AN: Well I had to start writing this story. I love this Anime. Enjoy!
Disclaimer: All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. The original characters are the property of the author. The author is in no way associated with the owners, creators, or producers of any media franchise. No copyright infringement is intended.
"Hikari if you don't come down here this instant you'll be grounded from the phone for a week, do you hear me young lady!"
"I'm coming mom."
"Well it better be now because if your father shows up and you're not ready…….."
"I know" The 13 year-old bounded down the stairs. "Dad will be mad, then you two will fight. See look I'm ready." Hikari motioned to her packed bag.
Miaka closed her eyes and sighed. Her daughter had grown up so fast she couldn't even believe it. "Alright, now be good for your father." She now gave the blooming teenager a questioning look.
"Yes mom" Hikari brushed past her and headed for the door. "I'll see you Sunday night, Love you."
"Hikari don't forget to…." But she had already disappeared out the door. "She's just like her father." Miaka shook her head.
Hikari let out a sigh of relief hearing the door close behind her. She only got one weekend a month with her father, but she knew if she lingered to long with her mother she wouldn't want to leave, not when things were going so bad for her them.
Hearing an approaching car, she ran to the end of the drive. Seeing the familiar car come into view brought a smile to her face. But as the car came to a halt in front of her the smile faded, an unknown woman sat in the passenger seat and smiling like a school girl.
"Hikari?" Taka set his hand on his daughters shoulder.
Hikari broke her gaze from the woman and looked up at her father. She didn't even see him get out of the car. "Who's she?" She asked not even bothering to say hello.
"She's a friend of mine." Taka gave a thin smile at the forwarded ness of the teenager.
"Why is she here?"
"You must be Hikari." The woman's voice sent shivers through her body. "I've waited so long to meet you. Your father never told me you were such a pretty young lady." She gave a huge smile. Hikari groaned inwardly at the mushy statement. "My name's Mia it's a pleasure to meet you." The woman held out her perfectly manicured hand.
"Whatever." Hikari muttered and passed the woman and climbed into the back seat. She couldn't watch as her father said some encouraging words before they returned to the car.
No one said a word making the atmosphere tense. Finally Taka cleared his throat. "So, how's school going?" He looked at Hikari in the review mirror who was gazing out the window.
"Fine"
"Good. Your doing good on the basketball team?"
"Basketball doesn't start for another 3 weeks dad." Hikari said irritated. Really the man didn't have to force conversation from her. She saw Mia set her hand on Taka's thigh giving a small squeeze to reassure him.
"Mom's doing okay too you know." Hikari caught the look on his face in the review mirror. "You always ask so I thought I would tell you. Of course she's working a lot at the office lately and we haven't been able to spend a lot of time together. She comes home so tired sometimes she falls asleep on the couch and………."
"Hikari why don't we stop by and grab something to eat for dinner." Taka interrupted taking hold of the hand that Mia was slowly withdrawing from his thigh.
"What was that all about?" Taka demanded following Hikari into her room.
"What was what all about?" Hikari plopped her bag down before falling onto her bed.
"All that stuff about your mother. What made you think Mia really wanted to hear any of that?"
"I thought Mia was just a friend." Hikari said sarcastically, pushing on her elbows to look at her dad.
Taka shook his head. "Mia is very important to me. You have to understand that daddies going to….."
"Oh please" Hikari rolled her eyes. "I'm not a kid anymore dad. I know what kind of friend Mia is. What else is there to understand? She must be pretty special since she's the first woman of yours that I've met."
Taka pursed his lips. He never remembered his daughter being mouthy towards him like this before. "Good. Then you will do well to remember to watch your tongue when she's around. Also you better lose this attitude of yours because unlike your mother I won't put up with it."
Hikari sat up on the bed and turned her gaze on her father. "I'm sorry father. But moms important to me you know. And I don't like to see her suffer like this."
"Suffer?" Taka questioned showing some concern. "What do you mean your mother's suffering?"
"Taka can you help me for a second." Mia called from the kitchen.
"I'll be right there" Taka called back. "We'll finish this discussion later" He told Hikari before exiting.
"No we won't" Hikari muttered to herself falling back down onto the bed again. With Mia around all the time, she was never going to get a word about her mom. Miaka's been working 12 hours a day 6 days a week to earn money. She could still remember how upset her mother was when the letter from the bank came. She never saw her mother cry like that. It was like years of agony finally poured out.
