Short author notes: I'm SO sorry for making this chapter really long. I got carried away. Sorry for not using Tamahome in many parts. Sometimes I completely forget about him XD And I just realized how badly I described Kaho's house. I'll fix that another time. Er... disclaimer'll be in here I guess. I don't own the song in here! Oh yeah, don't expect another chapter til like... two months later. I need a writer's vacation. XP
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Kaho's hand twitched against the cold concrete floor.
"Her bleeding..." said Nuriko.
"It's stopped!" Tamahome finished.
The two injured men looked up from their spots on the ground, to the slowly awakening girl.
Kaho's eyes fluttered, then slowly opened. All four warriors leaned over her, kneeling on the ground.
"Kaho!" Tasuki called with joy.
Her face sought the speaker of her name.
"Tasuki..." she said in a weak, but steady voice. She looked behind her, "Hotohori..." to her left, "Nuriko..." and next to Nuriko, "Tamahome..."
As she sat up, she winced at the pain in her sides. She placed a hand on her stomach and felt a sort of bandage under her shirt.
"I bandaged your wounds. Looks like it helped a little." said Nuriko.
Kaho turned her head to Nuriko.
"Looks like I'm alive thanks to you guys." said Kaho.
"Kaho, what were those-" Nuriko started, but Kaho clamped a hand over his mouth and the rest was muffled out.
"Please, Nuriko. Don't tell the others about my scars. My close encounter with death was enough worry for you guys." Kaho whispered pleadingly.
Kaho lifted her hand away from Nuriko's mouth and received a nod in return.
"Well, one less secret for you to worry about. The others know I'm a man." he whispered.
Kaho raised an eyebrow.
"Who spilled the beans?" she asked.
Nuriko glared at Tasuki.
"A certain red-head with a magic fan." he whispered.
"Thank goodness you are alive, Kaho." Hotohori said and smiled, his face once again gentle.
"Don't do that again! Ya scared us all to death!" Tasuki shouted, then his face became more gentle, "I'm glad yer' alright now."
Kaho gave him a small smile, then adjusted herself so that she was looking at her parents. Tasuki and the others noticed the sad look in her eyes and turned their heads to see what she was looking at.
Tasuki's face quickly become one of shame and regret.
"I'm... sorry about yer' mom an' dad, Kaho." said Tasuki.
' Kaho's mother and father?' the other three thought at once.
Kaho's expression did not change, nor did she respond. A moment of silence fell over them before Kaho spoke.
"When I was about to die... everywhere I looked was emptiness and it was dark. Suddenly this bright and peaceful looking place appeared. I wanted to go there. I thought everyone hated me. But then, I hear you guys calling for me, so I didn't go." she said.
"And is this place... your world?" Tamahome asked.
"Yes and no. This is a memory of the day of my fifteenth birthday. My parents died a year ago, so the two over there aren't real. As for him," Kaho said, then turned and pointed to the dead man under the tree, "he was probably the one who re-created this."
"But if that's true, wouldn't this place have disappeared by now?" Nuriko pointed out.
"Then the source must be from someone else." said Hotohori.
"But who?" asked Tasuki.
As if to answer his question, a woman's voice was heard.
For that, we will explain to you why.
Everyone looked around, but saw nothing except for the regular surroundings. Kaho gasped as a bright, white light began emitting from her body. Kaho screwed her eyes shut, wishing the light would stop.
When she opened her eyes again, she was back in the forest, but it was night. Her hair's tips were read again and her clothes had changed back into her original black ones.
She placed her right hand on her stomach, but there was no bandage, not even a wound it seemed. The only thing that seemed to be hurting was her cheek.
As she sat up, she found the others on the ground with Tasuki and Hotohori on her left, and Tamahome and Nuriko on her right. It seemed like they had been knocked out by something.
She lifted her left hand and right arm.
' The scars are back. Guess this isn't another dream.' she thought.
Shortly afterwards, Tasuki and the others began to wake up.
