Disclaimer: Nuriko doesn't belong to me… WAH!

Nuriko let out a sigh as he sat at the table of Tamahome's master. Mianka had not come into Tamahome's master's house yet that morning. Tamahome was acting like nothing was wrong, but the other Suzaku seishi all were in wonder. Miaka hadn't been the same since the Suzaku's seishi all were together again. She seemed so down. Chichiri stood up from sitting across the table from Nuriko. "I will be reporting to Hotohori now, no da. Ja." With that, Chichiri walked away from the table and right into Miaka.

"Miaka, no da. What are you doing there?" Chichiri asked as he studied the sad miko. Miaka glanced over at Tamahome who had his back to her, almost as if she wasn't there. Chichiri looked over his shoulder at Tamahome and let out an "Oh".

When Chichiri bumped into Miaka, Nuriko snapped out of his thoughts and watched the two earnestly. He also was able to pick up that Miaka's problem was Tamahome. Nuriko leaned back in his chair and eyed Tamahome.

"Chichiri, may I talk to Hotohori as well?" Miaka whispered. Chichiri smiled and nodded his head as he started to guide Miaka through the door. When the door closed, Nuriko waited a couple of minutes before standing up.

"Oi, Tama-chan." Nuriko said softly as he approached Tamahome. Tamahome glared at Nuriko. Nuriko ignored the glare. "So, what is up between you and Mia-chan?"

Tamahome turned around to face Nuriko. "Don't worry about it, it does not concern you." With that Tamahome walked over to the table and sat across from Tasuki who was drinking sake.

Miaka studied the mirror that Chichiri was showing her as she slowly touched the mirror and stared into it. "All I have to do is stare into this mirror?"

Chichiri nodded. "It should come out about now."

Hotohori's face became visible and he smiled at Miaka. "Miaka?"

Miaka instantly replied, "Hotohori?"

Chichiri then scooted himself in front of the mirror. "Hotohori-sama, sorry that my report is so late."

Hotohori shook his head and waved his hand. "Don't let it bother you." He then smiled. "You two seem to be well. Are the others doing fine as well?"
Miaka took a deap breath. "Yeah. Everyone's doing just fine."
Hotohori nodded. "I see. That's great. How about the Shinzaho?"
Miaka shook her head, instantly becoming sad once again. "I'm sorry. One of them fell into Nakago's hands, but I'll do my best to get a hold of Sairou's."
Hotohori became a little firm, noticing how Miaka was putting full blame on herself. "Miaka, take care and don't push yourself too much. If something happens, you won't be able to be with Tamahome. Konan's future is also important, but once you acquire the Shinzaho..." Hotohori took a deep breath. "...and summon Suzaku, please be happy with Tamahome. Since I can't protect you personally, I'll always be praying for you."
Miaka felt tears beginning to sting her eyes. What if being with Tamahome wasn't the correct decision? Miaka bit her lip. "Hotohori..."

Yui looked at Nakago as if he was lying to her. "Nuriko killed Tomo?"

Nakago was unemotional. "Yes." Nakago studied the very upset Yui. Nakago turned to a guard. "Leave us."

The guard bowed. "Yes, sir."

Nakago sat on Yui's bed. "What's the matter, Lady Yui?"

Yui wrapped her arms around Nakago. "I'm scared. It's as though some unseen force keeps moving around some unknown place..." She looked into Nakago's eyes. "...and I seem to be losing everything, one by one."

Nakago reached up and touched her arm. "Lady Yui you'll always have me around. There's absolutely nothing you should be afraid of."
Yui studied him. "Really?"

Nakago smiled. "Of course. Because, I love you..."

A small bald boy floated beside Soi who was outside of the room listening to Yui's and Nakago's tender moment.

"With the Seiryuu no Miko as competition, you aren't even a rival in love, right, Soi?" The boy said as he floated by Soi's side.

Soi did a double. "Miboshi!"

Miaka was alone in the room that she had spoken to Hotohori with earlier. She studied her knees, hoping to get an answer. 'Hotohori's hoping that Tamahome and I can be happy together. Tamahome and I have to resolve things before we go search for the Shinzaho.' Miaka silently thought to herself, forgetting everything else. Suddenly, Miaka jumped up when a knock came at the door.

Miaka recovered the best she could, but her heart was racing. "Tamahome?"

The door opened to reveal Nuriko's cheery face. "Mia-chan!"

Miaka smiled at Nuriko. "Hi, Nuriko."

Nuriko looked around the room and walked into the room. "Why are you here, Mia-chan?"

