Tasuki awoke slowly, his head pounding hard enough to drown out the pain in the rest of his body. Groaning, he forced himself into a sitting position, cradling his aching head in one hand.

Using some of the control techniques Chichiri had taught him, he forced his whirling thoughts into calmness, and gradually the tension in his body faded away, taking much of his headache with it.

Two sets of memories battled for dominance in his head; those of Tasuki, Suzaku Shichiseishi, Mt. Leikaku bandit leader; and those of Kou Genrou, delinquent high school student. Grunting, he sifted through them, sorting out which memories belonged to which life, until they settled into a reluctant truce with one another. Sighing, he reflected that now he understood how Taka had felt, fighting to regain his Seishi memories.

Swinging his legs off the bed, he grimaced at the sight of himself. Covered with bruises and healing cuts, it felt as if every nerve were on fire. Gritting his teeth, he forced himself to a standing position, bracing one arm against the wall for support, and shuffled towards his dresser.

As he pulled out his customary jeans and t-shirt, he reflected that his life hadn't changed much from one incarnation to another. Still the pushy mother and sisters, still a delinquent with a soft heart, and even closer to Kouji this time. And - he glanced to the other side of the room, and smiled softly - apparently still destined to be with his soul mate. Chichiri had kept his promise - they were together once again.

Groaning, he shuffled back to his bed, sitting gingerly on the edge. Each movement he made drew fresh pain from the marks on his body, which in turn served to bring another memory of his torture to the surface. Growling, he considered exactly what he might do to Kaen and Chuin in revenge.

:Kaen and Chuin - Soi and Tomo!: He realized abruptly, shuddering. :Suzaku - even in the next life, the Seiryuu Seishi haunt us. Gods… I wonder if Nakago was reborn. Soi and Tomo are worse than ever, he must REALLY be a bastard.:

Raking a hand through his now-shoulder-length hair, he grimaced. :Weird. My Genrou memories tell me that it's way too short, and my Tasuki memories tell me that it's way too long.: Sighing, he briefly regretted the loss of the waist-length tresses, before resolving to cut it as soon as possible. :No sense trying to grow it out again.:

Shifting, he scanned the familiar-yet-not room, seeing everything as if for the first time. :Miaka's world is so damn cool! I'm glad I got to be reborn in it. Computers, fast cars, motorbikes, video games - hah, we didn't know what we were missin', stuck in ancient China.: Snickering, he tried to picture some of the other Seishi reborn in this world. :Nuriko - I wonder if he's as gender-confused in this life as he was in the last one. I bet he's still a clothes-horse. Hotohori - he can't be the emperor this time. Hmm… given his narcissism, he's prolly a model or something. Hey!:

He leapt to his feet, then wished he hadn't, as his injuries protested. Ignoring the pain, he bent to dig through a pile of magazines sitting on his desk, that Kenji had brought in one day and left behind. Grinning triumphantly, he pulled one out and stared at the beautiful man on the cover, undeniably the spitting image of the former ruler of Konan-kokku. :Hah! I knew I'd seen that guy somewhere before. Kouji can tease me about my déjà vu all he likes, I was RIGHT!: Flipping through the pages, he came to the interview with the semi-famous movie star, who went only by his first name, Saihitei. :Heh… says he has a girlfriend named Ryuuko. Nuriko's real name was Ryuuen; it's too similar to be a coincidence. Wonder if he's actually a girl, or if Saihitei is just lyin' about his gender preferences?:

Chuckling, though it hurt him to do so, he dropped the magazine back to the desktop and began to pace aimlessly through the room. Curious, he examined the titles of the books on Houjun's shelf. :Hmmm… psychology… philosophy… tons of religious books, from all sorts of religions… some phsysics, man, that looks difficult!… a little chemistry… hell, a little bit of everything.: He grinned. :Still the thinker, even if you do put on a tough front in this life.:

He was still perusing the titles when the door opened behind him, revealing Houjun holding it open with his hip while digging through his backpack for something. Tasuki took advantage of the moment to stare at his lifemate hungrily.

