A/N: I finally had some outside input on these earlier chapters!! I just realized how much these chapters needed work. Be advised that I will be taking down some chapters and revising them.
Disclaimer: I wish I had thought of the idea, then I would've owned Tasuki and then Miaka wouldn't have been with Tamahome…wanders off about the changes I would make
Prologue: Can this day get any longer?
It was a fairly hot and humid day in the kingdom of Konan. Emperor Saihitei, himself was having a hard time focusing on the tasks at hand. Right now he was listening to two nobles quibbling over a boundary line. 'Can this day get any longer?' the emperor thought to himself. Just as the emperor stifled a yawn and thought about dismissing the case; a beam of red light cascaded down behind the nobles. Emperor Saihitei stood up, startling the nobles.
"Your majesty?" they questioned. When he didn't answer they just turned and followed his gaze to the beam of red light. A fallen form of a young woman was descending slowly; bathed in its red glow. The nobles saw the red light, murmured quietly and bowed their heads. The emperor gasped as he saw the young woman's face and quickly descended to the floor.
At this precise moment, okay wait a minute, so maybe not at this precise moment, maybe 15 minutes prior to the scene in Konan. A young woman named Nina was going through her mother's library. Not to borrow a book mind you, but packing the books for storage. Nina's mother had died two years ago when she was 15. Nina spent two years telling the court system to fuck off. She didn't want to go to some orphanage, Lia could watch over her. Lia was like an aunt to her. The court system held fast to their decision and was sending her to the orphanage; to the system she was just another minor. Nina looked over at a framed photograph of her and her mother. 'Who ever thought.' She wondered.
It was the heaviness of the book that brought Nina back to reality. 'Cool I didn't know Mom knew Chinese…Hmm…The Universe of the Four Gods.' Wait, she didn't know a word of Chinese. She was surprised that the characters on the book cover came easily to her. She quickly checked it again, 'Yeup, the Universe of the Four Gods.' Nina opened to the first page; "This is the legend of the Suzaku no Miko, destined to bring peace to the lands of Konan. Who ever reads this obtains the powers of the Miko. The legend itself is an incantation. Once the reader turns the page, the story begins and becomes truth." Nina hesitated and then turned the page; a red beam of light engulfed her before she had a chance to scream; sending her into the Universe of the Four Gods.
Chapter One: Decisions Decisions
Nina groaned a little when someone started shaking her. When the shaking persisted, she pushed the heel of her hand into a nose; a defense move her mother taught her long ago. Nina opened her eyes to see a richly dressed figure with a bloody nose looking at her with concern and confusion. Nina's eyes widened as she saw the bloody nose.
"I am so sorry I did that!" she exclaimed, looking into a pair of amber eyes.
"It's quite alright," the young man smiled back as he held a portion of his sleeve to his nose, giving his voice a nasal sound. His kind amber eyes sparkled in between his silky strands of ebony hair. She could see the corners of his gentle smile.
"Umm…can I ask you a question?" Nina asked.
"Yes?" the emperor said as he pulled his sleeve away from his nose.
"Who are you? Where am I? Are you going to be okay? Sometimes I don't know my own strength." She asked in a rush.
The young man laughed, "My name is Emperor Saihitei, you are in the kingdom of Konan, and the bleedings stopped, so I should be fine. Can I ask you some questions?"
"Sure," she replied.
"What is your name? Where are you from? Will you be the Suzaku no Miko?"
"My name is Hokusai Nina, I'm from California and yes I will become the…" she trailed off as her brain kicked into overdrive. Pieces of the Universe of the Four Gods came back to her…"The story itself is an incantation…Once the reader turns the page, the story begins and becomes truth."
"Does this mean I'm in the book world?" she asked as she spoke her thoughts out loud.
"Book world, what do you mean, 'book world'?"
Sensing his confusion she switched into safer topics. "Umm…I'd like to know what I'm up for with all due respect, Your Majesty."
With a wave of his hand, he had dismissed the entire court, leaving Nina and himself alone to discuss the duties of the Suzaku no Miko.
"There is a legend of the Suzaku no Miko that says someone from a foreign world would come to this world and gather the seven constellations of Suzaku, once done she would call upon Suzaku and he would grant her three wishes. All will be well. Now knowing that you are from this place called kal-ee-for-nee-ia, it sounds like you are the one we have been waiting for."
Nina smiled and shook her head at his pronunciation of her home state, but didn't bother correcting him. They had come to a stop in front of a very ancient looking chest with a phoenix carved in it. Ruby eyes gave it a regal air. The young emperor opened the chest carefully and reached in for an ancient looking scroll.
"This," he said, handing Nina the tattered scroll, "is Konan's copy of the Universe of the Four Gods given to us by Taitskun."
Nina looked at him strangely, "Who is this Tay-uts-kuun?" She asked, struggled not to sound as foolish as she felt.
"Taitskun is the creator of this world." He said simply as if this explained everything.
Nina felt a bit confused by the mentioning of the deity, and decided to concentrate on the scroll in her hands, "Wow," she breathed, "what does it contain?"
His golden amber eyes smiled, "The scroll contains the legend of the Suzaku no Miko in its entirety and gives you clues as to where to and sometimes how to find the Suzaku Seishi.
"Clues?" she scrunched her eyebrows together in thought.
"Yes, clues, the Suzaku Seishi don't just come out of the wood work you know, you have to look for them."
She smiled and blushed, 'Duh, why didn't I think of that?'
Later that evening Nina was attempting to tame her unruly wavy hair. She had no brush handy and could not find a brush in the room she was staying in. Nina didn't realize she left the door open and was grumbling out loud about her hair, "Stupid hair; why can't you corporate?"
"Do you need help?" a voice softly asked from the doorway. Nina whirled to face the newcomer, violet hair and eyes setting off her cream complexion.
She blushed and asked, "Do you have a brush?"
The young woman giggled slightly, "No, I don't have a brush, but I might have some combs that might help, "as she began to look through her robe. "Ah, here they are! Here," she said as she deftly picked up Nina's hair and twirled it and placed the combs to secure it.
Nina twirled slowly in front of the mirror, but could only catch glimpses of her hair. She smiled and nodded her approval. "What's your name? Thanks for helping me with my hair; can you show me how to do that?"
"It's just a simple trick; I can show you easily after dinner. My name is Lady Kourin, and you are?"
"My name is Hokusai Nina."
Lady Kourin peered into Nina's eyes, "You remind me of somebody vaguely, I just can't put my finger on it."
Nina smiled, "People say I look like a goddess", she said as she drew herself up, regal and tall.
The two linked arms and giggled like old friends and strolled down to dinner. Once they were seated and in the presence of the emperor, he asked a question of Nina.
"Will you be my Suzaku no Miko?"
Back in Nina's world Lia and Nina's best friend, Ryuen were looking for her. They had wandered into the library calling, "Nina…Nina, where are you?" It was Lia who spotted the open book on the desk, she put a finger to hold the place and looked at the cover; a small gasp escaped her lips. She beckoned Ryuen to take a look at the book. His hazel eyes scanned the page and widened. His deft fingers flipped to the front of the book, the first page fluttered lightly. His chocolate brown hair whipped around his lean face as he read the first page: "This is the legend of the Seiryu no Miko, destined to bring peace to all land. Whoever reads this gains omnipotent powers. The legend itself is an incantation. Once the page has turned, the story begins and becomes truth." Ryuen turned the page intrigued. A blaze of blue light captured him and was gone.
Lia was left standing there alone, astonished at what had just happened. She saw the picture of Nina and her mother, "Not again" she whispered. She ran her fingers over Nina's teal streaked hair and green eyes.