Taiitsukun and the Suzaku warriors sat together at a long wooden table in the inner chamber. With his hands folded neatly in front of him, the god gave each warrior a grave look. When his gaze settled on Miaka he offered her a brief, apologetic smile before looking away.
From inside his robes the god retrieved a small, mirror-like object and set it atop the table. The object defied gravity, suddenly floating in the air above the table so that everyone could see into its reflective surface. A blinding white light emanated from mirror, forcing everyone to shield their eyes against the glare. When the light had died down into a peaceful glow, the Suzaku warriors slowly lifted their heads one by one to watch the scene being displayed before them.
Miaka gasped aloud at the familiar sight of Taka's car. She sat rigid with her hands clenched in trembling fists atop the table as the group watched a cloaked figure stand over Taka's broken body and envelop it in a ball of brilliant purple chi.
"Taka!" Miaka screamed, horrified, as she watched Taka die right before her eyes. Tasuki jumped to his feet and caught Miaka before she hit the floor in a dead faint. Narrowing his eyes, he glared down the table at Taiitsukun.
"Was the really necessary?" he growled. "She didn't need to watch him die!"
Returning to his chair, Tasuki held Miaka in his lap with her head against his chest until she regained consciousness. He glared as Taiitsukun motioned to the mirror.
"It was necessary for you all to see the extent of your opponent's powers. It is unfortunate that Miaka had to witness Taka's death, but it was unavoidable. She will have to overcome her grief eventually, and it is better she do that sooner than later."
Taiitsukun's cool tone snaked around the silent room, leaving a sense of foreboding in its wake. Tasuki made a sound of disgust at the god's lack of compassion for Miaka's fragile emotional state. He briefly gazed down at the Priestess's features and was relieved to see she was still asleep. In time he looked up into the mirror and watched the purple light engulf Taka's body. His mouth dropped open at how easily that guy in the black cloak eradicated one of the toughest men he'd ever fought. This guy, this new enemy, really was as powerful as Taiitsukun suggested.
"His name is Kenshin," Taiitsukun informed them solemnly, "and he does not work alone. He works for another who controls him. The one who controls him seeks to harness the power of all four beast gods. Suzaku is bound to Miaka until her death, so we must protect her life at all costs."
"What does he want the power of the four beast gods for?" Nuriko wondered aloud.
"With the power of all four beast gods he will be unstoppable in this world as well as in Miaka's world. Time and reality will no longer bind him. We must not let this happen! This is why I have called you together—you must protect Miaka with your lives."
"So what's in it for Kenshin?" Tasuki wondered in his typical give something to get something bandit view of the world. Taiitsukun nodded at him and once again motioned to the mirror. As he spoke images of Kenshin watching his entire family die before his eyes at the hands of a rival sorcerer flashed in the mirror.
"Kenshin wants to avenge those he lost. He sold himself to his current master for the promise of eternal life so he could complete this task."
Chichiri removed his mask and set it down on the table in front of him, "What is his weakness? How do we beat him?"
"That I cannot say. Warriors of Suzaku, you must discover Kenshin's weakness on your own. I do not know it myself, but even if I did I would not be able to tell you. Any interference on my part would upset the balance of this world and the world outside the book."
Hotohori stood up abruptly, sending his chair toppling to the floor with a crash, "You bring us here to tell us we must keep Miaka safe, that not only her life but the lives of everyone in both worlds depends on it, but will not give us a helping hand?" he demanded, outraged.
The Emperor angrily paced the room while Taiitsukun remained seated, utterly unaffected by his outburst.
"I have told you all I know," the god replied calmly. Hotohori eventually returned to the table. He rested both palms flat against the wood and bowed his head.
"I hate feeling helpless," he confessed. "I would gladly protect Miaka with my life, but that life will be wasted if I don't know how to defeat our enemy."
Looking around the table, Taiitsukun saw the nods of agreement given by the other warriors. He rose to his feet and departed the chamber, leaving the warriors to their own devices.
"It seems so hopeless," Hotohori bemoaned and glanced at Miaka, who was still unconscious in Tasuki's lap. Nuriko nodded and rested his forehead against his fist. Chichiri finally stamped his staff into the ground and rose to his feet.
"And you call yourselves warriors," he spat, his tone filled with disgust. "We have an opportunity to fight this enemy, to protect this world and Miaka's from harm, and you have all given up before the first battle has even begun!"
The other warriors had the wherewithal to look ashamed. Chichiri looked from face to face around the table, his good eye dark and serious.
