Hello. :]

hahaha, i know it's kinda late but i love your fic.

so much love going on. and i ended up in tears.

I can't believe this story doesn't have more reviews. I'd say your first forray into angst was definately successful, it had me in tears so much. Then again I cry at the slightest provocation, too involved with the characters.. Not that tha's a bad thing..

Every death had me crying, they were all beautifully written carrying the emotions of the person and the people around them. Plus you somehow managed to pretty much stick to cannon.

Writing in so many different views is hard, I've tried, so I'll congratulate you for doing that well too.

The funny moments were perfect too. My favourite scenes are the scenes where Chiri is woken by the Nyans and of course the one where he yells at Tasuki. I'll smile whenever I think of those, and add to how weird my friends think I am..

I don't know if you're even gonna get this, it's been so long, but I'll leave it anyway so you know just how much your story meant, and means, to me. Arigato for a fantastic story and I wish you well in future works.

Mary.

This story was beautifully done! So much emotion and in such a unique format. It wasn't confusing at all! Good work!

Yes, the ending is just as wonderful and emotional as I remembered from a few months ago. I really feel both uplifted and drained at the same time. But I will tell you what my favorite line is - it comes in this chapter:

Healing doesn't happen in a day, or a month, or even a year. It's so much more than that, so much more? complex and convoluted and confusing than simply crying. I would be all right. But not for awhile.

This is Kaze-chan, isn't it? Your wisdom, your hard-won insight. Thank you for sharing that clear vision and painfully gained empathy with us, your readers. As I've said to you before - see you at Border's in a few years. Kanshin!

Well, I'm finally back - and I'm so glad I fought to get back here. Yet another amazing, stunning, emotional chapter, Kaze-chan. If I write about EVERYTHING in this chapter that impreesed me, I'll be stuck at work till midnight. So I'm leaving a somewhat abbreviated review:

Fisrt of all - the originality of many of your emotional scenes, depicting unforgettable, wrenching images that will always stay with me whenever I think of the anime, even though these scenes are NOT in the show: 1) Tama-neko's misery at Mitsukake's burial and Chichiri's decision to keep the cat, not "for" Mitsukake but rather to keep part of Mitsukake with him 2) Hotohori running through the palace, past his servants, in grief and rage, only to end up at the graves of his fellow seishi 3) Chichiri's explosion at Tasuki when Tasuki disregards his request to watch over Hotohori 4) Chichiri bolting out of the infirmary in a panic when he feels Hotohori's rage; Tasuki also getting hit with that same emotion (seishi bonds!) You also depicted hotohori's thoughts and emotions at the end with additional layers that added greatly to the already emotional scene from the anime.

I also loved your contrast (in two separate sections but I still caught it!) of Tasuki's joy in battle, feeling that this is the fulfillment of his training, and caring only that his own men and Hotohori are safe versus Hotohori's loathing of the death, destruction and brutality of the battlefield.

As for your physical descriptions... my God! HOWWWWW did you ever visualize that striking image of the dead, brown, beaten earth of the battlefield yielding to the green grass of the area where Hotohori finally confronts Nakago? Simply amazing!

I need to finish this fic so that I can move onto "It was a normal day..." but I just have one thing to say at the end of this oh-so-emotional and evocative fic... When I grow up, I want to write as well as Kaze-chan.

Oh...my...God...I'm in tears again. Finally got some time in the lab to get back to this story and...wow! This chapter is even MORE exciting and traumatic than I remembered from reading it a few months ago. I cannot believe how you could POSSIBLY know so much about describing warfare and strategy - my heart was pounding even though I already knew how things would turn out! Kaze-chan, you make me wish that we could submit this story to Watase-san, and have these scenes added to the FY story - it would take it from a very good story to a brilliant one, this part being just so much more exciting and overwhelmingly emotional than watching Tamahome learn to ride electric trains in Tokyo!

I love all of your interpretations of the characters here - yes, Tasuki would make a brilliant general, Chichiri a great doctor, and Mitsukake a formidable warrior. The scene with Kouji was also great - a much-needed light touch! And the nick-of-time appearance of the Mt. Reikaku bandits - much more exciting than in the anime!

And Mitsukake at the end - what a fantastic way to portray not only WHY he sacrificed himself but also HOW - having to get his body out of the way of blocking his seishi power...my God, brilliant! Yes, I know I've used that word too much here, but I can't honestly think of any other!

As I read the Mitsukake-Chichiri relationship, I wonder if this influenced my depiction of them in White Stones O.o;; I'm sure it did...like I said, I have a vacuum mind. Thank you then...not only for this wonderful ride through this movie-like scene, but also for your unconscious help!

