The girl made a face and slowly peeked through her eyelids, squinting against the light filtering through the windows with a painfully confused look. Finally she opened them, took one look around the room and its inhabitants... and began to cry. "They’re dead, aren’t they?" she choked out. "Kaa-san, Nii-chan, Yui... I... I don’t even know what happened!" and she clamped a hand over her mouth as a fit of sobbing overtook her.

In any other situation, Doukun would have been relatively unruffled by her reaction. However, the sight of the young woman crying--specifically the girl that was supposed to be his miko--wasn't something he was fully prepared to deal with. Even Kishuku and Houjun were stunned silent, completely thrown off by her reaction.

'Well don't just sit there!' Chie bit into his mind. 'Talk to her!'

I'll try... "Mi-mi--Miko-sama, are you all right?" he finally managed to get the words out. "What's wrong?"

She swiped at her eyes, succeeding in only getting the sleeve of her robe wet. "I can’t remember! I can’t remember what happened and my head hurts and I just wanna go home!" she burst out into a fresh round of crying.

'Chie, I don't know what to do!' he sent his frustration back at the owl. Spinning in place, his face a portrait of helplessness, Doukun looked to see if any of the others could do anything. Thankfully Kishuku nodded as he quickly stood up and slid next to Miaka.

"Miko-sama..." the Tamahome Seishi spoke in a calm voice, trying to get her to relax. "Miss, it'll be all right. I saw your brother; he’s alive and said your mother was too."

Her eyes suddenly focused on Kishuku's face though they still retained a hint of glassiness. "You saw my nii-chan? Are you sure?"

"I did. He told me that your village was in trouble and for me to, uh, take care of you," he explained lamely. "I don’t really know too much..."

"Please! Please tell me!" she turned her whole body and grabbed his shirt. Then her eyes rolled into her head and she lost her stomach all over Kishuku’s tunic. Oh that’s going to stain... Doukun winced, but quickly helped Kishuku pry her fingers from his tunic and lay her back down into a less hazardous position.

"I’m sorry..." she murmured to the sopping Seishi. "I just... the nausea hit and I--"

"It’s all right, it’s not like it’s never happened before," Kishuku sighed, wiping her mouth with his sleeve.

"Miss, you’ve been injured and we don’t want to upset you," Doukun said. "Please try not to move so you don’t get sick again."

The room’s door slid open with a papery whisper and an older man stepped into the room with Shonin waiting outside. "So you’re finally awake... both of you," he spoke, his voice cool and businesslike, looking from Miaka to Houjun. "Would you two boys mind stepping outside for a while so I have room to work?" A second glance at Kishuku prompted him to say, "There’s a clear stream nearby. I suggest putting it to good use while I take care of them."

Miaka’s eyes went fearfully wide at the thought of being left alone, but Kishuku squeezed her hand and promised they’d be back when the doctor was finished. Even so, she still watched them leave with more than a little anxiety in her eyes. Toshi followed the duo and they shut the door, leaving Chie as their only set of ears and eyes inside the room. "Hers are better than mine, anyway," Doukun joked half-heartedly. Kishuku nodded vaguely as he touched his clothes, and then decided to take the doctor’s advice and left with Toshi for the outdoors. Shonin sat outside the door, her symbol shining softly as she kept in touch with Houjun. Doukun sat on the floor and let his thoughts meld with his ketsu’s since there was little else to do and he didn’t like waiting. ‘Anything?’

‘Besides having a lack of bedside manners, the doctor is rather good. He’s checking over Miaka right now,’ Chie explained, and Doukun was allowed to see through her razor-sharp vision. He watched as the doctor studied her various senses, put her through a small set of mental tests to check her capabilities, and replaced all her old bandages and dressings. He noted there was a bowl at Miaka’s bedside, and the doctor had repeatedly dipped a cloth into it and then covered the girl’s forehead and eyes. ‘We probably should have used that earlier... but oh well. Now we know.’

