Fushigi Yuugi Fan Fiction ❯ The Phoenix Generation ❯ The Last Patient ( Chapter 1 )

[ Y - Young Adult: Not suitable for readers under 16 ]

The Phoenix Generation

Chapter 1: The Last Patient

Genrou shifted in his arm cuffs, the metal slightly digging into his skin. Repeated requests to loosen them were met with silence as the two officers sitting in the front seat chatted about their mundane lives. The ruse was obvious to him; he could see them watching him carefully from the corners of their sunglasses, making sure the "dangerous prisoner" did not try to escape.

Not that there was any place to run to now. The drive took them into the mountains, far away from the city Genrou called home. Two hours later, the car stopped at a tall cast iron fence. One of the officers, Hondo by the brass nameplate on his chest, reached out of the window to punch in a code on the keypad attached to the gate. The gate clicked and then slowly opened, and the car lurched forward and continued down the path. Lush green grass carpeted the sloping landscape on both sides, which were dotted with huge trees and bushes. Genrou had only seen such natural beauty on television before. He could not see the fence and nor tell where the boundaries of the land lie.

"There's some really nice land out here," Honto commented to his partner Shijun. "Pity it's wasted on little shits like this one." He jerked his thumb back in Genrou's direction.

Genrou snapped back, "Hey asshole, but you wouldn't say that if you were back here with me, would you?" He was weary of having Honto and Shijun treat him as if he was a total monster. He did not do anything wrong to get him in this situation, honest.

Shijun turned to Genrou. "Who asked you to speak, you little punk? You're lucky you're one of these Phoenix freaks and we can't kick your ass for what you did."

"Oh yeah? Big talk for an asshole with a badge. You ain't got a clue what happened. Try talking that big when I'm not cuffed to my waist."

Shijun growled and lunged for Genrou, but was stopped by Honto. "You know our orders, Shijun. He has to get to the clinic unharmed. After that, you don't have to look at his face ever again, got it?"

The errant officer nodded and sat back down, muttering, "And not a moment too soon. Those fangs are freaking me out. Like the kid's half wolf or something..."

Genrou smiled. He really liked his fangs, though he did not know exactly why his canines extended into points. They made him look a lot meaner than he really was. They also unnerved anyone who tried to intimidate him.

Soon, a large white building loomed in the distance. A sign next to it read simply "Tombiki Clinic" in black letters. After parking, the officers roughly pulled Genrou and the duffle bag holding his belongings out of the back seat and hustled him up the sidewalk leading to the door.

"I really hope that they lock your ass in a rubber room for the rest of your pathetic life," Shijun hissed just low enough for Genrou to hear as Honto pressed the call button on the door.

"Welcome to Tombiki Clinic. We trust that you found us okay?" A cheerful female voice rang out of the speaker.

"Ah, yes. We're here with the new patient..."

"Of course you are. Do come in." The door clicked and opened. Honto led the three inside, where a young blond woman in a white nurses outfit sat at the main desk. Standing next to the desk was a man just a little shorter than Genrou himself with dark hair and an eye patch covering one of his brown eyes.

"Good evening, gentlemen," the nurse's smile was blinding. "And this must be Kou Shun'u," she nodded to Genrou. "I'm Ami, head nurse of Tombiki."

The dark haired man took a step forward, extending his hand to the redhead. "I'm Ri Houjun, nice to..." He glanced at the arm cuffs attached to Genrou's waist as he raised his arms awkwardly to return the handshake, and then glared at the officers. "What the hell is this? You've got him locked up like some criminal! Take these things off him right now!"

The officers balked at the command. "But Ri-san, this punk's dangerous!" Shijun argued, "He's a murderer, for God's sake. Why don't you have more people to secure him..." He stopped as Houjun's glare hardened.

Houjun stepped forward, snatching the release papers from Honto. "You take those off him-right now. Then you apologize to him. And then you leave. Good bye."

Genrou shuddered inwardly as the officers quickly uncuffed him, dropped his duffle at his feet and shuffled out the door, muttering apologies. Once the door clicked shut, Houjun visibly sighed in relief.

"I'm sorry, Shun'u. We treat all our patients with respect, but unfortunately, we can't extend our policies outside our gates. Are you okay? How are your arms?"

Nurse Ami was already at Genrou's side checking his forearms. "Just slight a pinching, Ri-san. Nothing debilitating."

