Title: Trading Places [7/?]

Disclaimer: I don't own them and the idea for the role reversal came from the debate on the fyfanfictionML. Idea for Miboshi was stolen in part from WingSong2003, who graciously betaed this for me. Fuuka and Yuuma are from the Tamahome Novel.

Notes: AU; role reversal of the Suzaku and Seiryuu no Seishi.

Warnings: Language; bastard Hotohori; Yaoi hints

/ ... / = thoughts

~~~~~~~~~~ = scene change

//...// = flashback

*...* = emphasis

~~~~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~~~~

//"Lord Nakago, forgive me, but you said your wife died shortly after the birth of your son?"

Nakago nodded. "Yes. She was not strong enough. And neither is our child," he replied. He glanced at Yui and smiled slightly. "Lady Yui . . . would you like to meet him? He has wanted nothing but to meet you since he learned you were here."

Yui smiled. "I'd love to meet him, Heika." /And I'll have to see what Seiryuu can do about this illness of his./ She followed the Emperor through his private rooms and soon realized that he had taken great care in seeing that no one even got close to the prince.

He led her into a small room overlooking a private garden. The room was decorated simply, only a small bed and a chair. In the bed was a boy, around the age of four, Yui guessed, with blond hair like his father. "Ayuru, there is someone here to see you." Nakago leaned over his son's bed, motioning for Yui to take the seat.

As she did so, she watched the small boy closely. Ayuru opened his eyes, smiling as soon as he saw his father. He glanced to Yui and his smile grew. "Is it really her, father?"

"Yes, my son. The Priestess of Seiryuu has come to see you."

Yui was surprised when the young boy reached over and easily took her hand in his. His bright green eyes, that she assumed he got from his mother, surprised her even more. She was sure in the first moment she saw them that her initial guess about his age had been completely wrong. "Hello, your highness." //

~~~~~~~~~~

Yui snapped out of her daze and forced her eyes to open. The last thing she remembered was walking with Suboshi in the market place. The performers came out on stage and she ran. Now she found herself lying on a very familiar floor. /Was it all just a dream?/ She looked at the clothes she was wearing. She was dressed as a boy from Ancient China. /Nope. Not a dream./

She heard voices coming from somewhere close by and forced herself to stand. It didn't take her long to realize that she really was back in Tetsuya's apartment. "How did I ...?" Forcing herself to remember, she finally realized that Seiryuu had sent her back here after she got lost in the city. /Ok, I got lost in a part of the city that really freaked me out and the next thing I know, some weird guy with blue hair that I can only assume is Seiryuu is sending me back home. Why?/

"Guys, Yui's in serious trouble here."

Yui jerked her head towards the living room at the mention of her name. She opened the door slightly and saw Keisuke, Tetsuya and a man she assumed was Kyoshi, huddled around the small coffee table. "Who's in serious trouble?" she asked, stepping into the room. She smiled at the stunned looks on the three men's faces.

Tetsuya nearly fell off the arm of the chair as he jumped at the voice. When he saw Yui, he ran across the room to hug her. "When will you silly girls learn to leave that damn book alone?"

Keisuke followed his friend and looked at Yui. "Where's Miaka?"

Yui pulled free from the hug, even though Tetsuya kept one arm protectively around her waist. "I don't know. Isn't she here? She vanished shortly after we ..." /After we what? Fell into the book?/ She glanced down at the clothes she was wearing and decided once again, that no, she wasn't dreaming. It had actually happened. "You guys are going to think I'm nuts."

"Don't bet on it," Kyoshi replied, holding up the book. "So, what's Nakago really like?"

~~~~~~~~~~

Ryuuen glanced around nervously as they entered the inn where they had arranged to meet the Shogun. There were far too many people just standing around for his liking, and Mitsukake wasn't helping matters much by putting on a show for the little kids by changing into various people. He began to wonder what the use was of having a man that could shape shift was until one of the children asked if he could imitate a monster. The tall healer had shifted into one of the ugliest things Ryuuen had ever seen, scaring the kids that had been cheering him on. "That's enough. We have better things to do than put on a street show for the kids."