Hikari was determined to tell her father they needed money before they lost their home. And this was supposed to be the weekend she was going to tell him. But with this development things weren't going to go as smoothly as she thought.
"Keisuke quit worrying so much." Miaka told her brother over the phone. "Really everything's fine."
"You know I worry about you." Keisuke sounded genuinely concerned.
Miaka gave a small laugh. "You shouldn't be worrying about me. What about you and Mayo? Your third child is due any day now. So quit worrying about your little sister I can take of things myself. Ok? Now I got to go so send Mayo and the munchkins my love. Bye."
She could faintly hear Keisuke talking as she hung up the phone. She felt bad for rushing her brother like that but she really didn't want to talk right now. The last two months have been hard, first the bank threatening to take the house, then seeing Taka with another woman today just took its toll.
It's been almost six years since they've been apart but it was still hard. And she couldn't help but ask herself why she wasn't good enough for him. The doorbell suddenly broke her thoughts. She wondered who would be on a Friday afternoon. Opening the door she was surprised to see a man standing there with a small package.
"I have a package here for Miaka Yuuki. If you'll please sign here." He held up a clip board.
"A package? From who?" She signed on the line he had instructed.
"Don't know ma'am" He handed her the package. "I just deliver them." She watched the man get into his truck before closing the door and returning her attention to the brown paper wrapped package in her hand.
She looked at the address, it was surely hers but there was no return address. "I wonder who sent it." Carefully she ripped the paper. Her breath caught in her throat and her heart raced when she saw the old familiar bindings of red book. Her hand stilled. "It couldn't be." He stared wide eyed at the half wrapped book. There was just no way.
"Miaka" A voice called out to her, causing her to drop the book. It was definitely the voice of the god Susaku. "Return to me Miaka"
"Hello?" Taka answered his cell phone irritated. Hikari hasn't spoken to him since she got here yesterday and he was seriously growing tired of it.
"Taka? It's me Keisuke."
"Keisuke? Is something wrong?" Taka questioned, he knew Keisuke hasn't been happy with him since him and Miaka divorced.
"I don't know." Worry was evident in his voice. "I've been trying to reach Miaka since last night I haven't been able to get through to her on her cell phone or the house phone. I was hoping you or Hikari have heard from her."
"No I haven't. I don't think Hikari has either."
"I see" Keisuke sounded even more worried and growing anxious. "You wouldn't be able to go check her house would you? I would, but being a 2 hour drive away and with Mayo due any day now I don't dare leave."
"Sure. Me and Hikari will….."
"No don't take Hikari with you."
"Why not?" Taka was beginning to worry him self.
Keisuke was silent for a moment before speaking. "Taka, Miaka been going through some hard times right now. I'm just worried about her."
Taka now remembered his conversation with Hikari the day before. The one he said they would finish and they never did. "What's going on? What's happened?"
"You don't know? The bank is threatening to foreclose on the house if Miaka can't come up with the money. She's been working nonstop. And she won't accept any help from me. If she keeps going like she has, she'll work herself into an early grave."
Taka felt his chest tighten. Why didn't he know about this till now? He surely would have helped. She so stubborn she would have never accepted it. "I'll go over now and call you back."
"Thank Taka. Don't tell Hikari, I don't want her to worry anymore then she already is."
"Yeah" Taka hung up the phone and quickly grabbed his keys. "Mia I'm going to the store, I'll be back soon. Tell Hikari we're going out for dinner tonight." Without waiting for an answer he was out the door.
Taka pulled into the drive and jumped out. Racing to the door he gave a loud knock calling out to her. With no answer he tried the doorknob. To his surprise it was unlocked. He opened the door calling her name again. That's when he saw the book lying open on the floor. His heart almost stopped and his breath caught in his throat. It can't be possible.
He slowly walked over to it and crouched down picking it up with shaky hands. Sure enough it was the book he had believed to have been destroyed. He turned the first page and dropped to his knees as he read the first sentence.
The priestess of Susaku answered the God's call and returned to the land of Konan.
He dropped the book, struggling to think straight. He grabbed his phone, Keisuke answered on the first ring.
"Taka, is she ok?" Keisuke asked hoping for good news.
"Keisuke, the book. She's gone back into the book."
AN: Hope it was good. Please review, let me know what you think. Till next time. Luv Ya