Tyler had woken early, long before the other two had even begun to stir. Standing on the balcony overlooking the city, he began to wonder if this all wasn't a dream. Last week, he'd been just some nondescript punk in the school system... now, he was in Tokyo and part of something that was beyond even his imagination. 'Celestial warrior' was what Sean had called it. Hard to believe that Sean himself was the reincarnation of an Emperor from a time long past. And Chris... he was just a story unto himself.

He caught himself thinking of Miaka again, and shook his head faintly. He wasn't sure what he'd expected from meeting her in this lifetime... but whatever had been between them before obviously was still there, just not in the degree it had been. She seemed nervous around him... and he found himself wondering just what he was supposed to do. This was all so surreal...

Faint rustling in the room behind him told him that one of the others had awakened finally. The sun had risen a while ago, but they had stayed up pretty late just talking. Chris had told them about the other seishi and Cheree, the Miko. Apparently the Seiryuu had already begun to move and if they were going to stop them, they had to move quickly. Chris was going to take them back to San Diego today, and Tyler felt his stomach lurch. What he had described about his trip here wasn't pleasant... he felt lousy for thinking it, but deep inside, he hoped that those effects were only on the person casting the spell.

Sean came outside then, yawning and stretching as he squinted towards the sun. His hair was in disarray, the tie holding it back apparently having slipped free during the night. This was a daily ritual... digging through the sheets to find the blasted thing. For now, the dark hair fell about him like a veil and Tyler smirked, wondering how much he was going to complain about brushing it this time.

"Morning..." Tyler spoke, even as he turned back towards the city. A grumbled reply that he couldn't quite make out was all that reached his ears, and he idly wondered if he'd heard a vague reference to his parentage in there somewhere. "Anyone ever tell you that you're a bitch when you wake up?" He dodged to the side then, not even turning around as the plastic ashtray that had been sitting on the table was winged past his head. "And a lousy aim as well."

It took several cups of coffee and an hour before Sean was able to actually think straight... then again, that was perfectly normal in his opinion. Now he sat on the balcony with Tyler, running a brush through the snarls that his hair had worked itself into during the night. "I swear... if I didn't know I look horrendous with short hair, I'd cut it off."

"No you wouldn't. Your a narcissist, whether you admit it or not and no matter how much you complain when you first wake up, don't think I haven't seen you admiring yourself in the mirror after you're done."

Sean growled faintly, not even dignifying that with a response as he detangled his nearly waist-length hair. The two were still bantering when a bleary-eyed Chris staggered out in nothing but a pair of boxers.

"Alright... where are my clothes, no da?"

Tyler glanced over to him, pointing towards Sean. "Braniac there sent them to the hotel laundry last night and they aren't back yet."

"How the hell was I supposed to know they didn't bring them back until noon?"

Chris rolled his eye, making Tyler shiver almost involuntarily. He moved back into the room before they used this to continue an argument that never seemed to die. It was always *something*. "No matter... I'm hijacking the shower, no da... hopefully my clothes will get back in the meantime. It's nearly noon now, no da."

Once he'd vanished, Tyler turned to Sean, his eyes widened faintly. "Is it just me... or does that scar give you the creeps too?"

Sean just nodded, not having wanted to bring up that subject... it had been in the back of his mind ever since they'd met the man. Part of him wanted to come out and ask where it had come from, but he didn't want to appear rude. Glancing up towards Tyler, he stopped the motion of the brush, tilting his head to the side. "Don't do it."

"Do what??" Tyler tried his best to appear innocent, but failed miserably.

"Don't go asking him about it. If he wants us to know, he'll tell us."

A grudging sigh was Tyler's only answer, and he leaned his arms against the balcony rail once more.

"So you're really going back?" Yui kept her hands clasped behind her back as she walked, looking up towards Sean.

Once their clothes had been returned, Chris had been anxious to leave. Tyler and Sean understood that things were heating up back in the States, but all three agreed that they should at least drop by to say goodbye to Miaka and Yui. Miaka's home was the only one they knew, so they'd gone there and the girl had called Yui almost immediately, telling her to come over. Now, they walked back towards the park where Chris had first come to Tokyo, figuring that it was as good a place as any and likely far more private than anyplace they could think of.