Genrou cracked his knuckles and stretched his arms. "It's okay, Ri-san. I've gotten worse treatment from cops." He took Houjun's statement and the way he handled the policemen as a hint that he could at least trust the man.

"Please, call me Houjun. I'm the peer counselor here. And let's see if you're the right patient," he glanced at the release papers. "Alright, according to this 'inventory', we're supposed to get one 18 year old male named Kou Shun'u," he looked over at Genrou, "That looks about right. Hmm, red hair and light brown eyes, that looks correct as well. Also known as Genrou." He gave him a quizzical look. "You're 'Phantasm Wolf'?"

Grinning, Genrou turned his back to Houjun and lifted the back of his shirt, revealing a pack of seven black wolves running across the small of his back. He was proud of that tattoo. It took only two months to get the way he wanted, and boy did his mother scream at the sight!

"Ah, very nice work," Houjun said as Genrou turned back around. "So that's one Genrou, two fangs, and a pack of inked wolves. The inventory matches what we got delivered, so we don't have to send you back." He grinned at Genrou, and Genrou decided that he rather liked the one-eyed man.

"So, Houjun, if I didn't match the inventory, how would you send me back? You scared those cops to death."

"Eh, I haven't scared the postman yet, so we could always stamp 'Return to Sender' on your ass and shove you through the mail slot. It'd be a tight fit though." He picked up the duffle and turned to Nurse Ami. "I'll get him settled him for the night. Would you tell Dr. Juan and Dr. Ryoji that he's arrived?"

"Sure, Houjun. They can see him tomorrow." She walked down one hall as Houjun led Genrou down another.

From the outside, Tombiki looked quite imposing, but once Genrou got inside, he noticed a definite change in the atmosphere. The walls were painted bright white with large windows revealing a large open space and a pond that reflected the pinks and purples of the dusk sky. Pictures of other landscapes dotted the walls, interspaced with doors painted the same white with blue trimmings. Each door had a brass nameplate describing the purpose of each room; "Meeting Room 1", "Meeting Room 2", "Exam Room", "Visiting Room", and "Break Room-Staff Only". A few other rooms had people's name on them-offices. As Houjun described each room, Genrou could not help but feel that he knew Houjun from somewhere. Both his smile and easygoing manner with him now and his serious and threatening manner earlier felt familiar and comforting. But where did he know this man?

Houjun stopped and turned to Genrou after the younger man had stepped on his heel for the fifth time. "Genrou, you might be excited about being here, but that's no excuse to try to run me over to get to the elevator. Is there something wrong?"

"Oh, I'm sorry, but, ah, have we met before?" Genrou stammered.

"Nope, never. But don't worry, that feeling you're getting, that deja vu, is a common symptom among Phoenix Children. Just wait until you meet the other patients. You'd think we were all long lost brothers and sisters."

"'We'? Are you..."

"A Phoenix Child? Yes, I developed my symptoms while in college, and they weren't serious enough to keep me in a hospital for too long. When Dr. Ryoji opened this place, I was first in line to continue my treatment here, as well as gain experience as a counselor."

They reached the elevator and Houjun pressed the up button to summon the car. Several seconds later, the car dinged and the doors opened. Houjun led Genrou inside and the pressed the button to the second floor. Genrou noticed that the third floor button had a keyhole next to it. His sense of curiosity kicked in, and he wondered how easy would it be to get access to that floor. If they kept it that secret, whatever was up there had to be at least interesting.

He tucked that idea into the back of his mind before continuing their conversation. "So, are you getting 'cured' here too?"

"Well, I think there really isn't a 'cure' at all. Just being able to function in the real world would be enough for some people. That I can do, but I'd rather be here helping. Dr. Ryoji believes that myself and the other Phoenix Children staff proves that his kinder method reaches that goal."

"You're not the only staff like this?"

Houjun chuckled. "You're getting shocks left and right today, aren't you? But no, I'm not the only Phoenix Child staff member here. 'Dr.' Juan Myou is Nurse Ami's assistant, given that he technically isn't a doctor yet, but he still has the gift for medicine. Sou Kishuku is the youngest staff member. He, like me, isn't affected nearly as badly as the others, and he's good with his hands, so Dr. Ryoji keeps him here as a jack-of-all-trades, handyman, technician, and security if the need ever arose. I think having us around gives the patients hope for getting better, that somebody that works here understands them."

