FY The Kana Chronicles

Title: Starting Over Again

Author: Jigoku No Miko

Authors Quote: The heart is a lonely hunter





Kana arrived safely if landing in a giant mud puddle in the middle of a huge storm was your definition of safe. She stood outside the doors to Taiitsukun’s home wringing out her clothing before entering.

“Taiitsukun?!” She yelled before a pink bubble floated down from the ceiling and popped in front of her. “Lai-lai, how are you.”

“I’m great! Taiitsukun’s been expecting you this way Kana!” The small girl turned and began skipping down the hallway Kana right behind. They entered a large room that looked like Hotohori’s old throne room. Taiitsukun was straight ahead at the top of about 15 stairs.

“Thank you Lai-lai.” Kana whispered before walking up the carpet that led from the door to Taiitsukun and stopping when she reached the bottom step. “Why did I come here?” Kana questioned.

“Because this is where you needed to come. Kana do you plan on returning to your world?”

“I can’t the ring only granted me passage here.” She explained sitting on the bottom step and staring up at the old crone.

“Right, well for the time you need you may stay here, I’ve already had a room prepared for you but be aware that the other’s are still wandering around.” Taiitsukun explained before Kana cocked her eyebrow.

“Huh?” She whispered before Nuriko floated up from the floor in front of her.

“KANA!!!”

“Nyah!” Kana screamed and did a backwards summersult before looking at the man irritated.

“Now I get it.” She whispered before grabbing her bag and standing. “So you all still haven’t been reborn.”

“Nope, we do get to run around and scare people though isn’t that right Taiitsukun?” Nuriko looked up to the hag before she closed her eyes and crossed her arms.

“I’d kill you myself if you weren’t already dead.” Taiitsukun muttered.

“Right, well I’ll go get settled in.” Kana whispered before leaving Nuriko close behind her.

“So how did you get back?” Nuriko questioned as Kana sat her bag on the bed and sat down.

“Subaru and Tokaki gave me a ring.”

“Oh, I see. So you knew what was going to happen to all of us didn’t you?” He asked solemnly before Kana looked at him with a saddened gaze.

“Nuriko I couldn’t… it’s the way it was supposed to… I’m so sorry…” Forgetting that Nuriko was a spirit Kana went to set a hand on his back but to her surprise her hand didn’t sink through him, it sat on his back as if he were alive making them both gasp.

“You can touch us?” He questioned before Kana reeled back and hit him. Nuriko sailed aross the room and through a wall.

“That’s for scaring me!” Kana yelled when he had returned.

“You twit!”

“I am NOT a pregnant goldfish!” Kana retorted.

“What is all the commotion in here… Kana?” She froze when she heard his voice. Turning she felt tears sting her eyes when she laid them upon him.

“Hotohori?” She whispered before walking up to him and touching his face lightly.

“You an touch us?” Mitsukake questioned from where he stood behind Hotohori.

“Mitsukake?” Kana choked holding her tears back before hugging them both at once. “I’m so sorry, you shouldn’t be this way, I should have warned you, I should have done something, I could have saved you all.” She apologized as she began to cry. Hotohori pushed away from her and wiped away a tear.

“This was something you had no control over. Don’t blame yourself for knowing everything that happens in this world, it was your blessing that kept us from getting hurt more than once and for that we are greatful.” He whispered.

“I’m not greatful.” A younger voie rang from behind Mitsukake and they all turned to see Chiriko standing in the hallway shaking with anger. “I trusted you Kana why would you let this happen to all of us?!”

“Chiriko, you don’t understand…”

“I understand just as muh as they do but I know better than to trust you Kana. How could you let us all die? HOW!?” The room went silent as Mitsukake and Hotohori backed away to give the two room.

“Chiriko, even I can’t control everything. You saw everything happen just as they did, you saw me getting taken away before important events and not coming bak until afterwards unable to change what had happened.”

“But you could have warned us all, you could have told us all what was going to happen and you could have changed it. I could be alive right now!” He yelled hot tears streaming down his face.

“chiriko that’s enough…” Hotohori whispered before Kana interrupted him.

“No Hotohori, he’s right, he’s absolutely right.” Kana walked towards Chiriko as she spoke and dropped to her knees before him. “I know I hurt you Chiriko, I hurt everyone and for that I will always carry a heavy burden upon my heart. I lost the closest thing to a family that I will ever know, and it hurts, everyday it hurts more and more but I live with those marks. What will make you feel better chiriko? Do you want to scream at me? Lash out? Hit me? If it will make you feel better about it than feel free by all means but it won’t change anything, it won’t change the mistakes I made or the pain you feel.” She looked up at the boy before he flung his arms around her neck and sobbed, she held him tightly as she should have done when he was alive.