That's so sad! *sniffs* But the ending was so cute...great job. I really liked

it.

OMG... That had to be the most beautiful fic ever... I cried so much. I'm having trouble seeing the keyboard becuase of my tears... And my sleeves are all wet from wiping them away... *sob* Hotohori... I haven't seen the anime and that part hasen't come out yet in the manga... He's my favorite and it's just hard to believe he's dead... I cried when I found out about Nuriko's death, too...

Amy

p.s. I knew Hotohori died before I read this fic, but it just seems so much more REAL when you're reading it in a story then when you hear spoilers.

Whew! Okay...one of my dear friends walked into the lab just at the point where they had uncovered Nuriko's body - and it was all I could do to keep from screaming in frustration! So I made polite small talk for awhile, trying to keep my face from saying "Leave, Leave, LEAVE!" - and this is a person whom I love dearly. That's what sort of hold this story has on me.

First of all, I like the surprisingly humorous beginning to this chapter, with the nyans waking everybody (esp. Chichiri and Tasuki!) Mitsukake and Hotohori were appropriately serious, though. Next, and I meant to mention this on the Chapter 1 review, I really REALLY like the "shifting POV" approach. One of the things I enjoy most is starting to read a new POV and trying to figure out who it is. It makes me realize (especially in the Mits POV at the beginning of this chapter) how certain emotions could belong to ANY one of the four seishi in this story, then segues into the particular POV of that certain character, drawing on his past experiences. Very Well Done! It takes great insight into the characters to successfully pull this off.

Finally (only because this review is getting kind of long), the disinterrment of Nuriko's body was a tense and heart-breaking scene. I could totally identify with the seishi's need to get Nuriko out of there - but you also managed to convey some of the dread and grief at what they were afraid they might see. And it's funny - I sighed with relief that his body was still perfect, but it made his re-interrment that much more difficult. And the scene with Houki touching his hair-okay, I have to stop and get a kleenex now!

Whew. I'm back now. As you can tell, that touched me deeply - and I never really particularly liked Houki before, not even in OVA 2. But Nuriko and Houki must have known each other in the concubine quarters, right? I'm curious as to what your theory is on that possible relationship.

Now that I've written a chapter-length review for this one chapter, all I can say is that I'll definitely be back for Ch. 3,4,&5 - and I'm locking my door next time!

I finished this, and just want to say that this story made me fill my trashcan with tissues. I love this... it's so... I don't know. I just loved this. It was writen so well... and them going up to get Nuriko's body was very well done, and creative idea. Just... this is very nice. Please continue writing.

Okay, I know that this review is very late, but I'm going to write it anyway. I had first read this fic a couple of months ago (only the first 2 chapters) and I was very impressed but I didn't really know the review process on ff.net at that time. So I'm going to review each chapter as I re-read it. First of all...the atmosphere: Very, VERY evocative. Sad and desperate and hopeful all at once. A very realistic depiction of what might have been going on in Konan while Tamahome was learning about high speed trains and seeking his reflection. The grief and desperate resolve of the remaining four seishi in the middle of a war that they know they can't win. Finally having the time to grieve for Nuriko and Chiriko, then coming up with a mission that is important, depressing, and possibly awful all at the same time. The feelings reverberate in me, and I'm surprised at feeling just as sad now as when I watched the Nuriko episode - even though I know how the series will end! A wonderful and insightful story - I look forward to the next chapters (which I will review as I find time.) Thank you.

WAIWAIWAI! *dances around Chibified* it's finished! it's finished! that was such a good epilogue too! *sniffles ;_;* congratulations, I'm soirry I don't have critiscism for this story, but it's so hard to criticize something you love

Wow, that's all I can say about this...it made me cry! *sniffles* And seriously too...the keys on the damn key board are wet..._

I feel like a bum for not reviewing this earlier. A friend recommended your fic to me and when I started reading it I realized that I'd already read most of it. Of course, it seems like it'd been a while since I read the earlier chapters so I read the entire thing to get the real feel of it. I should be doing my homework, but when a story as great as this is finished, what self respecting fanfic lover doesn't take the time to read and enjoy? Thank you for writing this Kaze-chan! The time period of the series that you expound on is one of the most heart wrenching parts of the series. (next to Nuriko's death, of course) The pain and suffering and loss... you brought them all together with this fic. Excellent work!

That was too sad... It was perfect. Just a perfect example of what a good drama should be. The relationships were real and it moved me to tears each and every time you intended it to. I can't say how much this story rocked, it was so good. This has to be one of the best ones I've ever read here. That was really just too awesome for words, plus I'm a sucker for tear jerkers. Damn, you can write...