Genrou nodded in agreement as the car dinged once again and the doors opened. For the first time in a long time, he felt comfortable talking to an authority figure. Most others after hearing of his dreams and visions, especially after his last run in with the law, where convinced that he was insane and talked down to him. This did nothing but further frustrate him, and his episodes worsened.

"Okay, welcome to your new home," Houjun announced as they left the elevator.

Genrou's eyes were assaulted by the peach walls. Ugh, he thought, who in hell decided that peach was a homey color? The doors, thankfully, were painted different colors and decorated with various posters and artwork, presumably the work of the residents within. They stopped in front of a door plastered from top to bottom with beer ads.

"For the first few weeks, new residents live with a roommate. Koji volunteered for the job this time around." He knocked twice on the door. "And it looks like he isn't inside." He pushed it open and walked inside, Genrou following.

The room sported two beds pushed against opposing walls, two dressers, two bookcases, and two desks bolted next to each other. The door faced a window, and the walls here were painted a less painful shade of white. One side was as neat as a pin, looking unlived in. The other, however, was a study in chaos, with books spilling out of one bookshelf, one dresser bulging with clothes, the bed unmade and a desk hiding under papers and books. More beer ads shared half the room's wall space with various cutouts of movie stars.

"Koji made me promise that he would contain his sprawl. I'm impressed that all of his stuff could fit into half the room." His next thought was interrupted by a knock on the door.

"Who's there?" the voice on the other side asked, and then promptly answered itself, "Why, it's Koji, the new guy's roommate. Oh really? Well, come right in! Thanks, don't mind if I do." The door opens and a young man with bluish gray hair entered the room. Genrou blinked at the strange entrance, convinced that he had just gotten set up with a real nut case. Then he blinked once again at the sheer feeling of familiarity that washed over him. It was just as Houjun said; he felt as if Koji and he knew each other, and rather well at that. It was such a distinctly tight bond that it frightened Genrou.

"Hey, Koji, this is Genrou. Genrou, this is the group's social engineer, Koji. There isn't a thing he doesn't know about everyone on this floor. I'm sure you two will get along pretty well."

Koji grinned. "Hey, Cyclops, no problem. It's dinner time soon, and I wanted to collect the new guy before then. I'll clue him in on what's what. It's about your bedtime anyway, right?"

"Yeah, you're right, I've got an early day tomorrow. I'll see you guys in the morning," he passed Genrou his duffle bag. "Don't get him into too much trouble, got it Koji?" At Koji's nod, he walked out of the door.

As the door closed, Koji extended a hand to Genrou. "Heya, bro. I've gotta admit, you're the first I've met that I've felt this close to. We had to related or something in a past life."

Genrou took the offered hand. "Past life?"

"Yeah, it's my theory about this whole Phoenix Kid thing. We're all reliving our past lives with all the dreams and the visions and stuff. And with some of us seeing the same thing, I can't see why we couldn't have all known each other."

"Really? Have you told anyone else of this theory?" Genrou placed his duffle on his bed and opened it up.

Koji flopped onto Genrou's bed. "Man, I tell everyone I meet. Am I taken seriously? Nope, it's just one of psychotic Koji's wild ideas."

Genrou became just a little more worried about his new roommate. Psychotic, he mused, this can't be good.

"And what's you're major malfunction? What brings you to fair Tombiki Clinic?"

"Well, according to the courts, I'm a lying thieving pyromaniacal," he whispered the last word, "murderer." At Koji's surprised gasp, Genrou sighed, his eyes closed to shield him from Koji's expression.

It had only been 6 months since he had tracked a potential mark into a warehouse. Once again, his parents kicked him out for the evening in fear that his violent dreams would disturb his older sisters. Lacking money and food, he was going to take care of his growling stomach the way he always did. The plan was simple, scare the mark a lot, rough him up a little, take his cash and run. The portly, disgusting man was cajoling a rather young girl into smoking something. It looked like a cigarette, but the scent was most defiantly marijuana. Genrou watched in disgust as the man began to paw at the helpless girl, feeling her up as she dizzily rocked back and forth, still clutching the joint. His vision clouded over with that all too familiar color red, and he saw in his mind's eye a vision of a girl of about the age of this one fighting the advances of another disgusting assailant. When her pleas became screaming entreaties and the joint tumbled to the floor, followed by the remains of her top, Genrou had enough. He leapt from the shadows and within seconds was punching the man in the face repeatedly. The man, shocked at the sudden attack, found himself trying to back away from the flame-haired powerhouse. He tripped over a piece of lumber and landed heavily on a saw blade, conveniently positioned to imbed itself deeply into his brain. A sudden gout of blood spayed Genrou's shirt. He turned to the girl; still sitting in the same spot he had shoved her before beating on the man. The cigarette had started a small fire out of a scrap of torn tee shirt, and she was staring at it panicked.