Miaka smiled at Nuriko. "Just thinking. I had spoken to Hotohori earlier." Miaka studied Nuriko for a response. Nuriko's eyes fell upon Miaka and Miaka took in a deep breath. 'What is this feeling…'

"Oh, how's he doing?" Nuriko said as if Hotohori was nothing more then a friend, not a old crush that Nuriko would do anything for.

Miaka smiled, 'Guess Nuriko really isn't in love with Hotohori.' She then took a deep breath. "He seems to be doing fine…" Miaka let her voice fall. Hotohori's words still ringing in her mind. "He told me that…" Miaka shook her head. "Never mind."

Nuriko walked over to Miaka and started to reach out to her. He stopped himself for a moment, but then placed his hand on her cheek, rubbing his thumb against her soft skin just under her left eye. She looked up at Nuriko in wonder as Nuriko gave her a small loving smile. "You can tell me anything, Mia-chan."

Miaka felt her heart go into her throat. She was speechless. 'This is Nuriko… Nuriko… not Tamahome… Why?...' Miaka parted her lips and quickly pressed her lips together once again. 'I-I-can't! I can't tell him that Tamahome dumped me and that I think I'm falling for him… I just can't!' Miaka decided to put on a front, it was the best thing she could do. "I am so hungry!"

Nuriko looked at her confused. Sure, she had to be hungry, but it wasn't adding up to her gloominess. "Is there ever a time that you're not hungry?" Nuriko asked with a strait face, wondering how Miaka would react.

Miaka glared at him. "Of coarse there is!"

Nuriko let go of Miaka and placed his index finger in his chin and looked up at the ceiling. "Hmmm… This morning I almost became your breakfast… it's been over an hour, and yet, no food." Nuriko looked at Miaka sideways and winked. "I'll make sure you get a nice portion of breakfast, k?"

Miaka looked at Nuriko with a blank expression.

Nuriko then patted Miaka on top of her head, as if she was a kid. "Is that what is really bothering you though?"

Miaka felt the tears stinging her eyes. 'No…' Miaka stared at Nuriko's smiling face until he removed his hand and turned to leave. 'No…' Miaka bit her lip as she watched Nuriko walking towards the door. 'No… don't leave…' Miaka suddenly couldn't restrain herself as she went to grab Nuriko from behind. She had to hold him, smell him, feel him in her arms.

Nuriko suddenly moved as the door opened and Subaru walked into the room. Miaka wrapped herself around the woman who was in shock. Miaka squeezed the woman tighter. "Nuriko, when did you get fat and short?"

"Well! I never!" The woman breathed, insulted.

Miaka jerked herself from Subaru and blushed. "GOMEN!"

Subaru sighed. "Miaka. It's almost time to eat. Let's prepare for everyone's meal."

Miaka was still embarrassed over the display she had just given Nuriko. "Meal...?" Then Miaka slammed her fist into the palm of her other hand. "A meal prepared with love and devotion!" She then got into Subaru's face forgetting what had just happened. "I'll help, too!"

Subaru escorted Miaka out, leaving Nuriko alone in the room. Nuriko figured it would be best if he spied on Miaka and found out what was really bothering her. As they entered the kitchen, Nuriko staied outside against the wall, trying to hear what was going on in the kitchen.

Subaru then called out to a pretty young girl who was already in the kitchen. "Shih Fuan? The Suzaku no Miko said she'd help as well." Shih smiled at Miaka. Her long black hair was done up similar to Subaru's own hair. The girl was very petit and her eyes were kind and brown.

Miaka waited until Subaru left the kitchen before she finally asked the beautiful lady, "Excuse me, Shih Fuan, are you their daughter?"

Shih Fuan shook her head. "No. My father died and I was raised here."

Miaka then thought of Tamahome. "About Tamahome..."

Shih Fuan turned her attention to Miaka. "What's your relationship with him?"

Miaka squirmed. 'I don't want to say that Tamahome just dumped me… "I'm his girlfriend." Miaka then took a deep breath. "Though, we're having some problems right now."

Nuriko frowned. 'I knew it.'

Shih Fuan studied the girl for a moment before she turned back to cutting up some food. "I didn't think you were like that at all. You seemed more like his little sister. When he fell from that cliff, I was the one who nursed him through the night."

