"Katie, are you all right?" Ryo asked as they got a safe distance away from the market place.
    "Yea, but that was close." Katie replied sitting down on a nearby wall, "I almost got caught when I ran into those people."
    "I noticed. You've gotta watch where you're going." Ryo stated sitting down next to her.
    "I know, I know..... Well, I got us some supper." Katie sighed handing Ryo a loaf of bread.
    "Why'd you get so much anyways?" Ryo asked as he stored the loaf she had given him away.
    "It took me a bit to get up the guts to take this... I didn't know if I'd be able to do it again, so I just took as much as I could. That way we could wait awhile before we'd have to do it agian." Katie answered breaking the bread up, "You got the water right?"
    "Yep, it's right over here." Ryo said jumping down and going to a where they had set their stuff.  He kneeled down and moved some bricks and reveiled a large pot of water.
    "How'd you get all that?" Katie asked jumping down
    "They beleive water's for everyone.  I was given the pot and all to carry it in." Ryo stated
    "Lucky you. Next time I'll get the water, okay." Katie stated as she drank some of the liquid.
    "If you think you could carry it okay." Ryo agreed and started to eat what meager food they did have, which really was bread and water.
 
    The night went by uneventful, and fairly borning. Katie and Ryo took turns watching out so nothing would happen.  They were planning to leave the city the next day to search for _____.  As before, they had no clue where or when he'd show up.  Katie was up at five o'clock to take over the watch.  Ryo went to sleep almost immedently.  Katie stood up to streach her mucles out a bit and walked up and down the street thinking.
    'Should I ask Ryo? Would he know?..... If I don't ask him, I'll never know if he knows.  But if I do what will he think??' thoughts like this kept running through Katie's head till the sun made it's appearance over the horizen.  Katie shoved the thoughts to the back of her mind and hopped up onto the wall.  The horizen was painted a beautiful orange, which reminded her of Shu even more.  She gave up on the sunset and jumped back down to the dirt road beneth her.  She looked over and knew Ryo wouldn't be getting up anytime soon.  Looking around she picked up a small brown stick that had probably fallen off a wagon of timber for fires.  The small twig was saved from it's fate, but that didn't matter cause it was already dead.  It had been taken from it's home, and killed.  But that's also what had almost happened to her.  ___ Forced her from her home,  she didn't know how to take care of herself.  And she about died because of that.  She looked over to Ryo and thanked Godthat he was there. He knew how to survive in the wilderness.  While I knew how to surevive in the city, as long as I as reminded I hadto survive.  Angered with herself for getting onto the subject she picked up one of her katana's and widdled a point.  She then used it to draw a map of the town.  They had walked around most of the day and Ryo had made it a point to remeber what the place looked like. Katie too had remebered some places and now tried to make a rough map of the city.  Of course the palace was in the back of the city, guarded by four walls.   there were two market places, and east and West.  They also found out they were in Konan-koku.  So wrote that at the top.   Most of the streets were fairly easy to figure out.  they were long, straight, and reached from one side of the city to the other.  By the time she had most of the city drawn into the dirt it was well into the morning and people were now up and around.  Several people had stoped and looked at her map and corrected her on a few minor things.  By the time Ryo got up, the map was complete.  Ryo looked over her shoulder in awe.
    "How long did it take you to do that?"  Ryo asked as he rolled up his blanket.
    "All morning." Katie replied as she finished labling the palace.
    "Yea, but I mean... we've been though most of this place, but not all of it.. did you go scout around or something?" Ryo asked as he drank a bit of water.
    "No... I just took a design of a city I rember seeing one of the times I was in the library studing.  And as it got later, people would come by and correct me on a few things that I did have wrong.  Then before I knew it, it was done." Katie explained.
    "You did a good job. To bad we can't roll it up and take it with us." Ryo commented.
    "Yea, i know. I thought about that when I was half way done." Katie replied.
    "Well, we better get going if we're gonna get anywhere today." Ryo said picking up his stuff and loading it onto his back. Katie did the same as soon as it was packed up.  She looked down at the map one more time and they started off.

    "Tamahome, Nuriko, Chihiri, you said you would go out and find that girl today." Hotohori stated as he sat at his desk.
    "What are we to do with her once we find her?" Nuriko asked batting his eyes.
    "Bring her here." Hotohori replied
    "Arrest her?" Tamahome asked.
    "Only if she she does something against the law." Hotohori stated.
    "What am I supposed to do? Just sit and do nothing all day?" Tasuki asked from the doorway.
    "If you want to go, no one is stopping you." Nuriko stated smuggly.  Tasuki didn't reply and walked out of the room.
    "Was that a yes or no? No da..." Chichiri asked looking after him.
    "Who knows... let's just get going." Nuriko stated walking out of the room.