During all this, Houjun conversed lightly with Miaka, trying to decrease her confusion and put her at ease. She didn’t talk a whole lot, but she wasn’t shaking and Chie could hear her heartbeat had slowed down considerably. They also noticed Houjun had put the mask back on, though when he had time to do that Doukun really wasn't sure. When the man finished with her, he examined the Priest’s wound, probing and cleaning the injury with experienced hands. Houjun winced a good many times but kept Miaka talking as a way of distraction for both of them. Eventually Shonin joined in the conversation when the Priest began discussing their health with the doctor, and both Chie and Doukun were relieved to see that Miaka was indeed a miko, the symbol of Suzaku upon her forehead as she carried on the conversation with the vixen.

A long time must have passed, because when Kishuku returned his tunic was somewhat dry though the doctor was just cleaning up. Doukun broke the telepathic connection and got to his feet as Kishuku opened the door. He walked in behind Toshi, who went to Miaka with his Seishi as Doukun plopped down between the two invalids. "Can you tell us anything new, Oisha-san?"

"Both are recovering well. Ri-san is coming along nicely but because the wound was aggravated by the ride here it’ll take longer than I expected for him to heal completely," he droned, then turned to Houjun. "I’d suggest as little moving or shapeshifting as possible to keep from overtaxing yourself but do some light walking exercises to keep the muscles from becoming too stiff or atrophied. You’ll have to stay here at least 2 more days for follow-up of course."

"Of course, no da," the Priest sighed, evidently not happy but didn’t look too surprised by that piece of news.

"How’s Miaka-san?" Doukun questioned.

"Your sister will be all right."

Doukun’s jaw dropped. "She’s not my--"

"Please keep going!" Kishuku looped a quick arm over the boy’s neck and covered his mouth. Ack! Choking! "What else?"

"The concussion did no permanent damage, though the memory surrounding the incident has not returned and may never return," the doctor said, completely missing the interruption. "She will feel slightly nauseated for the next day or so but that should pass. Her head and other wounded places will be sensitive to touch but those will heal soon enough. Overall her diagnosis is rather positive and she should be ready to leave this time tomorrow."

"All right," Kishuku nodded, finally releasing Doukun’s neck. "But this means we still have to wait before heading off to Hakukou."

"We don’t have much room in the Hospice but across the street is a small inn in case you need to spend the night," the doctor suggested. "I can give you some time alone but soon we’re going to close up to visitors."

Houjun quirked his mouth up and said, "Then we’ll talk quickly, no da." The doctor bent next to Kishuku and whispered for him to follow, which he did. Doukun watched Miaka’s eyes track the Tamahome Seishi’s movements like a hawk and was slightly shocked to realize that he could literally see the desire and longing all over her face.

What the... what’s wrong with her?! Doukun mentally questioned. She doesn’t even know him! Not that he’s a bad guy, but really!

‘You don’t have to know someone to be physically attracted to them,’ Chie explained, sounding uncharacteristically serious. A slight flush hit his neck and Houjun tapped his arm, as if he knew Doukun needed the distraction.

"We should introduce ourselves to Miaka-san," he whispered, then looked at the miko. "Miaka-san, this is Ou Doukun, the Chiriko Seishi I was telling you about, no da. Upon the rafters is his bondmate Chie and both of them have been looking after you with great care, no da. Doukun, it would give me great pleasure to introduce Yuuki Miaka, a Suzaku no Miko, to you."

Miaka peered up and smiled when Chie winged silently down to Doukun’s waiting arm. "Hi. It’s nice to meet you," she said shyly, which Doukun returned politely.

‘You too, Miaka-san,’ Chie hooted pleasantly. ‘And just so you know, I love having my chest and head scratched. Just so you know.’

"You beggar!" he reprimanded, bouncing his arm to try and unseat the owl. "Don’t be rude!"

Miaka giggled. "Oh, I think she’s pretty enough she can get away with it!" She reached out her left hand to Chie and Doukun inched closer with her, satisfying Miaka’s curiosity and Chie’s want of a good scratching. ‘Lucky you’re so cute...’ he hmphed to the owl, who basked in the attention with little care for her Seishi’s disapproval.

"Houjun’s been talking to me, telling me about all of you," Miaka said.

Doukun raised an unsure eyebrow. "Please tell me it has been all good."

The miko grinned brightly. "Oh yes! He said you’re very intelligent, good at planning, and resourceful. I feel kind of funny talking to someone so smart--I’m not that smart really, and I always feel like I’m going to make a fool of myself."

