Tyler and Sean had listened to all the two girls had told them about their past... what they knew and remembered. Sean was enraptured, soaking up the information like a sponge. Several times, he would interrupt to ask questions, mostly concerning the other seishi that he didn't know about. He'd even gotten Miaka to draw crude sketches of them, just in case he happened to see them. Tyler seemed to be more concerned with himself and how he had fared in the past, mainly with Miaka. Sean could tell that in a way, the girl was becoming uncomfortable. It was only when he'd moved to pick up the bill and headed to pay it that he found out why.

Yui approached him, clearing her throat faintly as she looked up to him at the register. "Hoto-... Sean?"

He smiled to her, lifting a brow. "Hello Yui. Didn't mean to leave so abruptly, but if I don't pay this, I'll forget."

She waved a hand, chuckling softly. "Iie. It's alright." She cast her gaze back towards the table, where Miaka and Tyler sat, facing each other across the table. "I don't think Miaka expected him to be so... different."

"What do you mean?" He followed her glance... he'd seen Miaka grow more distant from Tyler as the afternoon had passed, but he thought that perhaps it was just the fact that she hadn't seen him in so long when they'd first run into the girls.

"He's not the same this time around... he's more selfish, for one. And it's like he doesn't care about much else, other than his place in things." Yui brought her arms over her chest, sighing as she turned back to Sean. "I'm glad at least one of you has a level head. I think he'd be no good to anyone without guidance. He's not the Tamahome I remember, definately. It's almost like..." She paused then, seeing Sean raise a hand to stop her.

"None of us are the same, Yui. We can't be. If we were the same as we were back then... we'd never get very far. I can hardly picture myself as an Emperor, for one... I think I'd go insane if I had an entire country on my shoulders." He looked pensive for a moment, thinking of what he wanted to say to try and make her understand. "Tyler's been through a lot. He hasn't had the guidance he did last time... and doesn't have the same family to support him and be there for him to fall back on. If he's selfish, I think he's had good reason to be.. no offense." Sean looked to her then, waiting for her reaction. To his relief, she just watched Miaka and Tyler a few more minutes and nodded.

"You're right... I suppose that things can't be like they were back then, ne? I know she was happy to see you both again. I, for one, am happy to have met you. I'd heard a lot about Hotohori after we returned to this world."

Sean was amazed and couldn't quite hide that fact. He was interrupted by the cashier looking at him quizzically... and realized that she must think the two of them were crazy. After paying for their meal, he and Yui headed back over towards the table, only to blink and look around as they realized it was empty. Where had the other two gone?? They heard the front door of the restaurant open and saw Miaka bolt out onto the sidewalk, quickly disappearing from view around the corner. Tyler was hot on her heels, vaulting the handrail and vanishing right behind her.

"Oh dear god, what the hell did he say to her..." Sean growled, glad now that he'd decided to pay before they were ready to leave. He moved quickly for the door, Yui alongside him as they chased after their friends.

Chris walked along the street, one hand in the pocket of his jeans while the other held the mirror before him. The symbols were flickering nearly non-stop now... they HAD to be close. He'd gotten numerous strange looks as he had left the park, his cloak wrapped around one shoulder, then under the opposite arm, much as he'd worn it the night of the party. "Where are you, no da..." He muttered, looking up occasionally. He had walked past numerous restaurants and shops... maybe they were in one of those? He stopped, groaning as he realized that this must be exactly what happened. His hand left his pocket, sweeping around to grasp the cloak as he turned... and was immediately knocked to the ground, his breath leaving him in a whoosh as something leanded nearly on his chest.

"CHICHIRI!!! I *thought* that was you!" Miaka grinned down at him, hardly believeing that he was real. WHen she'd seen the blue-haired man walk past the window, it had taken a few moments for the shock to clear before she realized that she had to catch him.

He opened his eyes, half expecting to see Chiriko there... but instead was met by widened brown eyes and long dark hair as the girl moved back, finally allowing him to sit up. "M-Miaka??" He stammered, hardly believing this was happening. "DAAA!" He hugged the girl tightly as she threw her arms around him. After a moment, he pushed her to arm's length, looking at her with a grin. "Figures, no da. I go looking for you and you find *me*!" Chris glanced up then, seeing a very familiar face, although Tamahome looked more bewildered than anything. "Tamahome! Should have known you'd have come here, no da." He chuckled, flicking his gaze between the two. "Where's Hotohori, no da?"