Sean nodded absently, one hand in his pocket, fingering the paper that Yui had given him with her address and Miaka's on it. They'd promised to keep in touch, and he had no intention of forgetting that. "We have to. If what Chris says is true, then we're needed back there soon." He was growing rather attached to Tokyo in the short time he'd been here... and had seriously considered seeing what it would take to study here for a year or two once he got back home. Tyler and Miaka were quiet, neither quite wanting to look at the other. Sean didn't blame them, and actually found himself feeling sorry that their relationship wasn't the same as they were expecting. Perhaps if they'd known each other longer...

Still.. it would be good to get back onto familiar ground. Without Yui acting as their interpretor, they'd have never gotten far in Japan. They reached the park and found a secluded spot where prying eyes likely wouldn't find them. None of them quite wanted to say goodbye... but Sean gave both Yui and Miaka a hug, promising to write to them as soon as he got back. Tyler did the same, as did Chris, although it was Sean who felt the saddest about leaving the girls behind. Yes... he'd definately have to see about studying here.

Chris brought his cloak down from his shoulders, laying it on the ground as he began the spell to take them home. He wasn't quite certain how he knew it, but ever since the fight on the beach, he'd realized that he almost instinctively 'knew' how to do just about everything he'd seen when Cheree had made him and Ren watch the show. The other two stood by nervously, not quite sure what to expect. When Chris told them to stand on the cloak, they obeyed, but a single glance at each other revealed that they were both scared stiff of what would happen if Chris screwed up. As they felt themselves start to sink into the fabric, both of them nearly scrambled for solid ground. Only Miaka's shout brought them to their senses enough to fight their own fear.

"Don't move!!" She shrieked, running to stand near the edge of the fabric. "Just trust him... he'll get you home." She winked at them, flashing that cheerful smile that seemed to make them both relax.

As they disappeared, Sean and Tyler closed their eyes tightly, not trusting their own senses in the slightest. Neither of them heard Yui scream the name of one of her former seishi... or saw Chris fall to the ground, the portal closing behind them.

Mark walked through the hotel room, calling for Tama-Neko. He'd already checked with Cheree, and the cat was no where to be found. Peering into the bathroom, he was greeted by the sight of clothing strewn all around, in various states of drying. "Well.. Cheree and Nuriko must've gotten tired of wearing the same couple outfits. It was then that he noticed clothing of Corey's, Ren's and his own hanging as well. With a sigh, he closed the door, looking elsewhere for the cat. Ren and Corey came in through the door, Corey's face downcast. "What's wrong, little one?"

The boy looked up, sighing softly. "I have to get back soon... my parents are *not* happy right now, and I think I'm going to be grounded for the rest of my life."

So that's where they'd gone. As the three stood there, he heard Cheree calling for them just before she came into the room from the one next door. "Do you guys have any more room in your bathroom? Nuriko and I filled mine."

Mark was about to answer when a sudden flash in the next room made all five of them scramble for cover. Was it the Seiryuu? Had they been found? A harsh curse was all they heard before the light faded out... and when they looked up, they saw Hotohori and Tamahome in a heap in the middle of Cheree's hotel room.

"Oh hells, don't you EVER let him talk me into that again!!" Tyler was curled in a ball on his side, his eyes closed still, while Sean slowly glanced up and looked around. That was as far as either of them got before they found themselves swarmed by four seishi and a girl who could only be the Miko that Chris had told them about.

The air was alive with questions, shouts and general welcomes when Cheree brought up her hands, nearly screaming. "WAIT A MINUTE!"

The others fell silent, looking to her. Only Mark realized what she had already seen... her words only confirmed it. "Hotohori... Tamahome... it's very nice to meet you. But please don't consider me rude by asking this immediately. Where... the hell... is Chris??"

Sean blinked, looking around and realizing that the blue-haired monk was no where around. "He was right beside us... he cast the spell to bring us here. He said he'd follow right after!"

There was no denying that the portal was gone. If Chris was going to come through, he'd have been there by now. Cheree turned to Mark then, tears welling in her eyes as she got to her feet and bolted from the room.

To Chapter 17