The next morning Kana awoke and used her powers to locate Chichiri and Tasuki. It was starting to storm harder as she got ready to leave, finally she would tell him the truth.

“Leaving so soon?” Hotohori questioned as he entered the room.

“Oh, Hotohori, no I’m not leaving just going to see someone.” She whispered fastening a cloak around her neck.

“Chichiri I suppose.”

“Yes.” Kana grabbed a small purse and put a leatherbound book in it before throwing it over her shoulder and turning to face the ghostly man in the room.

“It’s about time you told him Kana.” Hotohori smiled before leaving the same way he came in, through a wall.

“I’m never going to get used to that.” Kana whispered shaking her head before focusing and disappearing.



Kana arrived outside of a small tavern about 30 miles fron Eiyo. He was staying here and so was Tasuki. She could feel her stomach doing olympic gymnastics as she entered the Tavern and walked up the stairs to the side avoiding Tasuki, whom she had spotted at the bar flirting with bar-maidens. Stopping outside of the third door on the left she adjusted her clothing so she looked her best before raising her hand to knock but to her surprise it opened and she stood face to face with Chichiri, hand still poised.

“Kana?” He whispered before she lowered her hand and sighed. ‘Not exactly how I had planned this but…’

“So can I come in or do I have to stay in the hall?” She questioned before he stepped to the side and let her enter. She heard the door close behind her and his eyes on her back.

“How did you get here?” He questioned before she dropped back the hood of her cloak and looked at him.

“Well there’s the warm greeting I was looking for, not even a hi Kana how are you doing or anything…”

“How Kana?!” She winced at the anger in his voice.

“I have a ring with a splinter of Byakko’s claw in it, it granted me passage here. Subaru and Tokaki gave it to me…”

“Of course, your seishi…” He walked past her to look out the window into the street below.

“They’re not my seishi, I don’t have seishi. I’m not a priestess, I’m just me.”

“You’re just as much a priestess as I am a seishi.” He retorted before she cocked an eyebrow.

“Huh?”

“Why did you come here? Why did you come back?”

“What do you think I came back for? Subaru made me stop and think about everything. Where I really belonged and what my heart wanted not just what was logical and when I asked myself both questions do you know what the answer was?”

“I don’t feel like playing your little games Kana. Frankly I’m tired of it, I just want to be left alone now.” He sighed and watched his breath appear on the window. “Just leave Kana, go live your life with someone else, there are plenty of other simple minded men out there you can toy with.” He removed his mask as tears slid down his face.

“Would you atleast hear what I came here to say?” She reached up and fiddled with her feather earring, the feather he had given her so she wouldn’t forget him and now here he was asking her to forget about him.

“I’m through listening to your stories, just let me be in peace.”

“Fine…I’ll leave, if that’s what you want.”

“Yes, that’s what I want.” He whispered holding back the tears that burned his eyes and throat, hoping she couldn’t hear them in his voice.

“Very well then,” She took the book she had brought with her and set it on the desk the earring on top of it. She sighed and opened the door, once in the hallway she turned back to him. “Goodbye, Hojun.” He gasped when she used his name but didn’t turn around until he heard the door shut and her walk away down the hall. Once downstairs she approached Tasuki and tapped him on the shoulder. He turned to look up at her before spitting out his ale and staring at her with his mouth hanging open.

“Ka-Kana!” He whispered before she smiled at him.

“What did you think I was some bar maiden that had fallen madly in love with you?” she mocked him acting like she was swooning over him. He turned red before turning on his stool to face her.

“Does Chichiri know you’re here?”

“Yes.” She shook her head to try and get their argument to stop playing in her mind but it didn’t work, if anything it made it louder.

“I take it you already went and saw him.” Tasuki sighed before standing and placing a hand on her shoulder.

“I take it you knew how angry he is with me.”

“I’ve tried to talk him out of it but he’s more stubborn than even you I think.” He cracked a grin before she glared at him.

“I don’t know what to do, he wouldn’t listen to a word I said he just wanted me gone.” She shook her head. “I’m going back to Mt. Taikyoku.”

“Mt. Taikyoku?” He cocked an eyebrow.

“Yeah I’m staying there. Drop by if you’re ever in the neighborhood.” She smiled slightly before turning to leave.

“Wait Kana.” He grabbed her arm and she turned to face him before he took off his jacket. “It’s pouring out take this.” He held it out to her but she pushed it back to him.