The face was the same, and he rather liked the longish hair framing it. His body was a little harder, a little better toned, though he'd by no means been in bad shape before. With no recourse to Taiitsu-kun and his magic abilities in this life, Houjun had chosen to become more of a fighter. Tracing his scar with gentle eyes, the former Shichiseishi had little doubt that his friend's early life had been just as difficult this time around.

Houjun glanced up at his roommate's bed, then dropped his bag in startlement to see it empty. His gaze swung wildly around the room until it came to rest on Tasuki, grinning at him from the middle of the room.

"Genrou!" Houjun exclaimed, seeming rooted to the spot. "What are you doing out of bed, baka? You'll hurt yourself more!"

Tasuki snorted. "I'm fine," he replied, casually waving off his roommate's concern. He could only hope he was succeeding in keeping the lustful hunger from his eyes and expression - it had been FAR too long since he and Chichiri were last together. :You don't even know if he remembers anything, stupid,: he reminded himself firmly.

Houjun shook his head and seemed to break his paralysis, as he moved forward and took Tasuki's arm firmly, leading him back to the bed. "Sit," he commanded, and Tasuki obeyed, wincing. It hurt to sit, and he once again contemplated the dire things he was going to do to Tomo to get back at the bastard.

He glanced at the desk chair beside his bed - Houjun's desk chair. "Ne, Chi - uh, Houjun, did you sit by me?" He blinked in surprise. "Ya didn't have to do that!"

Houjun dropped his bookbag on his own bed and raked a hand through his bangs, glaring at the grinning boy. "You were in rough shape," he retorted, a worried look in his eyes. "How much do you remember?"

Tasuki blinked in surprise. "Huh?" he asked intelligently. Was Houjun asking if he'd regained his Seishi memories?

Houjun shook his head slightly, a saddened look on his face. "I thought so. You don't remember what happened, do you? Kaen and Chuin got to you - dammit, Genrou, I warned you about them!"

"Oh." Tasuki was disappointed to realize that Houjun was no more aware of his past life than Tasuki himself had been, just a few short days ago. "Yeah, I remember what they did. Fucking bastards - just wait'll I get my hands on them."

Houjun sat next to him and grabbed his shoulders, keeping his gaze locked on Tasuki's. "Genrou, you're in denial. Either that, or you're putting up a mask. Neither one is healthy. They hurt you, badly. You have to admit it to yourself and deal with it, or it's just going to sit inside you, bottled up, until it explodes from the pressure."

"Oh. OH!" Tasuki abruptly realized what was troubling his roommate. Glancing again at the psych textbooks on Houjun's shelf, he shook his head, laughing a little. "No, no, I'm fine. Really, honestly, I'm fine. I worked through most of it while I was sick, I guess." And it was the truth. He vaguely remembered Suzaku enfolding him in a warm embrace, chasing the pain and shame away from him. He gave his famous fanged grin. "They caught me by surprise - that won't happen again. And I did warn them, at the start, that when it was over, they'd better not sleep too soundly." He cracked his knuckles.

Houjun just sighed. "Genrou - I can't force you to face it. But when you do, if you need someone to talk to - I'm here. I've been through… some similar experiences."

THAT caught Tasuki's attention. He narrowed his eyes dangerously at the thought of anyone hurting his Chichiri in that way. "Kaen and Chuin did that to YOU?"

Houjun shook his head wordlessly, his expression carefully neutral. But Tasuki had spent half a lifetime learning to read Chichiri's expressions through a mask - he couldn't miss the sorrow and pain deep in Houjun's warm brown gaze. Growling, he smacked his fist into his palm, ignoring the pain from his injuries. "Dammit! Is THAT what you meant, by 'prison is worse'? Suazku…" he snarled, wishing he could get his hands on the men who had hurt his soul mate that way. "No wonder you'll do anything to keep from goin' back."