Mitsukake shifted back into what the other man could only assume was his normal form and nodded. "I'll see you kids later. Don't let me forget to show you my ogre impersonation before we leave, okay?"

One of the little kids started laughing. "We have our own ogre here, mister. And he looks funnier than you ever could."

Several of the other kids joined him in laughing as they ran back toward the market place. Mitsukake looked at the others curiously. "Ogre? Miaka, didn't the scr-"

"Yes, it did," the brunette replied. She watched the little kids run off, smiling. /Ogre . . . that's the mark of another Seishi./ She grabbed the taller man's arm, pulling him into the inn. Ryuuen had already gone inside to find the rest of their party. She thought for several moments before turning to him. "Don't mention anything about the 'ogre' to the others yet. If we get the chance, we'll go look for this 'ogre' ourselves."

"Is something wrong, Priestess? Why don't you want them to know?"

Miaka shrugged, walking inside. "I don't know, I just . . . Hotohori would immediately be suspicious and Ryuuen wouldn't want to do anything without consulting him. And Chichiri . . ."

Mitsukake stopped her, just inside the door. "And Chichiri?"

"Let's just wait and see what the others have learned before we rush into things. It may be a real ogre, after all." Miaka smiled as she noticed Ryuuen motioning them over to a small table where he was talking to the Shogun. She made her way through the crowd, noticing that Mitsukake kept a tight grip on her arm. "Hotohori, where's Chichiri?"

"Lord Chichiri isn't feeling well. I'm afraid the journey didn't agree with him," Hotohori replied. He told Mitsukake which room the other man was in and lightly grabbed Miaka's arm when she moved to follow him. "Perhaps it is better if you wait until after Lord Mitsukake has seen him. It would not be good if you were to fall ill as well."

Miaka hesitated for a moment then sat beside the Shogun. "So, did you tell him?" she asked, glancing at Ryuuen.

Hotohori nodded, once he realized what she was talking about. "Yes, he did. I wouldn't be surprised if they were following you. They followed us, as well," he replied. He thought for a moment, then looked at Ryuuen. "As soon as Mitsukake says Chichiri is well enough to travel, we leave for the Palace."

Ryuuen sighed. "What about the other Seishi? Do you have an idea where they are?"

"Yes. Ougi told me some time ago that he suspected there was a Seishi here in Suuon. He wasn't really sure which one it was or where, but . . . he had seen the mark of Suzaku appear himself."

"Which symbol was it?" Miaka asked. "Was it . . . 'ogre'?"

"I do not know, Priestess. But what makes you ask about the one specifically?"

Miaka sighed and told the two men what she had overheard outside. "Do you think it could be him? The one your brother was talking about?"

"We'll find out in the morning. Ryuuen, take the Priestess up to her room. Anything more needs to be said in private," Hotohori stood from the table and walked up to the bar.

"Well, excuse us . . . " Miaka made a face at the Shogun's back, blushing when she heard the other man chuckle. "Careful, Ryuuen. The Shogun might hear you." She stood, grabbing the taller man's arm. She ignored the unusual looks from several of the patrons as she practically pulled him up the stairs.

Hotohori rolled his eyes at the girl's actions. He motioned for the bartender to bring him another drink and sighed.

"Problems, mister? Your sister seems rather cute, but I don't think her little friend likes being dragged around."

"Sister? No, my sisters are . . . well, I haven't seen them in a long time, but I'm sure they are perfect ladies." Hotohori looked at the man that had spoken and smirked when he noticed the unusual orange hair. "Miaka is just . . . a brat."

The orange haired man, Genrou, shrugged, downing his own drink. "Then why not just dump her somewhere. Even brats can fetch a nice price from slavers."

Hotohori frowned, turning back to his own drink. "If I didn't need her, I would be most grateful to get rid of her." He stood, noting the way the other man watched him. "If you'll excuse me, I have to go check on my friends."