"I got the biggest headache in the world..." Tasuki groaned and sat up.
"Me too..." Tamahome and Nuriko said together.
"Kaho. Are you unharmed?" Hotohori asked.
Kaho turned her head towards him and gave a nod.
"My wound is gone too. It's like nothing even happened." she said.
"But... how can this be?" Hotohori asked and looked at his left wrist. The injury he had made to himself in order to save Kaho was gone.
"That was an illusion we created with Taiitsukun's help. Everything you saw was not real."
Everyone turned towards the path through the trees they had taken to the clearing to see Kaho's parents.
Kaho squeezed her eyes shut and held her head in frustration.
"When will this damn dream end!" she shouted.
Kaho's parents walked towards her and knelt down.
"Kaho. It's not a dream. We're really here, with you." her father said in a soft voice and placed a hand on her shoulder.
Tasuki and the others watched in astonishment at the two people before them.
Kaho opened her eyes and looked at the gentle faces of the pair infront.
"But... you can't be. How can you be here, right now, in front of me, if you died a year ago?" Kaho asked in a shaky voice.
"Taiitsukun summoned us to this world not long ago. She told us everything that was going on with you, Kaho. She told us about how you became the Priestess of Suzaku and the best god, Suzaku." said her mother, "We're not alive, but we came back to see you one last time."
"Happy sixteenth birthday, Kaho." her father said and smiled, "I know it's already passed, but better late than never."
Kaho looked at him through tear-filled eyes.
"What do you mean, 'one last time'? If I can summon Suzaku, I can bring you back." she said.
Her mother shook her head.
"When we came here and Taiitsukun told us about the wishes, that's what we thought too. But she told us that reviving a dead person is impossible. A soul needs a body and ours are no longer suitable to be in." she said sadly.
Kaho shut her eyes tightly again and fought to hold back the tears.
"I'm sorry, Kaho. We wanted to show you how much the guilt from our deaths was consuming you. As the saying goes, 'If you love something, set it free' and as such, we are doing so." her father said.
"But I miss you so much." Kaho choked out, still holding back her tears, "It's not fair."
The four warriors regarded their priestess with sad faces and tried their best not to cry, but failing miserably.
"We're sorry we left you all alone at home. I know it hurts to see us leave again, but," her father said and smiled, "we're proud of you. You've made some good friends and you've taken the responsibility of being the Priestess of Suzaku."
"You've grown up so much while we've been away." her mother said and hugged her, "It's okay to cry. I know you made me a promise that you wouldn't cry again, but I don't want a promise like that. When you need to cry, cry with all your heart. I want you to promise me that you'll keep living, with your head held high and never give up. Can you do that for me?"
Kaho allowed the tears she held back to roll down her face and drip onto the ground. She raised her head to look at her mother's face and nodded.
Kaho's mother smiled.
"Before our time is up, your father and I have one final song for you." she said and began to hum a tune...
You make this world a better place
When you try your best each day.
Just listen and your heart will show the way.
It'll make you strong inside,
Every time you do what's right.
In the time of darkness, you'll find a light.
You'll find you have the courage within
To fight for what you truly believe in.
Kaho's father began to sing as well...
With all your heart.
I know you can do anything.
With a little faith, you can reach right up to
The highest star.
There's no mountain you can't climb
Just look inside and all you have to do is try
With all your heart.
There's a difference you can make,
So never underestimate
The power of what one can really do
And nothing's gonna stand in your way,
'Cause now you know you've got what it takes to save the day.
'I can understand where she gets her voice from.' Tasuki thought and continued listening to the song.
With all your heart
I know you can do anything.
With a little faith, you can reach right up to
The highest star.
There's no mountain you can't climb
Just look inside and all you have to do is try
With all your heart.
If you start to stumble,
If you start to fall,
Just keep reaching for your dreams.
You know you're gonna catch them all.
Kaho's mother and father began to fade away as they finished their song.