At that moment, Yui and Sean caught up, both of them skidding to a stop and looking at Miaka pinning someone to the ground. Sean stifled his laughter, shaking his head faintly as Yui was the first to speak.

"Chichiri? I remember you!" She smiled, her thoughts drifting back to the wandering monk who'd come to the Koutou palace more than once in the past. She felt Sean brush past her then, coaxing Miaka into letting the man up and then extending a hand to help him to his feet.

"I think... she's glad to see you, Chichiri." He smiled, watching the other closely. So this was Chichiri... the monk that Miaka had told him about who had helped them more times than any could count.

"Good to meet you again, Hotohori, no da. Although please call me Chris for now... I'm still not used to my old name yet."

Sean nodded, understanding that fully. "In that case... I'm Sean, and that's Tyler over there. You already know Miaka and Yui, I'm assuming." As he stood before the older man, Sean felt a definate sense of 'knowing' him from somewhere. Was this what it would be like when he met the other seishi? Shaking himself out of his reverie, he turned to Tyler, grinning. "This is great! Now we just have to find the other four!"

Chris brought up a hand, smiling mischievously. "Daaaaa... that would be true, if we hadn't been looking for you!"

"What do you mean?" Sean blinked, looking to the smirking monk standing beside him.

"I mean... the other seishi are in California, no da. With our Miko."

Sean and Tyler exchanged dumbfounded glances, but this time it was Tyler who first recovered. "Wait a damned minute. Miaka and Yui were the Miko's, that's what Sean told me!"

Chris nodded, keeping an eye on their reactions closely. Tyler and Sean were just confused... Yui and Miaka however, seemed relieved beyond words. "They were... but Chiriko was the one who realized that to summon the gods again would likely kill them, no da. We don't yet know who Seiryuu no Miko is, but Suzaku no Miko is in San Diego with the other seishi. We recently discovered the whereabouts of Nuriko, and found him there."

"How exactly did you know where to find us, if all the rest of you are in the US?" Sean looked curious at that... in truth, he was wondering how he and Tyler had gone so wrong when the others seemed to be perfectly able to find each other.

"It was a hunch that Chiriko had. We knew that Suboshi had come here to find Yui..." At that, he saw the blond haired girl's eyes widen, and she started to look around nervously. "And figured that knowing how you two felt about Miaka in the past, you'd likely come here to find her first."

Sean blushed furiously, Tyler just cleared his throat and found a particularly interesting piece of sidewalk to stare at.

"Was it something I said, no da?"

The five of them walked slowly towards the apartments that Miaka lived in, each lending their own bits and pieces to the converstaion. Chris was able to deduce that Yui hadn't seen Suboshi at all, even though Jesse had told them that his brother had been here for at least a few days. Hopefully it would stay that way. He idly wondered to himself just how they were going to get back... if he was lucky, he could 'jump' with them in tow... but Chris wasn't sure if he wanted to risk anyone else. The first time had left him worn to a thread, unable to even stand for nearly an hour. He'd stayed in the park, sitting beneath a tree until he was able to walk.

He glanced to Sean and Tyler... musing about how different they both seemed. Sean was definately Hotohori... his bearing and charm were still the same. This time, however, he seemed more free. He found himself hoping that Sean could find true happiness in this life, and realized with a smile that it was Chichiri's thoughts drifting through his mind. A part of himself that he never even realized was there... and now it came to the fore more often. At first, it had frightened him... but now he realized that he was looking forward to those times, in hopes of learning himself better.

"So, Chris... can you take us back to San Diego the same way you got here? It'd be a lot cheaper than taking a plane again, I think." Tyler's words jarred him back to the present, and he looked up at them with a faint smile.

"I can try, no da. I don't know how pleasant it'll be, however. I thought I was going to be sick after I got here."

Tyler shrugged, grinning. "It can't be any worse than spending ten hours with Sean... especially when he decides he's going to have the personality of a brick." He dodged to the side then, narrowly avoiding the swat that came from behind him as Sean swung his arm around. The two nearly wound up getting into a scuffle right there in the street, as Chris and the two girls watched them in amusement.

To Chapter 14