Miaka frowned as she grabbed some eggs and other items to mix together. "I see. I see." Miaka then thought to herself, 'So what? just because some pretty girl took care of him through the night...' She grabbed some food, not really paying attention to what she was throwing in the mixing bowel. '...Tamahome's not the type to change his mind about me and run off with her...' Miaka looked at the beautiful petit girl who was cooking on the other side of the kitchen. 'Uh...probably...' Miaka dumped everything into a pot and put it on the stove. Miaka looked out the window in the kitchen and studied the mountain that had one single building on top of it. "What's that building on top of the mountain?"

Shih Fuan looked out the window and returned to her cooking. "Oh, that. That's a temple. There are quite a few monks there." Shih Fuan dumped her mixing bowel into a skillet. "There's a little tower at the bottom. There's a legend about it."

Miaka stopped everything she was doing, giving Shih Fuan her full attention. "A legend?"

Nuriko pressed himself closer to the wall so he could hear better.

Shih Fuan replied to Miaka, "At sunset, on top of that tower, if a man and a woman kiss they will never be parted..." Shih-Fuan shrugged. "Or so it's said. But it's off-limits right now, though." She walked up beside Miaka and looked out the window. "Monsters appeared and many men and women have become their victims."

Miaka looked at the pretty girl. "Really?"

Shih Fuan looked at the stove. "By the way, Miaka..." Miaka looked at Shih Fuan as she pointed towards the stove. "...what you're making is boiling over."

Miaka freaked out as she rushed over to the stove. "Why didn't you say something earlier?!"

Nuriko crept away from the kitchen and walked into the dinning room where the others were.

Tasuki couldn't believe his ears. "What?! You and the old lady are Byakko's seishi?!"

Tokaki gave Tasuki a dirty look. "You got a problem with that? We were active 90 years ago, though." Tokaki placed his hand on his chest. "I'm Tokaki. She's Subaru. The Shinzaho you're looking for is held by Tatara, who's also one of Byakko's seishi."

Miaka entered the dinning room with a serving bowel of food. "Really?"

Tasuki shouted, "All right! T'is time we'll get it for sure!"

Tamahome didn't seem amused by Tasuki. "Let's hurry up and eat."

Tasuki sat down at the table and rubbed his hands together. "Yeah, let's." Tasuki eyed the weird looking food, almost in horror. "Whoa! This is cooking I've never seen before!"

Nuriko smirked. "They called Miaka to help in the kitchen."

Miaka beamed. "Yeah. I made if myself."

Chichiri eyed the food as it was passed around the table. "Oh, it's cooking from another world."

Tasuki poked at his portion. "Is this something humans are supposed to eat?"

Chiriko made a face. "This taste...I think I'll do some research into how food can possibly taste like this."

Mitsukake sighed. "I'd better make some antacids for this later..."

Miaka let out a sob and pouted. "Your faces say it all. This food sucks."

Chiriko shook his head. "That's the case...I mean, it's not."

Tasuki licked his lips after trying some soup. "Yeah, yeah! Like this soup. It's really good!"

Miaka lowered her eyes. "Shih Fuan made that."

Tamahome crossed his arms. " This food is awful. There's no way to eat this."

Nuriko and the others all looked at him horrified. "TAMA!" Nuriko shrieked.

Tamahome continued. "Pig slop is better than this crap."

Tasuki saw red. "Tamahome! Why you...!"

Tasuki and Nuriko both looked like they were ready to kill him. "No matter how much this food sucks, you shouldn't..." Tasuki scolded Tamahome. Nuriko shot Tasuki a dirty look.

Tamahome yanked Tasuki's food away from him. "Hand it over. Hand over everything Miaka made!" Tamahome began to eat the food super fast.

Tasuki watched Tamahome horrified. "Er,Your face is turning purple."

Tamahome stopped eating for a minute and spat at Tasuki, "Shut up! I'm gonna eat this!"

Nuriko jumped up from the table and wrapped his arm around Miaka. Miaka began to shake with tears. "I wonder why I don't have any skills...I was hoping that you would all be happy with it." She looked at Nuriko. 'I wonder if Tamahome really hates me now. I don't want to break up with him like this! I want to know how he really feels!'

Nuriko pulled Miaka close, knowing that she was torn; however, Miaka pushed away from Nuriko and ran out of the dinning room.