"Well what do you propose we do?" Nuriko offered.
"Fight. It's the only thing we can do. We don't have any other choice," the monk answered. "Taiitsukun did all he could for us, now it's time for us to do our part. Are you with me?"
One by one the Suzaku warriors stood and agreed to fight once more for Miaka's sake. As soon as they had agreed to take on the task, a light appeared before each of them on the table revealing an item which would help them in their fight against Kenshin. Each warrior stared down at their new treasure on the table; all but Tasuki. He stared down into nothing—nothing had been left on the table after his ball of light had disappeared.
"That's what you get for mouthing off to Taiitsukun!" Nuriko joked holding up her new golden shield.
"Hey shaddup!" Tasuki yelled back at him. "Don't make me burn that pretty new shield of yours black with my fire!"
Nuriko covered his shield protectively and stalked off giving Tasuki a dirty look. Hotohori held up his new armor and smiled as the light gleamed off its gold plating. The seal of Suzaku was engraved into the chest plate and shone bright red.
"This armor is almost as beautiful as I am," he gasped, giving a pleased nod.
"This isn't a beauty contest," Chichiri scolded even as he examined his new staff. "Each of these new tools will help us in this battle. They all contain great power and are not meant to be taken lightly."
"Give us some credit would ya?" Nuriko chided with his hands on his hips. With his shield braced against one arm he looked at Chichiri annoyed. "We're all adults here. We've battled warriors to protect Miaka before and haven't failed yet. So just relax a little would ya?"
Chichiri sighed and his shoulders visibly drooped. Lowering himself into the chair Taiitsukun had previously occupied he rested his head in his hand.
"I'm sorry," he apologized softly. "Seeing how easily Taka was killed made me realize that we might not win this time. We had too many sacrifices last time..." The room went quiet as they remembered their fallen comrades. "I couldn't bear to lose any of you."
"You don't have to worry, Chichiri!" Four pairs of eyes looked over in surprise at Miaka. Though she was still in Tasuki's arms, she was awake and braving a smile.
"I know you can beat him, I can feel it in my heart," she assured Chichiri. He returned the gesture and slowly got to his feet.
"It's decided then, we'll fight."
Nuriko, Hotohori, and Tasuki all nodded in unison. Miaka's heart dropped in her chest as she looked around the room at her friends who were all vowing to fight to the death to protect her. She couldn't bear to lose a single one of them. Not Chichiri, or Hotohori, or Nuriko, and especially not Tasuki. His heart beat strong and healthy beneath her cheek, just as Taka's had not so long ago. Her fingers curled into the loose material of his shirt. Would he be taken from her too?
"Well, where should we start?" Hotohori wondered and set down his armor atop the table with a loud 'clunk'.
"Mt. Reikakku," Tasuki offered with a level of certainty that caught everyone's attention. He set Miaka on her feet and smiled at her as he rose from his seat. "The bandits are friends. I know they'll help us," he explained with his hands placed confidently on his hips. "They may not have powers like ours, but I figure any help is better than going after this Kenshin guy on our own."
He looked to Chichiri for support and saw his approving nod.
"Alright, we'll leave for Mt. Reikakku in the morning," Hotohori determined and retreated towards the door with his new armour. Nuriko smiled and hurriedly followed the Emperor, calling out not so innocent offers to help him try on his shiny new armour. Chichiri, Tasuki, and Miaka exchanged amused glances and then departed the inner chamber to begin preparations of their own.
Miaka's eyes followed Tasuki's retreating form. He was strong, one of the strongest of Suzaku's warriors. He would undoubtedly protect her at all costs, she was certain of that fact. In that room he'd promised his life to her, but she truly wished he hadn't. Deep down she wished none of them had.
It felt like such a waste. Chichiri, Hotohori, Nuriko and Tasuki, they were all so determined to fight for her, to do whatever it took to save her life. But since the moment she'd awoken in the book world, the moment she knew for certain Taka was gone, she'd longed for one thing only - an end to the constant, all consuming pain in her heart. The thought of living without Taka was unbearable, in the book world or anywhere else! She couldn't possibly endure it for another day. It had to end!
There was nothing she wanted more than to be with Taka again, wherever that was. The prospect of taking her own life was terrifying, but she would do it if it meant she could be with Taka again. But now she couldn't possibly go through with it-not after everyone had pledged to risk everything for her. With a heavy-hearted sigh Miaka picked up her pace to catch up with the others and resigned herself to enduring just a little while longer.