Genrou watched as the regal man left then looked toward his companions. As soon as he saw one of them nod, he tossed some money to the bartender and downed his drink. /So, that guy's with the Priestess, eh? They're gonna need some extra security if they want to avoid bandits./ He stood, moving to join his companion at a table. "Make sure the others are ready. I want to be out of here before morning."

~~~~~~~~~~

Miaka opened her eyes and looked around the small room. /Strange,/ she thought. /I've been in this world a little over a week and yet . . . it seems more like home than Tokyo./ She groaned softly as she sat up, jumping when she heard a soft voice chuckle. She glanced over to see Chichiri, fully recovered, sitting next to the window.

"Shhh . . . the others are still sleeping. And I have the feeling that the Shogun may get more than he bargained for when he wakes up," the blue-haired man replied. He motioned for the Priestess to sit beside him and looked back out the window. "But he may have to bargain for it soon. Those guys have been watching this place since dawn."

Miaka looked out the small window and gasped when she recognized some of the bandits they had encountered the day before. "Those are . . . the bandits. We have to . . . "

Chichiri placed a hand on her arm, shaking his head. "Don't worry. They won't get a chance to do anything to you. It is our duty as Seishi to protect you."

"But there are only three of you plus Ryuuen and at least ten of them!" Miaka clamped her hands over her mouth as she looked around the room. Hotohori and Ryuuen were still asleep, but Mitsukake was looking at her curiously.

"Ten of who?"

"Bandits," Chichiri replied. He continued to watch the men gathered at the front of the inn. He cursed softly when several more joined them. "We've got to go."

Miaka nodded and walked over to Ryuuen. "Wake up, Ryuuen. We've got to go. There are bandits outside."

Ryuuen got up quickly, absently smacking Hotohori to wake him up. The other three gave him curious looks before returning to their own packing. The violet-haired man grabbed his things and was quickly re-braiding his hair when the brunette grabbed his leg. "What?"

Hotohori glared at the other man. "Why did you smack me?"

Ryuuen sighed and pulled the other man's hand from his leg. "To wake you up, you big oaf. There are bandits outside. Now get your royal ass out of that bed and get dressed."

Miaka stifled a snicker as she pulled her hair back into a ponytail. She wasn't sure if the Shogun knew the others were in the room or not, but she wasn't about to test her luck. The Shogun grumbled something about stupid bandits and pulled the blanket back over his head. A few minutes later, he opened his eyes and saw Ryuuen standing over him with a bucket. They were the only two in the room, and as far as the Shogun knew, had been all night.

"It's a good thing you woke when you did. I was about to make sure you got a bath whether you wanted one or not." Ryuuen smirked as he sat the bucket down on the floor. "You really do need to get up. The bandits aren't a joke and they're getting restless. Chichiri said he'd take us out of here safely. I don't know what he meant, though."

"Teleportation," Hotohori replied. He sat up, grabbing his head. "His powers, or at least one of them, is teleportation. Remind me never to drink in a place like this."

"I did, remember? No, of course not," the violet-haired man grinned and handed the other man his clothes. He smirked as he gathered the brunette's things. /And I'll bet you don't remember anything else that happened either. Good./ "Come on. We don't want to be stuck in here when those bandits come in."

~~~~~~~~~~

"And so when I ran away from Suboshi, I was terrified. I don't know how, but when I opened my eyes, I was back in Tetsuya's bedroom."

Keisuke thought for a moment. "You must have wanted to come back here so badly that your emotions opened the gate. Like it did ... like when Miaka vanished from that world. She must have come back here and that's when she spoke to Tetsuya." He mentally cursed himself for almost letting it slip that this was the second time the girls had been sucked into the book. He had realized soon after she had started talking that she didn't remember a thing about how the Seishi were the last time. /If she did, she would never have gotten that close to Tomo./ Realizing that it would be better for both girls if they didn't remember, Keisuke had told Tetsuya not to mention anything about the last time.

Yui nodded slightly. She had taken a shower and changed clothes while the boys continued reading. Well, at least two of the boys were reading, Tetsuya had been too busy standing guard at the bathroom door the entire time. Supposedly so the other boys wouldn't look, but Yui suspected that he was looking for any sign of the dragon god. /That, or he forgot the glass was frosted./

After she changed clothes, she had started telling them about everything that had happened, including the attack on Amiboshi, which she learned had not been mentioned in the book. "I guess that's possible, but ... I still don't understand why Seiryuu did it. I mean, would it not have been easier to just leave me there?"