Miaka dropped the paper she had written her note on Tamahome's bed. She then turned to flee his room. She had to know. She felt so beneath anyone. The tears continued to fall. She was going to find out the truth, about her love for Tamahome. Was it really over? She continued to run into the village and towards the mountain with the legendary tower full of monsters.
Nuriko crossed his arms as Tamahome moaned while the others were treating him. Nuriko didn't like that Miaka wasn't back yet, and it made him nervous. It had been about a half hour since she ran out. He knew it had to be enough time for her to cool down. Nuriko turned his back to Tamahome. He had to find Miaka, because he would never forgive himself if he didn't. She thought of him as a big brother and he knew that was all she would ever see him as, just her big brother. It didn't matter though, he loved her and he would die for her all over again. He looked out the window and saw the mountain. He sighed as he studied it. Suddenly, Nuriko knew something he should have known earlier. 'She is going to the tower, hoping that Tamahome would follow her…' Nuriko shot a look at Tamahome before he rushed out of the house.
Tamahome moaned as he held his stomach. "Ow, ow, ow! My stomach hurts like hell!"

Shih Fuan held out a bowl of medicine. "Uh...the master asked me to give you some medicine..." Tamahome looked at Shih Fuan and she blushed as she began to give Tamahome the dose of medicine. "But, truthfully, he asked me to help you forget about Miaka."

Tamahome spat out some of the medicine. "What the hell is that old fart thinking, anyway?!"

Shih Fuan blushed and looked away. "I don't mind. As long as you don't mind..."

Tokaki entered the room, "You and that girl will not end up with one another!"

Tamahome looked at Shih Fuan. He took in her beauty. "If that's the case...Then..."

Nuriko stopped near a man and rushed over to him. "Did you see a girl in brown clothes looking for a tower?"

The man looked at Nuriko as if he was insane. "Iie."

Nuriko turned his attention to the mountain, 'Mia-chan…'

"Sir, I have seen that girl." A man's came from behind Nuriko. Nuriko turned to the man. The man was chunky and short. "She was asking about the tower with monsters in it."

Nuriko looked at him wildly. "Thank you!"

"She insisted that she only wanted to get close to the tower… but, I don't know.

Nuriko didn't stay to listen to the man, he was already long gone.

Tamahome studied the other girl. She was offering herself to him. Because their master requested her to? Tamahome shook his head. "I-"

Shih Fuan took the empty bowel and placed it on the table nearby. "Only if you want me."

'What a perverted old fart…' Tamahome thought as he shot a glance at his master. Tokaki stood by the door.

Tokaki shook his head. "You and that girl will eventually separate! Listen. You have no choice but to separate. After summoning Suzaku, you'll wish for her to become a person of this world?! That's absolutely impossible! This is the only wish the divine beast can't grant! Once the divine beast appears, the Maiden's purpose is fulfilled. After that, the Maiden goes back to the world from which she came. That's how it is. No matter how much you struggle, this is one thing you cannot change. This will only end as a tragic love story." Tokaki shook his head. "The point is, both of you will just end up getting hurt. This is the right thing to do."

Tamahome looked at Shih Fuan who was looking at him with inocent eyes.

Nuriko finally made it to the mountain. He held his knees, trying to catch his breath. 'Mia-chan, is this were you are?' He looked towards the sun, which was still high in the sky, it was about 2 or 3 PM. He knew the others would worry when they see that he and Miaka were both missing, but he didn't have time to let them know where they were. He took a deep breath and headed towards the tower. He studied the building structure and noticed how it looked as if the building would fall at any moment. Then, he saw her at the top, looking out with hopeful eyes. Nuriko knew she would be sad it was him who came, but Tamahome couldn't go in his condition. Nuriko bit his lip and rushed into the building.
Miaka looked out to the village. Her eyes full of hope. She knew Tamahome would not fail her. She held her hands to her chest. 'Please, Tamahome…'

Suddenly, Miaka heard footsteps behind her. She turned around, ready to embrace Tamahome. However, she stopped short. There, instead of Tamahome, stood Nuriko. He gave her a big smile. "Mia-chan!"

Miaka stared at him. Was this for real? Was this a sign? Did this mean that…? Miaka rushed towards Nuriko –

A/N: NO TOMATOS! Find out what happens in the next chapter! Will Nuriko get the kiss of never ending love? Or will a monster take Miaka from him? OH! How exciting!

Preview:

Miaka and Nuriko followed the Seiryuu seishi into a tower. The two looked around the tower as they kept a safe distance behind the Seiryuu seishi.

Miaka looked over at Nuriko and bit her lip. She was glad he was with her, she would never had wanted to go through the tower alone.

"Are you looking for someone, Suzaku no Miko?" Nakago's voice came.

A/N: Oh, and if you like Nuriko and Miaka romances (Of course you do) Check out my newest story for the holidays, A Miaka for Christmas.