"Get out!" Genrou's voice snapped the girl out of her reverie, and she ran for her life out of the warehouse. Genrou stared at the flames as they slowly grew, and his red vision grew brighter. He had always been fascinated by fire, from lighting matches to watch them burn to seeing just how close he could sit next to a flame without burning his clothes. Every flame seemed to stare back at him, looking straight into his very soul. Most of his Phoenix Dreams involved him wielding flames, surrounding his body, warming but not burning him.

And now, the flames looked back, radiating a sense of justice to be done. Genrou calmly walked to the burning cloth and picked it up by a corner. In his hands, the fire became a shining beacon, a blazing holy flame to cleanse the evil that lay only a few feet away.

The police found him a few moments later watching the body of the man burn. He was still quite calm when they handcuffed him and placed him in the squad car. The man was a well-known and respected politician. The full magnitude of what he had done finally hit Genrou in the courtroom when the charges were read. He dissolved into tears when he heard the word "murder".

I didn't mean to kill him, he wept into his hands. I was just helping that girl out. What have I done?

Genrou was so distraught that he could not pronounce his plea: "guilty". The girl's testimony (which included her witnessing Genrou "glowing all red") was dismissed as at best, a stress and drug induced tale or at worst, an outright lie to keep herself out of trouble. The victim's family demanded nothing less than Genrou's death, and Genrou's own family, who already distrusted their troublemaking son, wanted nothing more to do with him.

"You were abnormal enough, and we spent way too much time and money trying to fix that," his mother snapped at their last meeting "But now you're a murderer, and I will not have a murderer in our family. I hope they bury you under the jail."

The judge assigned a 24-hour suicide watch after one too many attempts to take his own life. Genrou's heart had filled to the brim with self-loathing and despair. Any attempt to explain his visions and dreams were mostly ignored or used against him in court. It was not until Dr. Ryoji heard of the case and researched it that Genrou had even heard of the Phoenix Children, but he was relived to know that someone understood. Dr. Ryoji petitioned the court to allow Genrou to be admitted to Tombiki Clinic. The judge, seeing the solution to having another violent juvenile taking up space at the jail, agreed.

Koji tapped Genrou's shoulder, bringing him out of his stupor and back to the present time.

"Dude, I'm sorry. You don't have to tell me a damn thing. Sometimes I never know when to shut up."

Genrou slowly opened his eyes. Koji stood next to him, a look of utter concern on his face.

"For a second there you flared up all red. I got concerned. Do you do stuff like this often?"

Flare up red? , Genrou blinked at the odd description, but shrugged it off. Looks like one of his 'major malfunctions' is delusion.

Before Genrou could respond, Koji slapped his back, grinning widely. "Hey, if you were the really dangerous type, I don't think you'd be here, so you're cool in my book. There had to have been some stupid screw up with the mundanes. You know, those ignorant assholes who don't even try to understand us." Koji's stomach made its presence. "Whoa, it must be dinnertime soon. You hungry?"

Genrou's stomach responded for him. "I haven't had a bite since...I can't remember." In his depression, his desire for food waned, so he rarely ate while in custody. But here in the presence of at least two people that seem to care, his appetite has returned full force. Koji was definitely on the list of people that Genrou liked in this place.

"Great! Take off your jacket and stay awhile. Next stop is the rec room. I can introduce you to everyone before dinner."

Koji grabbed Genrou by the arm and pulled him out of the room and down the hall. The sun had long since sunk into the horizon, leaving the grassy area and pond illuminated by several lights surrounding the pond. Genrou could see figures moving near the pond, talking in groups or just walking around casually. He wondered what they could be up to after dark.

His curious question to Koji was forgotten as the blue-haired teen opened the double doors and his attention was directed to the clamor within. He heard people talking, computers beeping, and what sounded like a guitar strumming. Before he could discern where the music was coming from, a small cough in front of him caught his attention first. Looking down, he saw a small boy with brown hair and wide blue eyes looking up at them. By his looks, he could not be more than 11.