Houjun jumped. "W-what did you say?" he nearly whispered, his good eye wide.

Tasuki gave him a sideways look. "I said, 'No wonder you'll do anything…'"

Houjun shook his head. "No, before that. 'Suzaku…' Where did you hear that name?"

Tasuki's eyes widened, as he realized his slip. He thought fast. "Uh… you used it once, remember?"

The older boy blinked, then sighed. "Yes, of course, you're right." He shook his head, and laughed. "I'll be damned if I know why that name keeps haunting me. It seems like every time I turn around, I run into a mention of it - and yet, it's an obscure god, from a forgotten religion!"

Tasuki absorbed that quietly. So Houjun apparently didn't possess all his memories, but glimpses of them haunted him, much like Genrou's own obsession with the character 'wing'. "Maybe he was important to you in a past life," He murmured softly, watching to see what reaction he got.

Houjun snorted. "I don't believe in that sort of thing. So-called 'past-life memories' are a result of suggestion under hypnosis, for the most part. People want to believe hard enough, and they create these fantasies in their own minds." He sighed, and rose to cross to his own side of the room. "Don't get me wrong - science is useful, but I believe there are a lot of things which cannot be explained by it. But I don't believe in reincarnation."

Tasuki grinned. "I used to be the same way. Worse, actually - I didn't believe in anything that couldn't somehow be measured."

His roommate gave him an odd look. "Used to be?"

"Well, let's just say… something I saw in my dreams, has convinced me that maybe I don't know everything after all." He shifted to make himself more comfortable. "My sister used to tease me that I must have lived a past life, because I was always gettin' the feeling that things were familiar, even when I'd never seen them before." He grinned, exposing his fangs. "Like when I first met you, and I was sure that I knew you."

Inexplicably, a blush heated Houjun's cheeks. "I - actually, to tell the truth, I thought I knew you from somewhere, as well."

Tasuki arched a brow - that was unexpected. Then again, Chichiri had been insistent that soul mates would always recognize each other when they met again. "What about soul mates?" he asked. "Do you believe in them?"

"Soul mates?" Houjun repeated, surprised. "You mean, two people destined to be together? I've never really thought about it. I guess so. But it's certain that most people never find theirs - or if they do, they miss the opportunity. Just look at the divorce rate statistics."

"Well, what if they do miss each other?" Tasuki asked. "Is that it? Is it over? Karmic fate thwarted, just 'cause they didn't happen to meet each other at the right time?" Houjun looked thoughtful. "And even if they do get together - a lifetime isn't long, compared to eternity. Do you believe in life after death at all?"

"I - don't know. I guess I never really thought it out. What on earth brought all this on, Genrou?"

Tasuki laughed. "Houjun, you said I was hurt bad. I think this was the closest to death I've been in this life. That kind of thing makes a guy think - especially given what I saw while I was out of it."

"You were delirious with fever, Genrou," Houjun admonished him. "You can't take anything you saw, or thought you saw, as proof of an after life or gods or anything else."

For a brief moment, Tasuki considered it. He HAD been feverish, he could tell by the sweat-soaked sheets and the lingering ache deep in his body. Was it possible, that it had all been a delirious dream?

Then he shook his head. The memories were too vivid, too complete. If it had only been the meeting with Suzaku, or even just remembering his 'death', he could have shrugged that off. But those flashes of his death had triggered an entire cascade of memories - from his home life, to how he joined the Leikaku bandits. From meeting Miaka, to the deaths and sacrifices of the other Suzaku Seishi. There was just too much detail there for it all to be a dream.

"Maybe you're right," he finally said, breaking the silence which had begun to stretch out uncomfortably. "Maybe I was delusional. Or maybe Kaen and Chuin knocked somethin' loose in my head, and now I'm psycho. But I don't think so."

