"What Now?"
By: JediMadchen86
If anyone looked at Alexisa Nichols, most people would think that she was an ordinary girl. They would not think that she was destined for great things, she did not even know herself.Alexisa seemed like any other high school student. She stood about 5'7 and had long jet-black hair that reached to the small of her back, brown eyes with a small amount of red in them, by the irises. Alexisa skin tone was not what most people would love but she was not most people, her skin tone was from her mother and she loved it, her skin was very pale and contrasted to her jet-black hair. Just like any other high school kid she had her fair share of troubles, the usual grades, teachers, but one thing was missing from her life. She had been living with her Aunt in the United States until she moved to Tokyo to be with her brother and his wife. He was a professor at a nearby University and wanted Alexisa to come live with him. So she packed up her life in the U.S and moved around the world to Tokyo to be with her brother. After moving to Tokyo. Alexisa convinced her brother Lee to let take Martial Arts lessons. He protested but he saw how much Alexisa loved the lessons so he let them continue. Alexisa soon became a black belt; she is now 17 years old and attends Jonan High School. Since she had progressed so far she now taught at the school where she took lessons. It seemed like Alexisa had finally found happiness or had she.
Alexisa walked home from her Martial Arts class like she did every other day, she reached her apartment and started to make dinner for Lee and his wife Madison. As she began to set the table the phone began to ring.
"Hello."
"Hey, Alexisa. It's Keisuke your brother's friend."
"Hi. What can I do for you?"
"Is Lee home yet, I really need to talk to him about something."
"No, he is still at the university. Can I take a message?"
"Could you tell him that I need to talk to him about a certain book."
"Sure, what book," said Alexisa grabbing from a pen a paper beside the phone
"Actually just tell him to call me ok."
"Sure thing. Bye," said Alexisa hanging up the phone.
Alexisa returned to setting the table and then bought out the food and began to eat when the door to the apartment opened again to revel her brother and his wife. Lee stood about a head taller than Alexisa, he had the same jet-black hair, but he had blue eyes. Madison stood the same height as Alexisa. She had shoulder length brown hair, and green eyes.
"Hey guys, Dinner's ready."
"Oh thanks," said Lee setting his things down by the door and making his way into the dining room with Madison hot on his tale.
"Lee, Keisuke called, he said he needed to talk to you about something."
"Did he say what,?" asked Lee as he made his way over to the telephone and started to dial the phone.
"No, just to call him."
"Hey, Keisuke, My sister said you called. Universe of the Four Gods. Yea what about it? What do you mean Miaka is inside the book? Well come over here and I'll tell you what I know about it," said Lee hanging up the phone.
"What was that about?" asked Madison from the dining room table.
"Well, you know that book that my boss was telling me about a few weeks ago?" asked Lee
"Yea, what about it?" asked Madison
"Keisuke's little sister, Miaka, was pulled into the book."
"I thought that book was only a legend though; wasn't one of the girls killed or something."
"Yea, and now Mika is in there apparently. So Keisuke is coming over," said Lee grabbing a plate and started to eat dinner.
Half an hour later Keisuke showed p at Alexisa's door with a friend Tetsuya. Keisuke came into the door and started to explain what had happened to Miaka, and how she got sucked into a book, then came back and started to say how she was the Priestess of Suzaku and she needed to save Yui. Keisuke thought that she was making everything up with the pressure of the exams and everything but then he saw her running to the library later that night and he followed her. He saw her run to the restricted section and grab a book, she grabbed the book to her chest saying how she needed to save Yui then she disappeared into the book.
"Wait a minute. Are you saying that Miaka is now in that book?" asked Alexisa pointing to the book that Keisuke had placed on the coffee table.
"Yea, she is," said Keisuke looking at Alexisa.
"Man, I can't believe it," said Alexisa looking at her brother. "Is there anything that we can do?"
"Well, all we can do now is to get some sleep and think about this tomorrow with clear heads," said Lee getting up from his spot on the sofa and walking into the kitchen. "Keisuke, Tetsuya, you can sleep here if you want, I'll bring out some blankets for you all."
"Yea, thanks Lee."
Alexisa, and Madison cleared what was left of dinner and then went to their rooms, Madison had not put much more thought into this, and she could not believe that this was happening. Alexisa on the other hand could not sleep; she lay in bed thinking about this other world that had existed. Alexisa eventually fell asleep thinking and dreaming of the other world, as she was about to fall asleep she was engulfed in a red light.