"Mom... What was the name of that song you always sang to me when I was little?" Kaho asked, her gaze at the ground.
"Melodies of Life." she answered.
Kaho's parents stood up together and regarded the four warriors.
"You boys take good care of Kaho okay? She hasn't placed her trust in anyone for a long time." her mother said and turned her attention back to Kaho, "There are three other songs that were sung to you when you were little. You'll need them in the future. Goodbye, Kaho."
Kaho wiped the tears away with her hands and tilted her head back to look at her parents' faces one more time.
"It was good to see you guys again." she said and smiled, "This is the best birthday present I've ever gotten."
Kaho's parents disappeared and she stared up into the night sky. More tears trickled down her face, leaving trails that glistened in the moonlight. She continued to wear a smile, even though her parents were gone. The guilt was no longer inside her and she made a new promise to her mother; a promise she would be sure to keep.
"Hey Kaho, ya gonna be alright?" Tasuki asked.
Kaho wiped away the tears and nodded.
"I'll be fine." she answered.
Suddenly, the clearing vanished from around the face. The trees, bushes, and grass were now replaced with an ethereal landscape of mountains and temples. Strange, lavender spheres floated, suspended in the misty air that twined its way through the rocky spires.
Everyone looked about in confusion.
"What the...?" Tasuki said aloud.
"The view's completely different!" Tamahome said, as if to answer Tasuki's question.
"I've watched the interactions between you."
Everyone turned their heads towards the stairs in front of them, where the unseen, grave voice had informed.
"Who's there!" Tasuki demanded.
The answer was smug and said almost warmly.
"The one you have been seeking."
Hotohori straightened.
"Then.. this is... Mt. Taikyoku?" he asked.
The gaze slowly flew up the incredibly long flight of stairs that reached down from the heights. A small form appeared, hovering over the stairs, surrounded by four long, floating sashes that almost danced around it.
"Welcome, Kaho." the figure said. The form shimmered, blue light black lighting the figure, "No... Priestess of Suzaku."
"Taiitsukun." Kaho acknowledged, voice hesitant.
"I've noted your strong feelings for your four warriors and their attachment to you."
The intimidating form's eyes glowed, hinting at the knowledge which resided within their forbidding depths.
The black lighting faded from around the hovering form of Taiitsukun to reveal a squat, aged body and an old, cragged face. Her brows were heavy over wizened eyes, and her jowls and earlobes sagged with the ages. Long gray hair was twisted on top of her head into a fat bun, held in place by a gold hairpiece, complete with long spiked fingers that poked up, framing the top of her head. The remainder of her hair hung in a thick tail down her back, forming a silver cape over her white and green robes.
Everyone looked at her in disbelief.
"Maybe I did die and this is actually the devil." Kaho said aloud.
"Watch your mouth, chickie!" Taiitsukun snapped.
"S-so- you're really Taiitsukun?" Tamahome asked.
"That's right. I'm the ruler of this world..." she replied, then noticed that Hotohori turned away from her, "Hotohori! How dare you turn away!"
"I cannot bear ugliness!" he answered and placed a hand over his face.
Everyone watched him, sweat drops prominent, as Taiitsukun materialized a large, golden hammer and used it to strike Hotohori on the head with it.
"I was testing you to see how much you cared for each other, and you have exceeded my expectations." said Taiitsukun, "And because you had not seen your mother and father in a long time, I summoned them and they gladly helped."
"Thank you... Taiitsukun." Kaho said softly.
Tasuki glanced at her and wondered if she was really okay.
"All of you are exhausted both mentally and physically. I'll take you to my palace. You can rest there and we will discuss the method to return you to your world tomorrow." said Taiitsukun.
Taiitsukun held up her hands, fingers interlaced. In one fluid motion, she snapped them apart with a gasp. Power streamed from them to surround the four warriors and their priestess, who were sent screaming up into the air, sitting upon a large, pink tile.