"Koji-san," he tapped at the other boy's sleeve. "It's about time you came back. Daisho and Yuuki aren't nearly the challenge you are." He then noticed Genrou looking at him. "You must be Kou Shun'u, or should I call you Genrou? I'm Ou Doukun, nice to meet you."

Genrou extended his hand, but slowly withdrew it when Doukun bowed deeply. "Hey, Genrou's fine. If you don't mind me askin', aren't you a little young to be here?"

Doukun sighed and patiently responded. "I'm 16 years old, but for reasons unknown, my growth has been stunted since I turned13. Doctors have tried everything to get my body to start growing, but they didn't even know what was causing the problem. I, and Dr. Ryoji, think that it has something to do with my Phoenix Dreams, so I became the youngest recorded case admitted to the clinic."

Genrou was dumbstruck at the boy's polite and mature demeanor. It belied his presumed age. "Umm...okay. Hey, how did you know my nickname?"

Koji laughed and patted Doukun on the back. "How'd he do it? Hell, he knew that you were coming before Houjun told me. Under this innocent facade is one shrewd hacker. He regularly gets into the clinic's records."

"Koji-san, please. You're embarrassing me." A little flush appeared on Doukun's cheeks. "Houjun also serves as the clinic's system administrator, and he let's me have a lot of access. Limited, of course, I can't change records or look into top secret patient files."

"So, Boy Genius, ready for another round before dinner?" Koji started for a table where several computers sat. Curious about what Koji was talking about, Genrou followed the two.

At the computers, a blond girl stood yelling at a blond boy. "Daisho, you idiot!" Her face was an angry purple. "We lost again! How could the two of us lose to Doukun?"

Daisho looked ready to cry. "I'm sorry Yuuki. I tried really hard not to lose this time." Both looked at Koji as he approached, and Yuuki quickly stood straight. With their similar features, it was obvious that Daisho and Yuuki were related.


"Yuuki, quit picking on Daisho, will ya? I'm here to help give Boy Genius a run for his money." Koji sat at one of the spare computers, Doukun following his movements at the opposite computer. "Fang-Boy, I'd offer you a place at the seat of battle, but all of the computers are taken for now." He grabbed his mouse and clicked at a few icons. "Everybody ready?"

"What's the game?" Genrou asked, taking a spare seat next to Doukun's computer.

"It's Warcraft III, Genrou-san, a strategy game. Feel free to watch, and I'll explain how it's played. It's a lot of fun." Doukun looked over the monitor to Koji. "Sure, I'm ready."

Genrou watched intently at the strange game. Each player chooses a certain race, and with that race, built an army to attack their enemies. Daisho, Yuuki and Koji were allies against Doukun. Doukun quickly built his army and began to march them around the land, encountering and destroying his enemy. Yuuki's forces were quickly decimated.

"Damn it!" she hissed, "Where's my back-up? Daisho?"

"Sorry," Daisho whimpered. "I'm still building my army..."

She rolled her eyes up to the heavens. "Figures, you're so slow. How about you Koji?"

"Wow, Koji, nice tactic. Attacking my home base while most of my forces are gone." Doukun grinned, "I keep forgetting to strengthen my defense."

Koji grinned right back. "Hey, I learn from the best. You kept doing that to me when we started, remember?"

"Yes, I do. Let's see how much you learned." Genrou watched Doukun move a small battalion to Koji's camp, only to be defeated by Koji's considerable defense. "Cool, Koji. I've got to get tougher, you're becoming a challenge."

"Looks fun, Fang-Boy? I can teach you how to play later, if you want."

"Oh, look. The children are playing with their toys. How quaint." A smooth, cultured voice spoke from behind them.

Koji glared at the source of the voice. "Welcome, Chuin, nice of you to come and mingle with the common folk. Where's your master?"

Standing behind Genrou was a golden eyed young man with steel colored hair done up in a high ponytail that brushed his calves. He was impeccably dressed in khakis and a button down shirt the same color as his eyes. His features almost looked too perfect, and he had an air of self-importance and tons of money.

"I am aware that I do not often lower myself so, but Saiheti-sama is occupied at the moment."

Everyone Genrou had met so far radiated a sense of positive familiarity, as if he could be friends with them. Looking at Chuin, however, filled him with so much dislike that he swallowed the urge to growl at him..