The Chiriko Seishi couldn’t keep the blush down. "Houjun-san’s very generous with praise," he mumbled. "But if I was as intelligent as he claims, I would have been able to help you."

Miaka’s hand stopped stroking Chie and it moved to Doukun’s face, gently brushing the tips of her fingers against his skin. The boy froze in place as they traveled from his chin up to his nose, his cheeks, his eyes, and finally resting on his forehead. What is she doing? She can’t be blind... what in Suzaku’s name is she doing? But before he could even utter a stutter she said, "No wonder the doctor thought we were related... our eyes are the same color." Doukun focused on Miaka’s eyes and saw (with slight alarm) that she was right. They weren’t exactly alike--her eyes were golden jade verses his sea green ones--but he found himself getting lost in them all the same.

"My kaa-san said that green is the rarest eye color, that it means hope and healing and growth--like flowers in the spring. But it also means youth and innocence..." she pulled her hand from his face. "Let’s just hope our eyes never darken with the loss of those gifts. It’s getting harder and harder to find green eyes these days."

Doukun furrowed his brow but said nothing. In those last 30 seconds he found that Miaka’s looks completely belied her personality--underneath that youthful expression was a girl more than worthy to be a Suzaku no Miko. Her words, her eyes both told him of her shocking insightfulness and a maturity that, ten minutes ago, he wasn’t sure she possessed. Innocence... how ironic that she would speak of such a subject without prompting... it’s almost as if she knows me... he found a sudden tightness well in his chest and wondered what she had done to him.

When Kishuku opened the screen it was as if a spell had been broken. Doukun blinked and realized that somewhere during that interaction Chie had flown to the nearest window and watched them with patient eyes. She looks like she knows more than what she’s telling me... he thought anxiously. Chie... don’t hide from me.

‘Never,’ was the only reply to his unspoken thought. He wanted to go on but Houjun asked the other blue-haired Seishi, "What did he say, no da?"

Kishuku shrugged in reply. "Not too much. Told me that while we’re in here if anything was to happen to these two we’re to send an immediate message to him via ketsu-telepathy. He also tried to overcharge for the damn doctors’ fee..." he growled. "I let him know what I thought about that. We came to a happy compromise--I’d pay a fair price and he’d get to keep his business and his teeth." Houjun snickered into Shonin’s fur and Doukun grinned proudly--so what if the predator in him came out every now and then? Kishuku took a seat right next to him and looked at Miaka with a soft expression. "Well now that I’ve finally had a chance to relax, I’d like to introduce myself. I’m--"

"That won’t be necessary, Kishuku-san," she blushed. "Houjun-san’s already told me all about you, and I’m extremely grateful for your help in the forest. You saved my life, and there’s nothing I can do to possibly repay you."

"Sure there is. Got any extra okane on you?" and Toshi swatted his bondmate with a thick paw, knocking Kishuku down. "What?! I was serious! I need the money back that I used to pay the doc with!"

As if on cue, both Houjun and Doukun sighed in dismay at their riding partner’s lack of finesse. "Heika will pay you back whatever you’ve spent on this ride, no da," Houjun said reassuringly. "I doubt you’ll ever have to worry about okane again." That put a smile of rapturous joy on Kishuku’s face that in turn brought a small round of laughter from those present.

But soon enough Miaka’s face and tone went serious. "I’m really extremely thankful you saved me and I know I need to stay here and get well... but I must to go back to my village. I have to know if Kaa-san and Nii-chan are alive and all right. I can’t just leave them there--I have to know!"

The trio of Seishi exchanged unsure looks. ‘So... who wants to be the one to tell her the news?’ Toshi asked.

‘Let’s wait a day, at least until she gets her bearings back. It would do no good to put her further into shock,’ Shonin said. ‘But we do have to tell her the truth. Better do it in small doses.’

Doukun agreed and urged Kishuku to speak for them; Miaka seemed to have this burning need to hang off his every word and he was actually the one her brother had spoken to. So Kishuku related his tale back to her, from when he was loping through the forest to the point where everyone was riding back to Paifu. Through it all Miaka had cried only once, only when she heard about her brother asking Kishuku to keep her safe. Doukun found himself almost moved to tears, not just because of the story but also because of Miaka’s reaction. Something about her... something made him want to protect her; made him feel that despite being younger than her it was his job to take care of her and shield her from the pains of the world.