    The three walked out of the gate, Tamahome wore his normal blue outfit with a sac over his shoulder.  Nuriko desided agains his normal female wordrobe and changed into some male clothes. Chichiri wore his normal including his kasa.
    "What are you going to do with that?" Nuriko asked pointing to the sack Tamahome carried.
    "Well, I figured while we're in town I could make some money." Tamahome replied, "Nuriko, you take the east side of the city, Chichiri, you take the west... I'll take main street and down."
    "Right." They both answered.  Nuriko walked off towared the east while Chichiri dissapeared under his hat.
    "Good, not I can start selling some stuff." Tamahome stated as he headed into the market.  Tasuki was standing off to the side of the gate, but was unseen by the others.
    "I guess I'll take the back roads around the market. I doubt Tamahome will have time to check them out." Tasuki was soon on his way.

    "Excuse me, miss. no da.  but have you seen a girl with long brown hair who was with a boy with short black hair?  No da" Chichiri asked a passing person on a street.
    "Ummm.. That does sound familar.  You might check about two streets over." The woman replied.
    "Thank you No Da." Chichiri stated bowing.  He walked down some allys to get to the street she had pointed him to.  He looked around but there weren't hardly anyone on the street.  He stated to go back when he noticed something in on the ground.  He kneeled down and looked at the drawing in the dirt.  "Hmm.. it looks like a map." He said to himself.
    "Yes, a girl drew it thismorning.  It's pretty good isn't it?" A man stated as he walked by.
    "You saw her here? No da? What did she look like No da?" Chichiri asked
    "Well, she was with a boy, but he was asleep.  Umm.. she had ratty brown hair and he had black... she was a really nice girl. I was wondering why they were sleeping outside." The man rambled on.
    "Ahh. ah.. Thank you, no da... " Chichiri said backing away from the man that kept on going.  Finally after a few minuets he was able to slip away and continue his search.

    "I'm sorry, I havn't seen anyone of that discription." A woman replied shrugging her shoulders.
    "Thank you anyways." Nuriko sighed.  He had been looking up and down all these streets and nothing, not even the slightest of clues.  But considering this was the bad side of town, he was kinda glad they weren't around here.  But non the less he continued the search just in case.

    "OI OI OI!!!" Tamahome yelled. He was back up on the steps of the temple selling his items for as much as he could.  Tasuki was back in the crowd watching in discust.
    "If he was just going to sell stuff he should of let one of the others help him around here. There's no way he could spot them from up there sorrounded by people." Tasuki mumbled as he turned and started down an alley.  He came out on the other end only to be ran down by a boy with black hair.
    "HEY WATCH WERE YOUR GOING!!" The boy yelled as he struggled to get up.  Tasuki looked in the direction he had come from and saw a guard and a merchant running towardthem.  Just as the boy stood up to run away again, Tasuki grabbed his ankle makeing him fall.  "What the hell?!"
    "RYO!!!" A voice come from somewhere else.  Tasuki looked off in the direction the boy was going and saw a brown haired girl.
    "Katie, get out of here!!" Ryo yelled back as he kicked at the hand that held his ankle.  Kaite ignored him and ran right up to him.
    "What the hell are you doing?!" Katie yelled at Tasuki as she slammed her foot down on his hand, but he didn't let go.  The guard and merchant caught up to them in no time.
    "They stole some meat from me!" The merchant yelled pointing to Katie and Ryo.
    "We said we were sorry!" Katie yelled back.  The guard walked behind Katie and pulled her arm up behind her back, "OW!!! Watch it will ya!!"
    "You've commited a crime." The guard intructed.
    "Tasuki, what's going on? noda." Chichiri asked running up.
    "They stole some meat from this man." Tasuki stated.
    "And your not helping them?  That's not like you Tasuki. noda." Chichiri stated raiseing an eyebrow, "Ahhh!! I know you! no daaaa!"  Everyone stopped and looked at Chichiri.
    "Have we met somewhere?" Ryo asked sitting up on the ground.
    "You stole some bread yesterday! noda!" Chichiri stated and Ryo and Katie sweatdropped.
    "Well, then. Looks like we have even more to bring you in on." The guard laughed.
    "No, can do.  The Emporor himself sent us out to find them."  Nuriko said walking up.
    "Your the Suzaku Seishi!" The guard exclaimed as he bowed.
    "Oi,  can't go anywhere anymore." Tamahome stated walking up.
    "Then you are takeing these villians to the Emporor?" The guard asked jesturing down to Ryo and Katie.
    "Yes, we will take them with us." Nuriko stated as she helped Ryo off the ground.
    "Why does the Emporor want to see us?" Katie asked as she rubed her arm.
    "Who knows.  Let's just get back so Nuriko can oggle him again" Tasuki commented.
    "Hey!!" Nuriko yelled as he threatened him with a fist, Tasuki just laughed.
    "Thanks, but no thanks." Katie said grinning and smiling.  Before anyone could say anything Ryo and Katie had taken off in the oppisite direction.
    "Come back! NO DA!!" Chichiri yelled starting after them, with the others following.
 