"Let me guess, is the great lover Saiheti busy trying once again to capture the heart of fair Kourin? Too bad he doesn't have a chance in hell. Poor baby, you must be so bored waiting for him." Koji leaned back into this chair, crossing his arms above his head as he taunted Chuin. Doukun, Daisho and Yuuki quietly stared forward into their
respective computer monitors. Genrou noticed from Doukun's computer that the game either had ended or was quickly turned off.

Chuin glared at the smirking teenager. "Silence, child. You do not know what you are talking about."

Koji causally stood, leaning forward on his monitor. "Oh, yes I do. If hell freezes over and Kourin does fall for Saiheti's lines, whatever will happen to you? I mean, Kourin is the one he really wants. Maybe you should rush over there and save your place as his Number One, unless you think you're not worthy anymore." His smirk widened as Chuin straightened himself up. Genrou could feel the smoldering rage emanating from Chuin. Koji was pushing one of his buttons...hard.

"I will not listen to your lies!" Chuin voice grew in volume. "I am his only Number One, you hear me, you-Saiheti-sama?" In his tirade, he did not notice the other young man approach and place a hand on his shoulder. If Chuin's style of dress and his mannerisms spoke of money, Saiheti's screamed that he was drowning in the stuff. Though he was dressed similarly to Chuin, the clothes looked as if they cost a lot more.

Chuin visibly relaxed and turned adoring eyes at the chocolate haired boy as he murmured in a voice deeper and more commanding than his own, "Of course you're my Number One, dear Chuin, but perhaps you should save that fire for later."

"But that one is being quite insulting," he pointed to Koji. "May I punish him now?"

Genrou bristled at the question, and stood up as well. Everyone else looked away from the two, but if Koji stood up to them, he was sure as hell going to watch his new friend's back.

"Chuin, fighting with those lesser than you is a great flaw. And you know how I hate flaws. Temper it now." The glare Saiheti gave his "Number One" made even Genrou cringe. The glare changed into a more genteel expression as brown eyes glanced over to the redhead, still standing ready for a fight. "Besides, there are more important things to deal with right now. Who is this?"

Before Genrou could react, Saiheti began to pace around him, leering at him like a shark watching his dinner. While Genrou was used to the occasional double glance from both men and women alike, this scrutiny annoyed him. And while his personal tastes were for men (a major issue with his parents if there ever was one), snobby bishonen assholes were not top of his list. These two had superiority complexes that he could not believe.

Chuin stopped pouting look enough to also circle Genrou. "Yes, Saiheti-sama, he is delicious," he purred.

Clenching his fists, Genrou growled, "Hey! You gonna drool over me like I'm a fucking porterhouse steak, or are you going to have some manners and introduce yourselves?"

Chuin nearly swooned. "Those fangs, my goodness. The fangs are a nice touch." He reached out to touch Genrou's mouth, and almost lost a few fingers when Genrou snapped back.

"Ah, he is a feisty one, just as redheads usually are. I like a little fire." Saiheti raised his hand to touch the red locks, but thought better of it after seeing Genrou's reaction to Chuin and dropped his hand. "But he is right. To admire such beauty without an introduction is simply rude. Chuin, introduce us."

Chuin smiled at Saiheti, turned to Genrou, opened his mouth to speak, and suddenly slammed it shut. "Forgive me Saiheti-sama, but I do not know his name." He snapped his fingers in Koji's direction and demanded, "You, introduce us!"

Genrou had reached his snob limit. "Excuse me, but I can introduce myself, you pompous ass! The name's Genrou."

The wave of rage returned and Chuin sputtered, "Pompous? You would do best to learn your station, maggot!"

The anger in his eyes instantly turned into calm as Saiheti placed another restraining hand on his arm. "Gently now, dear Chuin. He is beautiful, but a mite too," he looked at Genrou once again, "rough. Come, let us leave the dog with his pack. They seem to have accepted him as such." With a guiding hand, Saiheti led them away.

The others surrounding the computers were relieved.

"Whew," Yuuki sighed. "You've got balls, Genrou."

Daisho nodded. "I thought only Koji and Kourin could talk to them like that."

"That's only because you guys let them suck you into this stupid hierarchy bullshit from day one. Just because their folks have money doesn't make 'em better then anyone here. Me and Kourin never put up with it, though of course, their reactions to us are totally different. They hate my guts, but," his voice changed to a mock-cultured tone, "Simply adore the fair Kourin."