Alexisa woke to unfamiliar surroundings. She seemed to be in a forest. 'Ok where am I?' She thought. Since she knew that she would not get any where by sitting around she decided to get up and have a look around. She had seen enough movies to know not to call out in case someone else was in the woods. She walked until she heard some voices.
"Is the Priestess and her warriors in sight?
"Yes sir. When do you want to move in?"
"Soon, and then the Priestess and her warriors will die."
Alexisa had no clue whom they were and whom they wanted to kill, she also did not want the voices to find her, she tried to sneak away but unfortunately she was caught.
"What should we do with her?"
"Kill her we don't know how much she's heard."
Alexisa ran since she could not these men in such a closed space. She ran until she reached a clearing and she stood her ground, she waited until the men entered the clearing and launched her attack. She rushed the man hoping to catch him off his guard but somehow he managed to dodge her attack and came up from behind her. She tried to move out of the way but she was to slow, he grabbed her by the neck, she quickly elbowed the man in the stomach then turned around and delivered a blow to his face. He dropped to his knees and Alexisa turned to run away again but before she could, the man grabbed a knife and stabbed it into her leg. She cried out in pain and fell to the ground. Even though Alexisa was injured she swung her uninjured leg behind her and knocked the legs out from underneath of him and he crashed to the ground. After making sure the man was down Alexisa stumbled out of the clearing and into the forest.
Hotohori, Miaka, and Nuriko had started to set up camp for the night. They had been traveling all day looking for the next seishi. Nuriko was out getting firewood and Hotohori was getting the food ready to cook. Miaka was sitting against a tree thinking about Tamahome. Meanwhile Nuriko had returned and he had started to cook the dinner that night. The smell of food brought Miaka out of her thinking mood and into her food mood. The all had begun to eat when they heard a noise in the bushes. Hotohori pulled his sword and stood in front of Miaka to protect her in a case of an attack.
Alexisa stumbled around in the forest, resting at trees since the pain in her leg was growing with every minute. She stumbled across another clearing nut this one was already occupied by someone, and not just anyone either. There were three people a young girl with two balls of hair in the side of her head, a man with a long braid, and another man with a long ponytail and a sword in his hands pointing at her. 'Great now what? Why does everyone want to kill me?' Thought Alexisa. She took up a fighting stance to defend herself if need be, but the pain in her leg made her fall to the ground again.
"Hey, are you alright?" asked the girl with the two balls on her head, as she approached Alexisa.
"Miaka!"
"Miaka, don't stop."
"My name is Miaka Yuuki, most people just call me Miaka. Are you ok?"
"I'm fine. Leave me alone. Why are you people always trying to kill me?"
"We are not trying to kill you. Here let me look at that leg."
"No. I said leave me alone," said Alexisa standing up and backing up only to fall again.
"Let us help you."
"I don't think your friend wants to help me," said Alexisa looking up at Miaka, and pointing to Hotohori.
"Oh him," said Miaka looking at Hotohori. "Don't worry about him, he is just careful."
"Yea, especially with that damn sword pointing at me."
By this time, Nuriko and Hotohori had come up behind Miaka. Hotohori still had his sword drawn just it was not prepared to attack.
"Miaka, what are you doing?"
"Yea, Miaka, she could be dangerous."
"Oh come on guys."
"Miaka, we don't know who she is?"
"She can't be all that bad, I think she is injured."
"You know I am here. So stop talking like I am not," said Alexisa standing up again this time but in a huge amount of pain. She tried to back away again but she only passed out due to pain and blood loss.
"Oh no, Nuriko, please we need to help her," said Miaka going to the girls side once again.
"Miaka, We don't know who she is," said Hotohori
"But she needs our help. If you are not going to help her then I am," said Miaka picking up the girl and moving her towards the fire. Miaka laid the girl down beside the fire and looked down at her leg.
"Hey Nuriko, can you come here?"
"What is it Miaka."
"It's her left leg, it looks like its pretty bad," said Miaka as she ripped the girl's pants leg open to get a better look at the wound.
"Yea, I see what you mean. Go to the horses and get the bandages."