“I’ll be fine, I still have my teleportation. Thanks anyways though Tasuk.” She smiled before walking out the door. It was pouring heavily and she pulled her hood up over her head before stepping out into the street and looking up to the window Chichiri had occupied for most of their conversation but he wasn’t there now. Sighing she turned and tried to teleport but couldn’t. “Great, of all the times.” She muttered before starting to walk down the road. “I hope there’s another tavern in this town.” She whispered pulling her cloak closer to her and searching for another inn.

Back inside the tavern Chichiri stood from the bed he had laid down on and spotted the journal on the desk and the feather earring. He picked up the earring and set it aside before picking up the journal and opening it, it appeared to be a diary. He sat back on the bed before beginning to read it.

‘Dear Journal… thingy, I have once again returned from the world of the universe of the four gods, this time to seal away an evil being name Tenkou, what a weirdo. Before returning Subaru and Tokaki approached me and gave me a ring with a splinter of Byakko’s claw in it. I guess it can take me back into the book, permanently. It didn’t take me long to decide what I have to do. I have to go back for him… no not for him to be with him. I knew I cared about him but I never realized how deeply in love with him I was until I saw him again. He was still wearing that mask, him and that damn thing, I really wish he wouldn’t wear it, not be afraid to show the world the true man behind it, like he showed me. I’ve missed him everyday, dreamt about him everynight and still I had to think about what to do. How stupid could I be? Don’t answer that… but I have to figure everything out, where to get the fabric, how to make the patterns, selling everything and telling them all goodbye. I don’t know how they’ll take it but I hope they will support me. Love really does make you do crazy things…’

He wiped away another tear from his face before continuing to read the rest there were about five or six other entry’s and then a detailed chart that looked like she had worked out how much everything she owned costs and would sell for. There were also sketches of clothing from his time and how much fabric for those would cost. Almost two hours passed before he left the room to search for her. Going downstairs he spotted Tasuki and approached him.

“Tasuki, have you seen Kana?” Tasuki remained with his back to him for a moment before slowly turning to look at him.

“Yeah, she left a while ago.” He wouldn’t look Chichiri in the eye, he just couldn’t.

“Do you know where she was going? Where she was staying? Anything?”

“Mt. Tikyoku.”

“Are you coming with me?” Tasuki finally looked him in the eye before whispering.

“I don’t want to be witness to anything else you put her through, I’m sitting this one out man.” Chichiri sighed before nodding.

“Very well.” He whispered before walking out the front door and disappearing.

Chichiri arrived at Mt. Tikyoku and looked for Taiitsukun before finding her in a small meditation room.

“Taiitsukun, where is Kana?” Chichiri questioned before the old woman looked at him confused.

“She never returned from earlier.” Hotohori stated from behind the old woman, Nuriko, Mitsukake and Chiriko were also all there.

“Didn’t she go to see you?” Nuriko questioned.

“Yes, she did but she left to come back, are you sure she never returned Hotohori?”

“I’m dead Chichiri, the only thing there is for me to do is watch the living.”

“The storm was a lot worse earlier wasn’t it?” Taiitsukun questioned before everyone nodded. “She may not have been able to use her powers in it.” She explained.

“We need to find her then. We should split up and search around the tavern I was at.” Chichiri suggested.

“I’m in.”

“Me too.”

“I also shall go.”

“Don’t forget about me!” Chiriko chimed before all five left for the tavern. They arrived outside, the four ghostly men all split up before Chichiri went inside to recruit Tasuki.

“Tasuki, Kana’s missing, I can’t locate her. The other’s are all out looking for her.”

“Say no more I’m comin’.” And with that the two were both out the door.

It had been almost an hour and no one had come up with anything. Chichiri had tried to locate her with his powers numerous times but everytime came up empty handed. Nuriko had taken to alley’s hoping he wouldn’t find her there but after this long he was fearing the worst. Passing through one of the alleyways he heard someone, a female, coughing before something or someone fell and knocked over some boxes. Rushing to the person he went to roll them over and found Kana. She was drenched from head to toe and shivering horribly.

“Hang in there.” He whispered before picking the girl up in his arms and getting back to Chichiri as fast as he could. “Chichiri!!” He yelled finally spotting the man. Chichiri turned and ran to him as fast as he could.

“Kana! Kana wake-up!” He wiped the rain and hair out of her face but she didn’t wake.

“Get her back to Tikyoku quick.” Nuriko whispered sliding the girl into Chichiri’s arms.

“The others…”

“Don’t worry about them I’ll find them, just get her warm.”

“Right.” The two disappeared before Nuriko went to look for the others.

“Searching for a search party, this is a new one.” He whispered to himself as he looked.

Back at Mt. Tikyoku Chichiri placed Kana in one of the beds before Lai-lai and Taiitsukun entered.