"Are you saying you think you remember a past life?" Houjun asked incredulously.

Tasuki winked at him. "Maybe. Maybe not. But I do remember one thing for sure." Slowly standing, he sauntered over to his roommate, until they stood face to face, not even half a foot separating them. He gave an insolent fanged grin. "I remember that we definitely have some unfinished business to deal with!" So saying, he reached out in a lightning fast movement, and snagged the back of Houjun's head with his hand. Tugging the surprised boy forward, he planted a firm, sensual kiss on his half-parted lips.

He made no move to deepen the kiss, or to touch his roommate anywhere else. He simply made it clear that he wasn't about to forget what had happened between them, and then he pulled away, laughing silently at the stunned look on Houjun's face. Turning away, he strode towards the door. "Now, come on, I'm starving! I feel like I haven't eaten in days! Let's go to dinner!"
 
 

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Dinner was a noisy, cheerful affair, as the others marveled at Tasuki's quick recovery. Kouji jumped to his feet at the sight of his best friend, racing over to grab him in a hug and thump him on the back.

Tasuki winced and peeled himself from his friend's embrace, chiding, "Geez, Kouji, gimme a break! I just got outta bed, fer cryin' out loud!"

Kouji pulled away, still grinning like an idiot. "I shoulda known better than to worry about you, Genrou. That skull of yours is way too thick to take any damage from a beatin' like that."

Tasuki grinned back, baring his fangs. "Damn straight. Those two had better watch their steps, I ain't gonna take this sittin' down any more."

To Tasuki's surprise, Naisu also gave him a hug. "We were all worried about you," she admitted, blushing a little. Min and Kenji nodded.

Tasuki plopped down, shifting a bit to ease his soreness, and began digging into his food. "Well, I'm fine. Don't worry about me. It'll take more than the efforts of THOSE two to get me down."

Houjun deliberately sat across the table and at the far end, as far away from Tasuki as he could get. Tasuki just grinned and said nothing, deciding to let his roommate make the next move. Instead, he indirectly stared at Kouji, across from him.

:He hasn't changed a bit,: he reflected, munching on an unidentifiable bit of caf food. :Still my best buddy and first lover. I don't know what I would have done without him - in this life, or the last one. I wonder why he doesn't remember anything at all? He's never gotten flashes of déjà vu the way I always have. Maybe because he wasn't a Seishi, so his ties to the last life weren't as strong?: With a wry grimace, he realized that his older sister had been right all along. :Shit. It WAS because of a past life. Dammit. If she finds out she was right, she's NEVER gonna let me live it down!:

Apparently he'd been staring more obviously than he'd realized, for Kouji made a face at him. "What're you lookin' at?" he demanded playfully. "I got food on my face or somethin'?"

"Naw." Tasuki grinned at him. "It's just good ta see ya again."

Kouji snorted and laughed. "You were only out of it for three days or so, Genrou. You'd think it'd been years since you saw me last, the way you're talking."

:If only he knew.: Tasuki just chuckled and attacked his soup.

They were most of the way into dessert, before the event that Tasuki had been waiting for occurred. The silence began at one end of the cafeteria, and slowly swept towards the other, where the six friends were eating. Two figures approached their table, twin smirks on their lovely faces. Kenji, Min and Naisu froze like deer in the headlights; Houjun and Kouji both glared; and Tasuki continued to eat, apparently oblivious.

"Well, well, the little worm seems to have recovered quickly," Kaen's melodic alto commented from behind him.

"We heard you were sick, little worm, and were planning to come pay our condolences," Chuin added in a falsely sweet voice.

With great deliberation, Tasuki licked the last of the chocolate pudding from his spoon, before placing it down on his tray. His movements still precise and controlled, he stood slowly and turned to face his two adversaries, an insolent grin firmly on his face.