Floating high above the ground, Kaho gazed down upon Mt. Taikyoku in astonishment.
'This is amazing...' she thought.
"This is... Taikyoku?" Tamahome asked, short of breath.
The pink tile moved forward, swiftly and smoothly twining around the peaks and lavender globes, intent on its course.
"We're perfectly safe. We won't drop to a bloody death." Nuriko muttered to himself, a death grip on their perch, making his knuckles white.
Dry laughter echoed next to them. Taiitsukun floated alongside, slowly outpacing their transportation.
"This mountain is something only a select few can experience. If the evil-hearted came upon it, it would become a mere mountain covered with rocks." she said in a comically dark voice and laughed.
The regal palace of Taikyoku rested upon the summit of a mountain, surrounded by high peeks and fog. Its curves and lines bespoke of elegance, and the air carried a strange, exotic scent.
Taiitsukun led the weary travelers inside her beautiful home and into a room that very much resembled a throne room. All along the canary yellow walls were sky-blue drapes and the floor had baby-blue tiles with a large carmine colored carpet in the middle.
"Nyan nyan." Taiitsukun said aloud.
A group of ten shiny, pink spheres appeared, expanded in size, and popped open to reveal incredibly cute, little girls. Perfect clothes, they all had pale turquoise hair in braided pigtails with golden globes at the ends. The girls landed on the ground, hands held politely in front of them, red and pink robes swaying in the breeze. They smiled up at the visitors.
"Lead them to the dining room and give them some food to eat. Afterwards, show them their rooms." Taiitsukun ordered shortly.
"Haiiiiii!" the girls shouted in glee. Each pair of girls ran over to a person and eagerly pushed them into another room; presumably the dining room.
The food was quickly prepared and everyone sat down.
Tasuki looked at the seemingly delicious food.
"Can little girls really cook?" he asked.
Kaho took a slice of pork and took a bite.
"It tastes good to me." said Kaho.
The girls giggled at the compliment.
"Thank you, thank you!" they chimed.
Hearing that the food was good, everyone dug in.
After eating her food, Kaho stood up and walked over to one of the nyan nyan.
"Can you show me to my room, please?" she asked.
The nyan nyan nodded and began walking through the door they had come in.
"Tired already, Kaho?" Nuriko asked.
"Ya didn't eat too much." said Tasuki.
"Not much of an appetite. Too tired." Kaho replied and waved good night, "See you guys in the morning."
"I get the feeling there's something she's not telling us." Tamahome said when she was gone.
"She doesn't seem to have complete trust in us. I know she trusts us, but... how much well exactly..." Nuriko said quietly.
"Perhaps it is best if she is left alone for now. After all.. she had just seen her mother and father not long ago." said Hotohori.
A moment of silence fell over them before Tasuki spoke up.
"Bahhh!" he shouted in frustration, "Women are always so unpredictable."
Everyone sighed and continued to eat. Tasuki resumed his meal as well, trying to push away the thought of Kaho. But he knew that in his heart, he was just as worried as the others, or more.
After everyone finished their meals, the nyan nyan showed them each their separate rooms. Each room was small with pale yellow walls and sapphire colored floor tiles. Each room only had a bed in them and each had doors that lead to balconies outside.
Tasuki tried his best to sleep, but he could not push the thought of Kaho out of his mind.
'Damn... Can't sleep.' he thought with a pout.
He stood up and walked out onto the balcony to help straighten his mind. He slid his arms on top of the railing and rest his chin on top of them, gazing into the dark canyon in front of him.
'Why can't I get 'er off my mind?' he thought and sighed, ' I don't even like women, yet I'm bein' drawn to 'er.'
Suddenly, a very fain sound entered his ears. Of course the sound was very familiar, since he had already heard it before.
With Kaho...
Kaho was sitting on the floor of the left side of her balcony, back against the wall that framed the door, and her head leaned against the metal bars that shot down from the railing (sorta like prison bars), gazing through them at the dark canyon. She was quietly humming the tune to Melodies of Life, but stopped when she heard a knock on the door to her room.
