutiry system had been armed, and no forced entry was detected. Police are baffled by this crime and are asking any with information to come forw-* *CLICK*

Darkness closed around the shivering figure as widened violet eyes looked towards the television still. Why did that report make him cold...

To Chapter 9