“We need to get her out of those wet clothes, Lai-lai?” Taiitsukun looked to the small girl but she already had dry clothes in her hands. “Chichiri give us a moment.”

“Of course.” Chichiri nodded before looking to the shiviering girl one last time and leaving the room shutting the door behind him. Turning he looked up just in time to see a fist flying towards his face and before he could move he was on the floor, the taste of blood in his mouth.

“What the hell is wrong with you!?” Numerous voices yelled at once, one his the others he discovered when he looked up were Nuriko’s, Hotohori’s, and Tasuki’s the one, he assumed who had hit him.

“What did you do to her! What did you say!” Tasuki yelled in what seemed like rage.

“What did happen Chichiri? If there was any foul play I swear…” Hotohori glared at the man before Chichiri put up a hand to silence them and leaned up against a wall.

“I didn’t listen to her. I was so scared when I saw her, so afraid she was just a hallucination that I shunned her away. I didn’t want this to happen, I didn’t want anything to happen to her. I wanted to keep her safe that’s why I turned her away…” He closed his eyes before he began to cry. The other’s couldn’t say or do anything they just stood there staring at the man in front of them crying like a lost child. What do you say to a man in his position? What do you do? You let him cry, and that’s what they did.

Tasuki, Hotohori and Chiriko all sat by Kana’s side waiting for her to wake-up. Hotohori leaned over and took Kana’s hand in his before Tasuki looked at him surprised.

“You can touch her?”

“Yes.”

“But how?”

“It’s because of me.” Taiitsukun whispered from behind Tasuki making him jump.

“Nyah!” Tasuki fell out of his chair before looking up to her irritated. “Don’t do shit like that grandma! Are you trying to kill me or somethin’!!!???” Taiitsukun just glared at him.

“What do you mean it’s because of you Taiitsukun?” Hotohori whispered looking from Kana to Taiitsukun.

“Do you remember when you, Kana, Tamahome and Nuriko brought Miaka here?”

“Of course I do.”

“When that demon attacked her I used my energy to revive her. It binded her to this world permanently causing her ability to teleport and her ability to touch the spirits of this world.” The old haggish woman explained before Hotohori nodded.

“Her fever has broken, she should wake anytime depending on how drained she was, physically but above all mentally.” And with that the old woman left and once again there were four.

“I’m gonna go find something to eat I’m starvin’.” Tasuki got up and stretched before also leaving the room. Chiriko left a moment later to see if he could find anything else in a medical journal he had dug up to help her condition.

“Kana, please hear me, please come back to us. You have so much left to do with your life.” Hotohori whispered before the door opened and Chichiri walked in.

“Hotohori.” He nodded to the man. “Could you give us a moment?” Hotohori dropped the girls hand before nodding and exiting the room. Chichiri walked over and sat on the bed next to Kana before taking her hand. “Kana, I hope you can hear me. I’m so sorry this is all my fault. I should have listened to what you had to say instead of turning my back on you…”

“*groan* duh…” The girl whispered before opening her eyes and looking to the man. She still had that half sleepy look and it took a few attempts for her to focus but when she did she smiled.

“How do you feel?” he placed a hand on her forhead to feel for a temperature but there wasn’t one, she felt normal.

“Groggy like you wouldn’t believe…” She sat up with his help before he sat back where he had been. “please continue, don’t stop cause I’m conscious.”

“I figured you might be angry with me.”

“Not angry, disappointed I guess, frustrated sure but not angry.”

“You have every right to be, I was an ass Kana I should have listened to what you had to say instead of turning my back on you. I was so foolish.”

“But why did you do it? That’s what I don’t understand… the things you said… they didn’t make any sense.” He stared at her for a moment before she reached up and tugged at his mask. “None of this constantly happy shit right now, I need to talk to the real you.” At her request he reached up and removed his mask once again tears were in his eyes.

“I was so afraid of you, so afraid you would leave again. You had walked in and out of my life twice before I just didn’t want to get hurt again.”

“Do you think it was easy for me to leave. The last time I saw you, when you asked me if you could kiss me I had to say no. Even though every fiber of my being was telling me to stay, to hold onto you and never let you go. I thought I belonged in my world…err…that world, but like I said earlier Subaru made me think about it all, ask myself the important questions.”

“So you said but I never let you tell me the answer to those questions, what was it?” She shook her head and let out a small laugh before reaching up and turning his face so she could look him in the eye.

“You. The answer was always you.” He reached up and placed his hand over hers before squeezing it lightly.

“I was so foolish, I’m so sorry.” He leaned forward and gathered her in his arms crying softly. “Please forgive me.”