Is this right? Is this wrong? Is this even normal?! Doukun’s mind whirled with uncertainty. I think... I think Chie and I need to have a talk later tonight...

"You promised my nii-chan you’d look out for me?"

"Yes, I did. And I plan on keeping my word."

If Doukun wasn’t paying as much attention as he always did, he would have missed the hopeful smile the played across the curve of her lips. But before anyone else could speak, the same doctor returned and beckoned everyone to leave for the night--the exception being Shonin, which quickly became a much-debated topic.

"I don’t care if she’s Suzaku himself, she’s still an animal. I cannot have those filthy creatures in my remedial rooms overnight."

"She leaves I leave," Houjun stated simply, and although the doctor was quite displeased with the presence of a "filthy creature" sleeping inside the room he figured out he couldn’t win this battle. Quick good-nights were exchanged among the group and before Doukun knew it Kishuku had taken him and the ketsu to the inn, grudgingly paid for a small room, and settled down for the night. However Doukun found that he couldn’t fall asleep--partly due to the events of the day and partly due to his owlish sleeping habits.

"Toshi?" he whispered to the leopard.

‘Nhhhgh?’ the drowsy thought was returned.

"I’m gonna go out for a flight. I’ll be back before dawn."

Toshi didn’t so much as agree as just roll over and go back to sleep, unconcerned over Doukun’s nighttime jaunt. Chie was already out hunting and Kishuku had been dead to the world since he hit the pillow. Poor man is exhausted, Doukun thought sympathetically. I’ll be back soon though so no point in worrying him. Opening the nearest window the boy shifted and silently winged his way above the village; rising higher and higher until the world was nothing but shades of blue and green and black. He caught himself a small midnight snack--a careless field mouse--but then turned his thoughts inward.

Night eagle, Doukun mused on the name. How apropos, for it is the eagle that rules the sky at day, but the owl that rules at night. This was the time of the day when he felt the freest from the world’s disruptions; this was his time, his sky, his everything. And it was now that felt it was time to reflect on Miaka, using the night to guide his thoughts.

She’s not like any other girl I’ve met. There’s something childish about her, as if she looks at the world through a child’s eyes. Yet... yet I can tell she is not blind to the pains that people go through. From the little I’ve seen and heard I believe it would be best to infer that although she’s aware of pain... she doesn’t always acknowledge it. Almost like she wants to live in a perfect world and this one just pushes her away.

He thought about her for just a bit longer then, when he realized how close he was to the edge of Kutou he turned back and thought about Miaka’s previous situation. Gliding down he saw a scattering of villages with burnt houses and people huddled around large bonfires--or pyres.

Doukun shivered from that thought. His sense of smell wasn’t as keen as the cat or dog Seishis but he could unfortunately see bones gleaming deathly white within the ashes. How sad, he sighed and landed on a nearby branch. These people didn’t deserve whatever Kutou did to them. He watched as an older woman sobbed into the arms of a man who looked just as distraught as she was. He saw a little boy, dry-eyed and stiff-lipped, toss an arrow into the fire and pray that his big brother could hunt with Suzaku in the Heavens. And he saw a Priest praying beside the fire, tears running down her cheeks as she called for Suzaku to take care of those who had died and those who had survived.

Had he been human Doukun would have been crying alongside these people, but his owl-mind reminded him that death was nothing to mourn. It is as natural as living, but that doesn’t mean I can’t hate the fact that these deaths served no purpose, he told his owl-self. Animals kill to feed and to protect themselves; humans kill for sport.

For a moment... he hated himself and hated what his kind was so capable of. But when he looked at the people and heard their cries as clearly as his own thoughts, he knew that they were equally capable of acts of goodness. And that’s when he made his decision.

I didn’t understand before, what it meant to save this country and these people... but I do now. For everyone that lost someone, for everyone that is loved and has someone to love... I will do whatever I can to save you. I will do my best and more, I will give my heart and soul to my brothers and Miaka. We will win and we will save Konan. That’s a promise!

He took off from the branch, this newfound sense of purpose carrying him faster and farther to the group than any earthly wind could have.