"Go away." she replied tiredly.
Whoever is was entered her room, then closed the door behind them and stood beside her on the balcony. Kaho didn't need to look up to see that it was Tasuki who was beside her.
"Should have known you wouldn't listen." said Kaho.
Tasuki took a seat beside her.
"Everyone's worried about ya. I just came to see what's been on yer' mind." he said.
Kaho sighed.
"Again with worries? I appreciate your concerns for me, but there's nothing you guys need to worry about. I'm fine." she said.
Tasuki crossed his arms and his voice took a serious tone.
"I dunno about the others, but I can't believe that anymore." he said, "What's so bad that yer' keepin' it a secret from us?"
"It's nothing bad, nor is it good. I've hidden everything from everyone for as long as I can remember. Why change my ways now?" the answered.
"Why.. did ya decline his majesty's proposal? He seemed ta really like ya an' all. Ya two seemed ta have a lot in common... What with both of ya havin' no family..." Tasuki said hesitantly, his voice getting quieter and quieter as her spoke.
Kaho glanced at him and raised an eyebrow.
"I mean like... Is it 'cause he's a guy er' somethin'?" he asked.
"Why do you want to know?" she asked.
"Er... we guys gotta look out fer' each other, right?" he answered.
Kaho stared at him with a disbelieving face, sweat drop prominent.
"Tasuki, that's the worst lie I've ever heard." said Kaho, "What makes you think I would tell you, if I wouldn't tell him?"
"Well... I know men ain't exactly yer' interest an' he was really disappointed, ya know? I figured that might've been what's on yer' mind." said Tasuki.
Kaho turned her attention back to the darkened landscape before her.
"That's only half the reason." she said.
"So... what's the other half?" Tasuki asked.
"You wouldn't understand." she answered.
Tasuki crossed his arms and frowned.
"Don't sound like that's what was on yer' mind..." he said quietly, "If that's not it, what's been buggin' ya?"
"Hmph. You're one to talk. Even as we speak, you yourself have something on your mind that's been troubling you." said Kaho.
Tasuki blinked in surprise.
"H-how did ya-" he started, then whirled his head about, facing away from Kaho, "I dunno what yer' talkin' about."
Kaho smirked.
' Dumbass doesn't even realize it when he acts like me.' she thought.
"If I told you one thing that was on my mind, would you listen to me the next time I say I'm fine?" she asked.
Tasuki turned his head back to her, arms still crossed.
"Can't make any promises on that." he answered.
Kaho brought her knees to her chest and put her arms around them.
"I feel like I'm causing you guys a lot of trouble .You guys have gone out of your daily lives just to help me with the summoning of Suzaku and even took care of me while I was sick." she said guiltily.
"Wha... wha'd ya mean?" he asked.
"Like with Hotohori. If I weren't here and the tale of the Priestess of Suzaku never existed, he could have found an empress by now instead of waiting for the priestess of come, only to unaccept his affection and shatter his hopes." she replied, "If I didn't intrude on his life, Nuriko, being the gay guy that he is, could have had a larger chance with Hotohori. For whatever reason he does this for, Tamahome could have continued collecting money instead of wasting his time protecting somebody like me. And you..."
She paused a moment before she continued.
"You could have gone back with Kouji and the other bandits instead of worrying over a girl like me." she said gloomily.
Tasuki could only look in shame at the truth that Kaho spoke. It was correct, but something in him told him she didn't have it straight.
Kaho tilted her head back to gaze upon the stars that shone down upon the two.
"Ever since I was little, I always asked myself one question: What reason do I have to live? And to this day, I've never found a good reason." she said quietly.
Kaho brought her gaze back down.
"Well, I told you one thing on my mind. You should go back to your own room now. Gotta rest up, you know?" she said.