"Maybe it's his way of protecting you. Kind of like a 'get out of jail free' card or something," Tetsuya replied. "Whenever you get into a bad situation, he'll bail you out. I mean, you are the one that's supposed to be able to summon him, aren't you?"

"Yeah, I am. But, I don't know. It just doesn't seem right somehow." Yui glanced at the book, now lying momentarily forgotten on the coffee table. She yawned, blushing slightly. "I'm gonna go take a nap. Why don't you guys go get lunch? Then when you get back, we'll see if we can find a way to get Miaka out."

Tetsuya followed her into the bedroom and pulled her into a hug. "If you want, I'll stay here with you."

"That's ok. I'll be fine here by myself. Besides, I thought you didn't trust Keisuke's buying habits. You know how he likes junk food." Yui returned the hug, holding on to him tightly. "I know you'd stay, but ... I think I want to be alone for a little while. At least here, I know no one's trying to kill me."

"Ok, then. But you have to make me a promise. Stay away from the book until we get back. I don't want it sucking you in again."

The blonde smiled and pulled him down for a kiss in reply. Once the kiss was over, she shooed him from the room and leaned against the door. /I'm sorry, Tetsuya. But I have to go back. I made a promise to Lord Nakago. And Miaka./

~~~~~~~~~~

Chichiri waited until the last members of their group had joined them before he started the incantation. Ryuuen gave him a curious look and motioned to the blanket the others were standing on. "Um . . . do I . . . ?"

"No," Hotohori replied. He rubbed at his head again and pulled the other man on to the blanket. A staff appeared in Chichiri's hand and he slammed it against the floor. The Shogun felt as if the other man was pounding on his head instead. "Chichiri . . . "

The blue-haired man smirked slightly and focused his chi into the spell. When nothing happened, he frowned and began chanting again. The bandits outside must have gotten tired of waiting. They were beating on the doors, demanding that the Priestess come out.

Mitsukake frowned, pulling the young woman closer to himself. "It's not working . . . "

"I think we need to find another solution to this problem," Miaka replied. She watched as first one window, then another was busted open. "And quickly."

By now, several of the other patrons had awoken and were coming downstairs to see what the problem was. The innkeeper ran over to the small group and demanded to know what was going on. Hotohori explained that they had reason to believe that the men outside were trying to harm the Priestess of Suzaku. Most of the gathered group turned as one to face Miaka. A young boy, about ten years old, ran from the back room and started tugging on Ryuuen's sleeve.

"Can I help?"

Ryuuen glanced down, shaking his head slightly. "Thanks, but no. This isn't a game for kids. You'll only get hurt."

His father, the Innkeeper glared at him. "Kishuku, go and find your mother. And keep the little ones out of the way. I don't want them coming out here."

The young boy looked disappointed, but nodded and ran into the back room. Miaka watched him go and felt something tugging at the back of her mind. /Kishuku . . . why does that name sound familiar?/
By now, the bandits had managed to break open the door. The one that had called himself Kouji was smirking as he walked toward the group. "Well, well, well, looks like we meet again, Priestess. Why don't you introduce us to your friends, here? I think we've already met the Royal Guard and the doctor. But who are your other friends?"

Hotohori glared at the newcomer as he drew his sword. "I am . . . the Suzaku Sichiseishi, Hotohori. And you will leave this place at once and allow the Priestess to pass in peace."

"Oh, we will, will we? I don't think so, pretty boy." He motioned to two of the bandits that had followed him in and they charged the Shogun. A red blur split the air between the groups and the two bandits fell to the ground, unconscious.

Standing over the fallen bodies of the two men, Kishuku glared at the bandits. "Get out of my father's inn . . . now."

Miaka gasped when she saw a burning red symbol on his forehead. /'Ogre'! The next Seishi is a . . . a child?!/



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