"Kaen, Chuin," he greeted them, his voice dangerously quiet, a furious glitter in his amber eyes the only outward sign of his hatred. Once, in his previous life, he might have let his temper lead him, but he'd learned a lot about the benefits of subtlety since then. "How nice of you to crawl out from beneath your rocks to join us."

There were several gasps throughout the cafeteria at his audacity, then silence reigned once more. Chuin gave that soft, grating laugh of his, which sent shivers up and down Tasuki's spine - there was absolutely no mistaking the former Seiryuu Shichiseishi, Tomo.

"Your fire has already returned," Chuin licked his lips with that same hungry look in his eyes that Tasuki remembered from before. "How delightful! I didn't think we'd get a chance to play again for at least a few months, if ever."

Kaen reached out, purring, to run a scarlet nail down his cheek. "Did you have fun playing with us, Gen-chan?"

Tasuki's expression didn't shift in the slightest, as his hand shot out and clamped around Kaen's wrist. With a quick twist, he had spun her around and forced her arm up her back, holding it painfully. With a sharp jerk in one direction, he could break her arm - with a twist in another, he would dislocate it. She stood, bent over and gasping, eyes wide in disbelief.

Kouji was halfway to his feet when Tasuki waved him off with his free hand. "Thanks, Kouji, but this is my fight. Kaen and Chuin and I have a few little issues to deal with, don't we?" He narrowed his gaze at Chuin, who only licked his lips again.

"How quickly you forget your lessons, little worm!" Chuin smirked. "Will we have to make you beg for it again? That was most entertaining - I wouldn't mind hearing your breathless pleas for me to take you once more."

From the corner of his eye, Tasuki saw Houjun's fist clench on the table as he started to rise. With a small shake of his head, he stopped his roommate from interfering. "Oh, I haven't forgotten, but apparently you have," he replied negligently, carefully applying just a bit more pressure to his hold on Kaen's arm. The woman cried out and sank to her knees in pain. Tasuki kept his grip steady.

"I did warn you not to mess with me," he continued, the fire in his eyes growing stronger. "You caught me by surprise - that won't happen again. And now, you're going to pay." So saying, he threw Kaen away from him, sending her crashing against the brick wall. There was a sickening 'snap' as her arm bone gave way beneath the stress, and she screamed.

Tasuki felt the rage pouring through his body, and welcomed it. It helped to mask the pain of his injuries, giving him strength he would otherwise have been lacking. With a practiced twist of his mind, he directed the rage where HE wanted it to go, not letting its power control him. He could feel his chi building, his battle aura forming around him in a glowing, red halo. Ordinary people wouldn't be able to see it, but Kaen and Chuin's eyes widened, and he heard a few gasps from around the room from the people more sensitive to the flow of life energy.

Stepping forward, he was pleased to see Chuin take an instinctive step back. He continued to pace forwards, until he had the kimono-clad man backed against a wall, unable to retreat any further. Stretching his arms, he trapped the now-cowering bully against the wall between them, and leaned in to whisper, "You made a big fucking mistake, Chuin. Your little games woke something up inside of me, and you would have been MUCH better off if it had stayed asleep. I'm more powerful than you are now, and if you mess with me - or any of my friends - you will PAY for it, and pay dearly."

Narrowing his eyes and baring his fangs in a gesture that was decidedly more threatening than friendly, he backed off a little. "You understand me?"

Chuin stared at him, eyes wide. "H-hai…" he whimpered, terrified of whatever it was that he saw in Tasuki's expression. Suddenly his eyes flickered to a point just over Tasuki's shoulder.

Though his expression hadn't changed at all, that small glance was all the warning Tasuki needed. Ducking, Kaen's punch missed him and slammed into Chuin's shoulder instead. Ignoring her friend as he staggered from the blow, she whirled to face Tasuki, just in time to receive his spinning roundhouse kick. She flew backwards, sending Chuin up against the wall again, where they both collapsed.