Tasuki gave no reply, but stood up and walked out of her room, closing the door behind him. He sighed and began walking back to his room.
"She has a lot of troubles on her mind."
Tasuki turned around to see Hotohori, Tamahome, and Nuriko all standing with their eyes closed, arms crossed, and nodding their heads.
"We listened through the door incase you're wondering." said Tamahome.
Tasuki's right eye twitched.
"An'... How much a' that did ya hear?" he asked nervously.
"Just the part where you two were talking about us." Nuriko answered.
"I still do not understand why she will not give us her complete trust." Hotohori said sadly.
As if to answer his question, Taiitsukun appeared between them, upside-down.
Everyone gave a small scream of fear and surprise.
"Don't do that, ya old witch!" Tasuki shouted and received blow to the head.
"You four wish to know more about Kaho?" asked Taiitsukun, "Come with me and you shall see the harsh life she has lived."
Tasuki, Tamahome, Nuriko, and Hotohori followed Taiitsukun to a dark room filled with many different sized mirrors, all suspended in the air.
Taiitsukun stopped in front of the largest mirror in the whole room.
"Look into this mirror..." she ordered.
As everyone obeyed, the mirror emitted an incredibly bright, white light. Everyone shielded their eyes from it. When they uncovered their eyes, they were standing outside a pale blue building with leaf ridden bushes along the side.
"You guys... we're not allowed to be here. I thought we were gonna play a game."
Tasuki and the others turned around to see the back of a little girl with black hair and a group of seven kids in front of her; all around the age of six.
"We are. It's called, 'Whack-a-mole'." The leader of the kids, who was a boy, said.
"Really? How do we play?" the girl asked, intrigued with the name.
All the kids walked over to the bushes and each plucked a long, pointy branch.
"We choose one person to be the mole and the others use these branches to whack whoever is the mole." he answered, "The point of the game is to try to avoid being whacked as much as possible."
"But... isn't that dangerous?" the girl asked.
"Not if you're quick." he replied, "You're our friend, right? Don't you want to play with us?"
"Of course I am!" the girl exclaimed, "I'll even be it!"
The little boy smiled at his success.
"Then start running." he said.
The little girl gave a small nod, then turned around and began to run. She had her head bowed down, so Tasuki, Tamahome, Nuriko, and Hotohori still could not see her face.
The other kids followed closely behind her, waving the branches high in the air.
Tamahome walked in front of the path the girl was running towards. At the same time, Tasuki walked a small distance in front of Tamahome, so that he would be between the girl and the kids when they run by.
As the girl was closing in, Tamahome kneeled down and extended his arms towards her. But instead of running into the safeness of his arms, she ran right through him.
Tamahome blinked in surprise.
"Cut it out, ya little brats!" Tasuki shouted and attempted to grab the leader by the wrist, but his hand went right through Tasuki's, "What the..."
"Remember you two. This is just a memory. We're not real here." Nuriko said sadly.
One kid from the group had sped up their pace and was now, right behind her. It was a girl with blond hair and blue eyes. When the blond haired girl brought down the branch like a whip upon the other's back, the black haired girl let out a scream of pain and fell to the floor. A long red line appeared on the back of her white shirt.
"Then that means..." Tasuki muttered and turned to the fallen girl with shocked eyes.
The other kids had quickly caught up with the black haired girl and each took a whip at her; red lines criss-crossing on front and back of her shirt, from shoulder to waist.
A loud buzzing sound echoed throughout the area, signaling for all kids to go back into the building. Each child dropped their branch and ran inside, leaving the injured one behind.
The black haired girl slowly sat up on her knees, her head hung low.
"Aren't we supposed to be friends?" the girl asked aloud.
She turned her head to the school's side doors, revealing her crimson eyes brimmed with tears and her face with the tears that had already streaked down.
'Those eyes...' Tasuki thought.
'Kaho.' they all thought simultaneously.
The scene before them blurred away and was replaced with the living room of a house. They all stood in the space between the couch and the television.
