Even though Dai had said they would need their rest, and she knew it too, Atarashii found herself wandering the halls at one in the morning. After a comforting bowl of Ramen noodles, she went to the library with a need for more information.

She found it in another book about The Seven, complete with pictures. She skipped the chapters on the first four she had known of and found Akiko. She had to agree with Rou; Akiko possessed such grace it seemed impossible for her to be a living person and not a goddess. Her eyes were a piercing green and long tan hair tumbled all the way down to her knees. A kind smile was on her face and Atarashii could feel why Chiko had loved this woman so.

She turned the page again and found a picture of the entire crew, minus Mei and Chiko. Gently, she stroked the miniature Ichi and felt a wail rising her chest. "I wish you, all of you were here to help me," she whispered before collapsing into a racking sob. "I wish I were more like you, Ichi! Everyone thinks that I should be like you and more..." The teardrops stained the page. "But I can't even protect my son!!"

She wept for several minutes, nearly half an hour, before she was able to pull herself from the floor and put the book back up. She sniffled and wiped away the trail the tears had left with the back of her hand. She turned and looked into a mirror, and was shocked at how horrible and wasted she looked. "Now then," she said sternly to herself. "You won't be a help to anyone like this. Crying won't bring Yohotoko back to me."

Atarashii knew what had to be done. She didn't like it, but the fact that she had to leave soon, right now, was inevitable.

As quietly as possible she crept back into her and her husband's room and to the jewelry box. She pulled it open and found her earth pendant inside. Without hesitation, she snapped it around her neck and quickly made sure to take off every other ring and earring on her body; any priceless items would surely draw attention. She was just about to take off the gold ring with the ruby in the middle, representing the South, when she paused to think about not what she was facing...but what she would leave behind: Minami, her friends and loved ones, the girls...

There was no other choice.

Next was the disguise. Wandering around the universe with one of the most recognizable faces in the universe while trying to remain undercover was an idiotic move. Personally, Atarashii despised makeup and avoided it at all costs. But it was essential in this case, so she waved a hand in the air and a bottle of instant hair dye appeared. Atarashii couldn't help but wonder, Am I a Summer or a Winter? Not really having a passion for such things, she optioned to use white.

She wandered into the bathroom and dipped the large pile of blonde hair into the sink. It took a long while and another bottle, but Atarashii eventually had every strand of hair on her head white. When she looked up, she nearly laughed. She looked like her grandmother Betsy!!

Now for the clothes. She sat down and thought long and hard about this and finally decided on a plain pair of purple pants and shirt with a small side-sash colored blue and small leather boots. Gloves finished off the look. Atarashii smiled smugly and thought of how not even Minami would recognize her now.

It was nearly four when she finally took step outside the southern palace. And even though she was heading off into imminent peril, Atarashii felt something akin to the adrenaline she had experienced the day she had left home with Judaiko and Taihen. And look where that had gotten her!

She turned to look up into the window that she knew Minami would look out of, desperately searching for his loved one, the next morn, but she would be long gone by then; that, and her ability of hiding her ki was uncanny. Finding her would be impossible.

"Well...I guess this is goodbye then."