Miaka awoke in a dark room with the cool stone of the floor beneath her cheek. She had no idea where she was or how she'd gotten there. The last thing she could remember was standing at the open window of her room in the bandits' hideout and staring up at the moon. Why couldn't she remember anything after that? And where were the other Suzaku warriors?

A sick feeling settled deep in the pit of her stomach and she quickly pushed herself up off the floor. The room was so dark she could scarcely see. Were it not for the small glimmer of light coming from beneath the door it would have been black as pitch.

"Tasuki?" she whispered loudly. "Chichiri, Hotohori, Nuriko? Are you guys here?"

She waited with bated breath, but only silence answered. She was alone. Moving cautiously, she explored the room one tentative step at a time. She'd mapped out the room's perimeter in a matter of minutes. It was a small cell with stone walls and a stone floor. And as far as she could tell, she was the only occupant.

Miaka followed the light to the door and felt along its length for a way out. When her fingers wrapped around the cool metal handle, she gripped it tight and pulled with all of her strength. The door stuck tight, refusing to budge an inch. Determined not to give up so easily, she braced her foot against the wall and tried again with another mighty pull. The heavy wooden door creaked and then slid open with a low groan.

"All right!" she cheered and ran excitedly into the corridor beyond. Her feet hesitated as she looked left, then right, down what appeared to be two identical halls. Each was filled with doors, all exactly like the one she'd just emerged from. Which way should she go? Where would she find the other Suzaku warriors? Miaka looked thoughtfully left, then right, before trying her luck and turning left.

Every so often when she arrived at a door she would push it open and look inside. None of the other cells were locked, and the interiors were all as dark and empty as hers had been. Her stomach clenched tight as she opened a fifth empty cell, and then a sixth. Maybe she should have turned right, instead. Maybe she should go back...

It was in that very moment she was assaulted by the unmistakable aroma of freshly cooked food. Tilting her nose up into the air she sniffed just to be sure.

"Mmmm! Smells like roast beef!" she exclaimed, greedily rubbing her hands together as her mouth watered.

"No, Miaka, this is probably a trap," she reasoned with herself, her expression turning serious. "Stay focused!"

Determined to find the others, she resumed backtracking down the hall but the scent of food only seemed to grow stronger. Her stomach gave a traitorous growl and she practically whimpered at the thought of having to deny herself such a delicious meal.

"There will be plenty of time to eat later."

She knew it was true, but that didn't make it any easier to pass on roast beef. And was that pork dumplings she smelled? And miso ramen? She paused mid-step and braced her hand against the stone wall. Her stomach was grumbling in waves now, reminding her that it'd been countless hours since she'd eaten dinner.

"Well, maybe just a snack..."

It was then that she noticed a door she hadn't seen before. It appeared seemingly out of nowhere at the end of the hall. On either side of it stood two guards, though they didn't appear the least bit concerned by her presence. She cautiously headed towards them.

"Excuse me, I was hoping you could tell me whose castle we're in?"

The guard made no acknowledgement that he'd heard her or even knew she was there. His eyes stared straight ahead but looked through her as though she were a ghost. Miaka tried her luck with the second guard. Maybe he was more talkative than his comrade.

"Hi, Miaka Yuki," she announced with a wave. "Am I allowed to go in?" The guard said nothing but moved aside and pulled the door open to grant her access.

With a satisfied nod, Miaka thanked him and stepped into the room where the scent of delicious food was practically overwhelming. It was all laid out on a table, as though it was waiting just for her. She breathed in deep and swallowed down the rush of saliva that pooled in her mouth. Experience had taught her not to trust banquet style feasts that appeared for no apparent reason, but what harm could a little nibble do? She sidled up to the table and darted a quick glance around to confirm she was alone before greedily shoving several meatballs into her mouth.

"Please, have a seat."

Miaka froze and looked sheepishly over her shoulder. It was only then that she noticed a tall figure standing along the opposite wall with a glass of wine held casually in his hand.

"Who are you?" she demanded. "And what have you done with my friends?"

The man chuckled and downed the contents of his glass before approaching. As he emerged from the shadows Miaka let out a shocked gasp and hastily grabbed a knife off the table.

"You..."

"I assume I need no introduction," Kenshin remarked and calmly took a seat at the table.

Miaka remained standing, her entire body strung tight like a bow. Her brow furrowed as she glared at him and her fingers tightened their hold on the knife in her hand. There was no realm in the universe where she would ever find it in her heart to forgive him for what he'd done. She would kill him, even if it cost her her life.