"What the..." Tasuki muttered.
"This must be Kaho's home." Hotohori acknowledged.
The sound of a door opened behind them. Tasuki, Tamahome, Nuriko, and Hotohori turned to see the same Kaho that they had seen a moment ago. She still wore the same blood-stained shirt.
"I'm home..." she called out meekly.
"Kaho! What happened!" her mother shouted worriedly as she came down the stairs.
Kaho's mother ran the last few steps and knelt down in front of Kaho.
"What? What's happened?"
The voice came from behind a closed door from the hall above the stairs.
Kaho's mother leaned back.
"Kaho's been hurt again. Could you bring the first-aid kit when you're out, please?" she shouted.
Almost right after she finished her sentence, Kaho's father came out of the door and ran down the stairs to Kaho, carrying a little white box with a red cross on the top.
"I told you to stop playing with those kids." her mother scolded and took off Kaho's shirt to wrap up her wounds with bandages.
"It wasn't them!" Kaho insisted, "I was clumsy and I fell in some bushes. They're my friends!"
Kaho's mother and father gave her a sad, sympathetic look.
"If those were friends, I'd hate to see her enemies." Tamahome commented and received a light blow to the head from Nuriko, considering his strength.
This scene blurred away just like the one before and they were back at the side of the pail blue building. They stood at the sidelines as Kaho was being confronted face to face by the same group of kids.
The kids did not seem to look very happy with her. In fact, they looked quite angry.
"Wh-what d-did you guys wanna t-talk to me about?" Kaho asked nervously.
The leader boy clenched his fists and bared his teeth.
"You know what..." he growled, "You told on us. Last night, your mom and dad phoned my mom and dad, and I got in trouble. The others said the same thing."
Kaho took a step back in fear.
"No! I didn't! I told them it was my fault! Not yours!" she pleaded.
"Liar!" he shouted and slapped Kaho on her left cheek, leaving an imprint.
Kaho sat on her knees and placed a hand on her cheek, tears rolling down her face and shoulders trembling.
"Why won't you believe me? Aren't I your friend?" she asked in a shaky voice.
"Why should we believe you? You're a freak with red eyes. You were never our friend." he replied in a low voice.
Kaho's head hung low, allowing the words to sink in.
Tasuki, Tamahome, Nuriko, and Hotohori could do nothing but watch in agony.
The boy did a hard punch to her side, causing her to curl up into a ball. The others followed suit. Soon, kids and punches were all aimed at Kaho. Three kids grabbed branches and used them along with the feet and fists.
The scene faded away and an extremely dim room replaced it. The only lighting was the moonlight that shone through the window. To the left of the door were two shelves of stuffed animals, to the right was a small bookshelf filled with books. In the upper right corner was an open trunk of toys and in front of that was a bed. On the edge of that bed, sat Kaho.
Kaho looked a little older than the last one they saw; about two years older. Kaho's pant sleeves were pulled up as far as they could go and in her right hand was a knife.
Their gaze remained on the knife for a long moment. The sharp edge of the knife was covered in something dark. Their gaze then turned to her legs. All around her legs were small cuts. A few of them looked to have been newly made, while the others had begun to scab.
'She didn't...' Tasuki thought, horrified.
The next scene that took place was in front of a large, white, three-story building. Kaho stood at the front doors, arms crossed and facing two guys. This Kaho looked older as well; about three years this time. Her age wasn't the only thing that changed.
Hotohori's eyes widened. The look in her eyes was something he had seen before. Her eyes were hard and icy. The Kaho before them was completely different from the past two, and was very similar to the Kaho they knew outside the illusion.
The two men facing her looked older than her. one was taller than the other. The taller one looked older by two years and had short, spiky black hair and brown eyes. The shorter one looked older by one year, had chin length brown hair and blue eyes.
"You wanna hang out with us?" the taller one asked mischievously.
"We'd like a new friend." the shorter one added, in the same kind of tone.