The others laughed at Koji's dead on imitation. Still chuckling, Genrou asked, "So, who's Kourin?"

Koji smacked his forehead with the flat of his hand. "Oh geez, what a fine social engineer I am." He walked around the table and motioned Genrou to follow. "Come on, buddy, and allow me to do my job and introduce you to the best looking sight in this gods-forsaken place. Well, best looking patient anyway."

"Who the best looking staff then? Nurse Ami?"

"Sure, if you like 'em blond and busty. I'm talking about ol' Cyclops himself. People are always crushing on him. Yuuki has it the worst right now. Just look at her whenever he's in the room. She lights up like a Christmas tree, and is even nice to her little brother Daisho. Even Nurse Ami can't concentrate when she works with him. Must be that sexy, sexy eye patch."

Genrou smirked to himself. He also thought the counselor was handsome, though he could not see himself reacting as severely as Yuuki.

" How'd he get it? The eye patch, I mean."

Koji stopped near the door. "Bought it for about 5 bucks," he laughed and ducked Genrou's playful swat. "Hey, I just spared you one of his worst jokes. But seriously, he's frank about the subject. He got his first Phoenix Dream freshman year of college, and it was so bad that he tried to gouge out that eye while sleepwalking. His family stopped him then, but soon they had to lock up all the sharp stuff when he kept trying. And it was just the right eye, never the left. He says that his dreams made him feel that it shouldn't be there, though he couldn't guess why. Unfortunately, not all that locking up mattered; he broke a glass bottle and slashed himself up real good. He woke up in the hospital and his dad had to donate blood to make up for what he lost. The eye is safe, according to the doctors, but the scar closed it up and won't heal. He wears the patch to keep from freaking people out. Strangely enough, he never had a dream that bad, hasn't slept-walked, and just doesn't have the desire to put out the eye anymore. Go figure." Koji pointed left of where they were standing. "And now, I present to you, the fair Miss Kourin."

Genrou followed the finger to a girl sitting cross-legged and barefoot on a couch, thoughtfully strumming an acoustic guitar. Thick purple hair flowed down her shoulders and back. She wore a black sundress and a deep red sweater, and a tiny beauty mark sat below her left eye. Gold studs flashed from her ears, and her red-stained lips pursed together as she looked at the sheet music in front of her. Genrou found himself grudgingly agreeing with Koji. The girl was the best looking sight he had seen so far. His body also agreed with that assessment, much to his surprise as he shifted slightly in his jeans.

But that's not right, he thought. Oh great, just as soon as I get this sexuality thing figured out, I had to meet her. This is just perfect.

At Genrou's prolonged gaze, Koji smirked. "Don't let the first glance fool you. Kourin is spunk in high heels. After your earlier performance with Saiheti, I think you two will get along just fine. Let's say hello."

At their approach, Kourin, not looking up, snapped, "For the last time, Saiheti, take your affections and shove them up Chuin's ass, for all I care! Can't I finish a piece of music without you bugging--" She looked up, blinked, and smiled brightly at the two. "Oh, hello Koji dear!"

"Hiya cutie. I want you to meet the new guy. Genrou, this is Chou Kourin. Kourin, Genrou."

The minute Kourin's rose-colored eyes met Genrou's amber ones, a wave of pure emotion washed over him. It was more familiar than the reaction he had felt meeting any of the other Phoenix Children, and stronger than any emotion he had ever felt before. It was love, friendship, trust, and hope all rolled into one staggering, mind-blowing "thing". He felt that he should know this girl's very soul, and she his. The rush was dizzying; he had to close his eyes for a moment to steady himself before remembering his manners and extending a hand. "H-hi."

Kourin looked equally affected as she took the offered hand. "Nice to meet you."

Koji put his hand over his heart, shuddering for a moment. "Whew! I haven't felt sparks like that since Chuin's last scary dream. You two had to be lovers or something long ago."

"Koji!" Kourin swung a fist in his direction, her blush creeping to her ears. "That's a little much, don't you think?"

Genrou rubbed the back of his head, still blushing. "I mean, I'm kinda more into guys than girls. No offense, Kourin, you're really pretty..."

Koji and Kourin both shared at Genrou for a moment, then burst into laughter. Genrou promptly stopped babbling. He was just a tad embarrassed at admitting his preferences to people he just met, and he hoped that the laughter was not mocking.

"Oh man! Fang-Boy, you are a cut up." Koji gasped for breath. "This is your lucky day."