“There’s nothing to forgive.” She ran a hand through his hair as he wept on her shoulder.

“Awe.” Numerous voices sighed before the two looked to the doorway where everyone was standing watching them both teary-eyed.

“You guys were standing there the whole time!!” Kana yelled before chucking a pillow at them but the only one it hit was Tasuki. “Oh yeah material things can’t hurt you…”

“Nope.” Nuriko stated matter-of-factly before Kana got up and in his face.

“But I can.”

“Nyah!!!” Nuriko ran with Kana in hot pursuit.

“Why do I have the feeling this was all your idea huh?!?!”

“You’re sick shouldn’t you be in bed?!”

“Never felt better!”

“What are you gonna do with that?!!”

“Come here and find out you snoop!!!”

A loud crash could be heard from down the hall before they continued to argue. Chichiri chuckled from where he still sat on the bed before standing to follow Tasuki out the door but Tasuki stopped and looked back at him.

“I mean what I said earlier, if you hurt her I swear Chichiri… even if you are part of the suzaku seishi…”

“Nothing will happen to her Tasuki, I promise.” Tasuki just grunted before running down the hall to join the audience of the show. Chichiri sighed and shook his head before joinging the others and hopefully stopping Kana before she killed Nuriko again.

Later that night Kana and Chichiri sat in her room talking about everything that had happened. The final battle between the Suzaku and Seiryu seishi, where him and Tasuki had traveled before and after Tenkou and she told him anything and everything he asked about her world he had never been so inquisitive about anything before she swore. All throughout their conversation Kana refused to let him wear his mask, not once.

“Kana?”

“Hmmm?”

“Can I ask you something?”

“You’re not gonna ask me if you can kiss me again are you?” They both chuckled before he shook his head.

“No, that’s not it.”

“Damn.” She snapped her fingers before smirking. “What is it?”

“Well I was hoping, maybe after a while when everything is settled and the land is calm again, maybe someday if you wanted to, that is if you do want to…”

“Spit it out already!” She bit into a piece of apple she had been nibbling on for the last ten minutes or so.

“Would you marry me?”

“*cough, cough* wha… wha huh?” She looked at him like a deer in the headlights before he laughed.

“I don’t mean right this minute but I would like it if you could promise me something.” He picked up her hand before she nodded.

“Promises I can do…”

“That’ll we’ll never be seperated again, we’ll always be together.” She squeezed his hand before kissing him and smiling.

“Now that I can promise.”

“I do have one more question for you though.”

“What’s that?”

“At the tavern, why did you call me Hojun?” She shook her head before sighing.

“You didn’t read all of that journal did you?”

“I did, it didn’t say anything about my name though…”

“Oiy, what did you do with it?” Kana looked around the room before spotting the leather bound book on the desk across from her bed. Getting up she grabbed it before flipping through the pages as she walked back to the bed. Stopping on one page she turned the book around and pointed to the page before he took the book from her.

“I didn’t see this entry in here.” Chichiri began to read the passage outloud. “I’ve been thinking about this for a while, with the book sealed I technically couldn’t be a new Byakko no Miko and with the war with Kuotou over he technically isn’t a suzaku seishi either so calling him Chichiri wouldn’t be right would it? Hojun… that’s what his real name was… I think I like the sound of that… Hojun…” He trailed off before looking to the page before the entry and the page after it. “This was just a blank page before…”

“I know, I forgot I hid a couple of them cause I had scribbled stuff out and rewritten it. Didn’t need everyone to know my grammar sucks too.” Chichiri closed the book and sat it on the night stand before turning back to Kana.

“So than how was I supposed to know it was there!?”

“You have powers you should have been able to tell!”

“Oh bull Kana!” She acted innocent but failed miserably at it.

“Alright, alright I admit it I suck at lying.”

“Well atleast you can admit it. So Hojun huh?”

“I guess you would only be Hojun when your mask is off, the rest of the time you would be Chichiri.”

“Is that how it works?” He propped himself up on his side with his elbow before she shrugged and copied his position.

“I guess it is.” She yawned before snuggling in close to him. “Hojun?” He smiled before wrapping and arm around her to hold her close.

“Hmm?”

“Will you stay with me tonight?” He looked down at the girl snuggled against his chest before smiling and kissing the top of her head.

“I’ll stay with you forever.”



The next day Tasuki, Chichiri and Kana all set out to wander the country seeing the world and promising to drop by Mt. Taikyoku once a month no matter where they were. And they did they made twenty-three visits to the Mt. Taikyoku palace before the seal on The Universe of the Four Gods was severed once more by the Suzaku no Miko and her lover and former seishi.