Kaho gave no response, but uncrossed her arms, then opened the doors to walk inside.
"I don't have time to play with scum." she muttered.
"Wha-what did you say?" the taller one shouted angrily.
The illusion that followed next seemed to be a fight scene between Kaho and a blond haired, blue eyed girl. In this illusion, Kaho was older yet again. This vision seemed to be the most recent, seeing as this Kaho looked to be the same age as the Kaho they knew outside.
They watched everything from the beginning, where Kaho was held by four other girls, to the end where she had gotten the injury and scar on her left hand.
"Isn't that the little girl we saw in the beginning of this whole thing?" Nuriko asked, pointing to the blond haired one.
"Yeah... I think it is." Tamahome commented.
"... She's a bitch if ya asked me." said Tasuki.
The scene disappeared and they were back in the mirror filled room.
Taiitsukun appeared before them and received a few screams.
"I'll never... get used to this." Tasuki muttered.
"I am assuming all of you would like to speak with Kaho now." said Taiitsukun, "I have informed her of what you have seen and that you will be there shortly."
Everyone nodded and walked to Kaho's room. Upon entering, they found her sitting on the centre of her bed with her arms and legs crossed and facing their direction.
"Taiitsukun told me you'd be dropping by." she said, "What exactly did you guys want to find out by viewing my memories?"
An uneasy silence came over them.
"We merely wished to know the reason you are so distant from us; why you do not trust us as much as we'd like you to." answered Hotohori.
"And... did you answer your questions?" Kaho asked.
"We've gotten more questions than when we started." Nuriko answered.
"Then I'll explain what you saw." Kaho replied.
"When I was six, all I ever wanted was a friend. When that group of kids said they'd be my friends, I was really happy. It didn't matter to me that they made me do bad things. All that mattered to me was their friendship. But after they hurt me and said I was never their friend, I gave up on them. I tried to make other friends, but the same thing kept happening over and over again." she said and took a breath, "When I was eight, I couldn't take it anymore and that's when I started slitting my legs. Death seemed so inviting at the time. My dad found out eventually and he convinced me to stop. I didn't try to make friends as much after that. Every day, people tried to trick me, and the first few times worked. But day after day, I began to lose my trust in people, growing more and more bitter at the world for giving me such a miserable life. At the age of eleven, I didn't have an ounce of trust left to give. There wasn't a point. My parents were sad all the time because I always came home with injuries. I thought that if I stopped coming home hurt, they would be happy. If the price was to give up my trust and friendship, I gladly payed it. That girl with the blond hair and blue eyes' name is Misora. She was always inventing ways to get me to snap."
Kaho took a moment to catch her breath before continuing.
"What I fear most isn't death. I'll embrace death with open arms if I have to. What I fear most... is loneliness." she said hesitantly, a sad look upon her face, "If I fell in love, I would be afraid of being left. If I made friends, I would be afraid of being betrayed and vice versa."
All four warriors looked upon the agonized face of their priestess.
"I know you all would say you would never betray me, but it's a fear that will remain in my heart for as long as I live. Perhaps you'd say you'd never leave either, but you can't make a promise on that. The cloaked man that was in the palace courtyard almost a week ago, nearly killed all of us. If Nuriko wasn't there, we'd have been done for." Kaho said and clenched her fists.
Hotohori knelt down in front of her and held her hands in his.
"The first step to becoming stronger is to overcome your fears." he said gently.
Kaho looked at him with uncertainty.
"What if I can't..." she said quietly.
Tamahome took a step forward.
"We'll help you. Start by placing your faith in us." he said reassuringly.
Kaho looked around at the positive faces of her warriors.
"Will you.. Will you accept me for who I am? Will you be my friends?" she asked.
It was Tasuki's turn to speak.
"Stupid girl. We accepted ya fer' who ya were and as a friend from the very beginnin'" he answered.
Kaho smiled and brushed away a tear with her right hand.