"What?" Genrou asked, slightly annoyed. Kourin smothered her laughter into her sweater sleeve and looked up to Genrou.

"We haven't gotten any new people in so long, I'd complexly forgot how well I pass. I'm a guy Genrou, just like you."

Genrou's mind sighed in relief, thankful that he had not gone suddenly straight. His member, on the other hand, hardened even more at the thought. He quickly sat down, crossing his legs to hide his apparent arousal.

"Wow, you really do pass. Wait, does Saiheti know that you're not really a girl?"

Kourin sighed. "Does he know? Yes. Does he care? No. As a matter of fact, it's even more of a draw to him. He can brush up on is 'chivalry' or something. Whatever floats his boat." "He" looked once again at the sheet music, writing in a few more notes.

"How's the song going?" Koji sat on the couch on the other side of Kourin to get a better look.

"It sucks. Why on earth did I tell Houjun that I always wanted to learn how to play guitar. Now I'm stuck with writing this damn song. Were this a piano, I could do this with my hands tied behind my back."

Koji lightly thumped Kourin on the head, smirking. "Now, now, Kourin. Houjun didn't give you anything you couldn't handle. Just take your time."

Before Genrou could ask for details about Kourin's project, the glass doors opened and Nurse Ami stuck her head inside.

"All right everyone. Time for dinner."


(r)(r)(r)(r)(r)(r)(r)

In the elevator, Sou Kishuku sighed deeply. He appreciated Dr. Ryoji's help in controlling his Dreams. The anger management training helped him feel much more balanced and in control. And when Dr. Ryoji offered him a job here, he willingly took it. He worked with sentries to maintain a secure environment and did the occasionally odd job; using his hands for something productive made him feel great. Most importantly, the paychecks he sent to his family really made him feel like a useful son. Maybe they'll come visit him one day.

But this one job he hated more than anything. He was one of the few people with access to the third floor, and it was for this reason. He was trusted with the basic care of the clinic's most secluded patient. As nighttime fell, it was time for her hourly tranquilizer. The dose was higher than usual; Dr. Ryoji said that she might become even more upset this evening. Kishuku did not ask why, the doctor was usually right about these things.

"Remember to steel your heart when you see her, Kishuku," he advised right before his first round three years ago. "Her psychotic delusions are strong, you may get caught in them. Do not speak too much to her, or you will further stir her madness."

The few times that he did not heed the doctors warning led to his Dreams worsening. He would wake up with every breakable in the room smashed into pieces and his knuckles bleeding with visions of her still lingering in his mind. He kept this reaction in mind every round he did.

The elevator door opened with a ding, and Kishuku took very careful quiet steps to his patient's door. The little window revealed the brunette looking away from the door, her chest hitching a bit with what he thought where tiny sobs. He wanted to enter quickly, before she looked to see who was entering. The door was not completely soundproof. He unlocked the door and stepped in without incident.

Their eyes locked as the door shut behind him. It was the same sad sight every time; the young woman strapped to the bed, the IV dripping into her left arm, the frantic, desperate look in her eyes, and that name that she kept calling him.

"Tamahome?" she muttered muzzily. "Help me, please. We've got to get out of here."

Silently, Kishuku injected the syringe into her IV tube. If she does get upset, she would be too tired to scream.

"...No...Tama...please..." Her eyes fluttered, flashed, and then flew wide open. "Wait...Tasuki...they've got Tasuki here too..." She began to struggle under her bonds.

"Miaka," Kishuku gently warned. "Don't get yourself so worked up. Just relax and get some sleep."

"Don't you see, Tama-chan? Please, koibito...we're all here. Why can't any of you remember? Why!"

A flash of pain briefly clenched his heart. His resolve was becoming harder and harder to keep up. He shook the pain off and turned to the door. "Good night, Miaka."

"Don't go!" she wailed, "Please! Tamahome, please don't leave me alone again!"

The pain returned, harder this time, and he quickly left that room, locking the door that barely masked her sorrowful cries.

"TAMA! TASUKI! HELP ME!"

(r)(r)(r)(r)(r)(r)

From a monitor several rooms away, Dr. Ryoji watched Miaka intently. His lips curled into a smile as she cried out endlessly, her voice once again cracking.

So this is the last one, he thought. Excellent. You have done me proud, Miaka. Soon, I will unlock the secret you keep inside.