    Hotohori sat on his throne with Mitsukake on one side and Chiriko on the other.
    "What happened?" He asked looking to the group before him.  Four of the Suzaku Seishi and two theives stood before him caked in mud.
    "We were just about to bring them in when they ran of." Tamahome explained, "I was just about catch the girl when Tasuki ran into me and knocked me into the mud."
    "I did not! I was going to get her, and you ran into me!" Tasuki yelled back taking out his fan.
    "Tasuki, put it away.  What about the others." Hotohori asked.
    "I was about to get her when she grabed my hand and fliped me into the mud." Nuriko exclaimed.
    "HE GROPED ME!!" Katie yelled out.
    "I did not!!" Nuriko yelled back.
    "Why would he want to when he's got the emporor?" Tasuki asked smirking.
    "The Emporor, but..." Ryo started and then caught on, "Ahhhh...."  Hotohori blushed throughly embarrased.
    "What about you Chichiri?" Mitsukake asked looking at the masked monk.
    "Anooo.  I was trying for him while the others were busy with the girl." Chichiri started to explained.
    "HE Groped me!" Ryo yelled pointing to Chichiri, "So I threw him into the mud also."
    "DAAAAA!!!!" Chichiri yelled as he twitched on the floor.
    "Chichiri, I never knew!" Nuriko exclaimed excitedly.
    "Iya iyaiya... I didn't mean to no da." Chichiri tried to explain.
    "Okay, so you two threw each of my seishi into the mud.  How did you get all muddy?" Hotohori asked looking to Katie and Ryo.
    "Umm... well, we were celebrating our victory when they sneaked up on us and draged us in." Katie explained.  Hotohori looked at the group before him scabble for a second and then cracked up laughing.  Everybody stopped and looked at him.
    "Why don't you all get cleaned up and we'll finish this discussion later.  Mitsukake, will you please show the girl to where she can clean up.  I'm sure the rest of you will show him." Hotohori said still chuckling.
    "Yes sir.  Please follow me." Mitsukake said as she headed out of the room with Katie following.  The others left the room soon after still fighting on whether or not Chichiri really did grope Ryo or not.


 
    "Hmm.. that is very intersting." Hotohori commented as he sat at his desk, the now clean seishi around him and Ryo and Katie standing in front of him.  "If only Miaka were here I could test you on that."
    "You mean you belevie us?" Katie asked suprised.
    "I beleive it is a possibility, like I said, If only..." But before he could finish the sentence a red light filled the room and a body fell on Katie.
    "What the!! Get off of me!!!" Katie yelled shoving the body off.
    "Wha.." The person exclaimed trying to orient herself.  Once that was done she ran right to Tamahome and they embraced.
    "I think we're missing something here." Ryo whispered into Katie's ear.
    "Your telling me." Katie replied eyeing the girl hatefully.
    "Ryo, Katie, I would like to introduce to you the Preistess of Suzaku, Miaka." Hotohori announced.
    "Priestess?" Katie asked.
    "Of Suzaku?" Ryo finished.
    "But she's wearing a school uniform!" Katie exclaimed.
    "How did you know what it was?" Miaka asked stopping her cuddling long enough to ask.
    "Um... cause what we said was the truth?" Katie supplied full of saracism.
    "Ah, Miaka, they claim that they are from another demention similar to yours.  You mind testing them?" Hotohori asked.  Miaka nodded and walked over to Katie and Ryo.
    "Okay, who's the emporor of Japan?" Miaka asked.
    "How am I supposed to know??" Katie excliamed, "I'm American.!"
    "American? Okay, Name two baseball teams!" Miaka challenged.
    "Brooklen Dogers, Chicago Cubs... big deal." Katie replied sourly.
    "Okay then. Name the capital of... of... California."
    "Sacramento."
    "AH! I know! What is the internet?!"
    "It's a system of computers hooked together transfering information thourgh phone lines." Katie sighed, "Not that that's a a great defention, if one at all.."
    "Well, umm... close enough." Miaka smiled, "She passes!"
    "So, It looks like you were telling the truth." Tsuki commented.
    "Well, apparently.  How do you tend ot go about finding your friends?" Nuriko asked walking over to them.
    "We don't really know.  All we can do is wait for him to show." Ryo finally spoke up.  Suddenly a palace guard rushed into the room.
    "Your Majesty.  There is a trouble maker on the palace grounds.  We do not know how he got here, but he seems really powerfull.  He said something about looking for the two troopers." The guard reported.
    "Tasuki, Tamahome, Nuriko, go see what is going on." Hotohori commanded.
    "Let us go too, please." Ryo stated looking stright at the emporor.  Hotohori understanding let them go too.  In the courtyard stood ____ his weapon ready and waiting. 1