Tasuki dusted his hands off, and turned to face his friends, grinning at their stunned expressions. Now that the immediacy of the battle was past, his adrenaline began to wear off and he felt his battle aura fading. His injuries started to protest his recklessness loudly.

"Genrou, what the FUCK was that red light?" Kouji demanded, half on his feet. Min nodded his agreement, while Naisu and Kenji just blinked.

"What light?" Naisu asked, confused.

"Kenki," Houjun breathed, his eyes wide. "You produced a visible battle aura! I thought it was only a silly samurai legend!"

"What are you talking about?" Naisu asked again. Kenji looked equally lost.

The cafeteria was buzzing loudly now, students trying to make sense of what some had seen, and others had not. In the din, Tasuki missed the sound of Kaen scrambling to her feet, until Kouji's eyes widened and he pointed behind his friend with a warning shout.

Tasuki spun, feeling his skin crawl with electricity as the stench of ozone filled the air. His stomach sank at the look of pain-crazed glee in Kaen's eyes, as she raised her good arm above her head. Little sparkles danced between her fingers as the former Seiryuu Seishi called her power to her. Outside the windows, the sky, midnight blue only moments before, had darkened ominously. Thunder rumbled in warning.

"HAKUJIN RAIHO!" She cried, and the ceiling exploded. Screaming, students scrambled to escape, creating a panicked mob, while Tasuki stood at the center of the blast, unable to move fast enough to dodge.

The lightning cracked down, splitting masonry and plaster as it went, aiming for the helpless teen standing before its mistress. Laughing, she watched as Tasuki instinctively reached for a tessen that wasn't there.

"NOOOO!" Houjun alone, of all the students, had remained standing, watching the lightning arc downwards. He flung his arm outwards, all of his heart and soul concentrated on a futile desire to save his friend.

From somewhere deep within him, power came rushing out along his arms, twining around his fingertips before bursting forth into a shining red shield, a half-circle of pure power between Tasuki and the lightning bolt. Thwarted, the bolt dashed itself against the shield, its energy running harmlessly down in to the ground around him.

Kaen sagged, drained by the attempt to call on a power that this body was never meant to have. Her eyes rolled up and she collapsed back into Chuin's arms, who had watched the entire proceedings with a stunned look on his face.

Houjun staggered around the table to Tasuki's side, red energy still crackling along his palm. The entire room was silent, as staff and students alike watched from beneath the scant shelter of the tables.

Tasuki grasped Houjun's arm to steady him, but didn't take his eyes off Chuin and the limp Kaen. "I'll only say it once more," he growled menacingly. "Mess with me, or any of my friends, and you will PAY."

Chuin gathered Kaen into his arms with a shaky grace, and began picking his way through the debris towards the door. As he reached the exit, one of the staff members scrambled to unlock it for him. As the door swung shut behind him, he gave Tasuki a venomous look. "This isn't over, worm," he snarled. "You'll pay for this!"

Tasuki just snorted wearily, and turned to face Houjun. The older boy was staring at his still faintly-glowing hand with a look of utter amazement on his face. "What - did I do?" he wondered aloud, seemingly to himself.

"You saved my fucking life, is what you did," Tasuki answered him.

"But… she…" Houjun glanced up at the shattered ceiling, revealing a sky once more calm and full of stars. "And I…" he looked back down at his hand, which now gave no indication that anything out of the ordinary had happened.

"Yeah, she did, and you did," Tasuki replied. Gently, he tugged on his roommate's arm, and Houjun followed unresistingly to sit at the table once more.

Kouji and the others were eyeing them both in shock. "What the HELL was that all about?" Kouji demanded.

Tasuki sighed, and sagged wearily to the bench, his body protesting every movement. "THAT, buddy, was the beginning of this school starting on its merry way to hell."

Naisu grinned faintly, a touch of her humour returning. "Oh, it was already hell," she commented, her voice cheerful. "Now it's just getting interesting."
 
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