Miaka ran to the horses and found the bandages, she found them after a few minutes of searching and ran back over to Nuriko. Nuriko had already begun to boil the water to soak the bandages in it to prevent infection. Hotohori had come over and sat on the opposite side of the fire watching Nuriko tend to the wound in the girls leg. He kept a close eye on the girl, he did not think that she was going to cause any trouble but best to play it safe. Nuriko tended to the wound and wrapped the girl's leg.
"I think she will be alright. She just lost a lot of blood," said Nuriko
"I'll keep watch Nuriko, Miaka, go to sleep. I will keep watch tonight."
Hotohori keep a close on the girl that lay just a few feet away from him. He did not think that this girl was dangerous, but he felt something from this girl. Like she would play an important role in the lives of him and his friends in the near future. As Hotohori sat watching the girl she began to stir.
"Where am I?"
"Do not fear, you are safe for the moment," said Hotohori making his way towards the girl. "Now tell me who you are and what are you doing here?"
"My name is Alexisa, and as for why I am here I have no clue," said Alexisa trying to stand up.
"Try not to move, your leg was injured pretty badly, one of my colleges treated it but you should not try to stand on it for a few days."
"Um… thanks. I think," said Alexisa "Now that you know my name what is yours?"
"I am Hotohori, that is Nuriko." He said pointing to a man that was leaning up against a tree. "And that is Miaka," he said again pointing to a girl curled up under a tree with a blanket draped over her.
"So what are you guys doing all the way out here, not that I don't mind, where is here anyway."
"We are in the land of Konan, and we are searching for some people that we know."
"Konan? Huh. Never heard of it," said Alexisa looking up at the stars. 'And how come I don't recognize any of those constellations.' Thought Alexisa
"You should get some sleep. We will talk more in the morning."
Alexisa lay down and tried to sleep but sleep did not come; she started at the stars trying to figure out where she was. She could not find the North Star or anything else that was in the sky back at home. 'Could I be in that book. Wait wasn't that girls name Miaka. Then that does mean I am in the book.'
Morning broke and Nuriko, Hotohori had begun to pack the horses to resume their search for the next warrior.
"Sire, what are we going to do with the girl?"
"I am not sure Nuriko. I do not think that Miaka will let us leave her here, and I would rather keep her within my eye sight," said Hotohori as he looked past Nuriko to where the girl sat next to the dying fire along with Miaka. It looked like they were talking nicely with each other.
"Miaka, come here for a minute will you," called Hotohori
"What is it Hotohori?"
"Get ready to leave we need to find the other warriors as fast as we can."
"What about Alexisa? We can't just leave her here with that leg of hers."
"Miaka, His Highness, does not want to abandon her either, but we need to get going."
Alexisa saw the three of them talking out of the corner of her eye. She knew that they were discussing whether or not to leave her alone. So she stood up and made her way over to the group.
"Guys, try not to worry about me. I will be fine."
"What do you mean, with your leg like that you won't last a week."
"I said don't worry about me, I have been in worse cases than this, I will be fine."
"What do you mean? We can't just leave you here, you're hurt and in no shape to be left alone. It is final you are coming with us," said Miaka
"That is what you think," said Alexisa standing up and walking away but she only got a few steps before her leg gave out.
"See what I mean."
"Fine but I don't think your buddies are going to take to me very well."
"Oh, don't worry about them. Once you get to know them, they aren't that bad."
"Alexisa let me the first to introduce myself to you. My name is Nuriko. Sorry for my his rudeness, but once you get to know him he is quite the nice guy," said Nuriko
"Yea, sure."
"Here take my horse, with your leg the way it is we would make much better time with you on the horse, it will also help you heal," said Hotohori walking over to Alexisa and giving her the reins of his horse to her.
"Um… Thanks Hotohori," said Alexisa as she climbed onto the horse. "So where are we going then?"
"Well lets head to the mountains, I think that is where the next warrior might be," said Miaka pointing towards the mountain in the distance.
While they rode towards the mountain, Nuriko and Miaka filled in Alexisa on what had been happening since Miaka first entered this world. Miaka told Alexisa about her duty to summon Suzaku the bird guardian of the South and save the empire of Konan. Alexisa was also told of the journey that she was now taking part in of searching for the rest of the Suzaku warriors.
"So is that why we are going towards the mountain?"
"Yea, we think that is where the next warrior might be."
"Let's stop here and make camp," said Hotohori