"How did I get here?" she demanded. Kenshin poured himself another glass of wine before answering her. He held the bottle towards her but when she made no move to take it he set it down atop the table with an indifferent shrug.

"You came here yourself," he informed her and took a sip of his wine. "You arrived a few hours ago."

Miaka was stunned into silence. What was he talking about? She didn't even know where this place was! And she certainly didn't remember leaving the others behind and traveling to wherever this was all on her own. Maybe they'd come with her? She eyed him steadily, unwilling to trust anything he said.

"Rest assured Priestess, your friends will be along shortly. Though I don't imagine they'll be happy to see you after what you've done."

The sick feeling returned and left her head swimming. What was he talking about? Her mind reached into the black abyss, searching for those lost hours she couldn't seem to remember. The way her heart clenched inside her chest told her something terrible had happened, something her mind couldn't bear to remember.

"What are you talking about?" she managed to ask around the lump in her throat. "I don't remember anything like that."

"You wouldn't would you," he said soothingly. "That is an unfortunate side effect of the poison."

Miaka gasped, "Poison? What did you do? I swear to you, if you hurt my friends I'll-"

Kenshin barked a laugh and grabbed her wrist in a vice grip. The knife in her hand fell to the floor and her knees bent under the crushing pressure of his grip.

"I have no need to hurt your friends, not when I have you to do it for me."

Miaka struggled against him but it was no use, his fingers were like steel digging into her flesh. She cried out in pain as he jerked her body towards him.

"You are the perfect bait, Priestess. That hot headed one, Tasuki, is very fond of you. He would have given me the most trouble, but thanks to you he is no longer a concern."

His words slid down her spine like ice water and she ceased struggling. "What are you talking about?" she asked, even as awareness pickled at the back of her neck like a thousand ants crawling across her skin. It came to her in snippets, flashes of memories that felt like a dream. She shook her head to block them out, refusing to believe it.

"No! You're a liar! I would never help you hurt Tasuki!"

Kenshin sneered down at her, amused by her adamant denials.

"I never touched your beloved Tasuki," he informed her snidely. "It was your cunning that lured him into your bed, Priestess. And your seduction that weakened his life force."

"You're a rotten liar," she insisted and glared menacingly at him. "I don't believe a word of it."

She didn't want to believe it. She didn't want to think she was capable of hurting him so deeply. More memories flashed before her eyes. The pained expression on Tasuki's face as he looked up at her. A dark red blood stain seeping into his shirt... No! It wasn't true! It couldn't be true!

Kenshin threw her unceremoniously into the nearest chair. "It does not matter whether you believe me, Priestess. The truth will make itself known in time." He chuckled at this and retrieved his wine from the table. "Maybe in a few months when you begin showing, perhaps?"

Miaka's eyes lowered and she placed a trembling hand over her abdomen. Could it be true? she thought. I can't possibly be pregnant…can I? It's too soon. There's no way he could know something like that!

"When the time is right I will use you to destroy the last of your beloved Suzaku warriors. Not one of them would dare to lay a hand against you, even if it meant their own demise."

Miaka balled her hands into tight fists and shot to her feet, sending her chair crashing violently to the floor. "NO! I will not let you do this!" she shouted and slammed her fists against the table. "I will find a way to stop you! My friends and I will defeat you together."

Kenshin was wholly unbothered by display. He rose slowly from his seat and lifted a contentious brow, "I recall you saying something very similar before you succumbed to the influence of my poison. What makes you think anything will be different this time?"

With that he retreated from the room leaving her stunned and trembling from head to toe. With her hands braced against the table, she stared fixedly at the empty plate in front of her.

It's not true... It can't be true...

Her head swam as her chest grew tight and it became harder to breathe. She didn't want it to be true, but deep in her heart she knew that she'd done something terrible to Tasuki. The now vivid memory of blood blooming across his shirt made her gasp and cover her mouth to stifle a sob. He could be dead and it was all her fault!

"I never wanted to hurt you, Tasuki," she whispered as tears flooded her vision. "I'm so sorry!"

Her legs crumpled beneath her and she collapsed onto the floor next to the table in a fit of sobs. A part of her stubbornly clung to the hope that Kenshin was telling the truth about the rest of the warriors coming to rescue her, but another part of her dreaded the thought of seeing them again. If what she'd seen was true, if she'd really done that to Tasuki, she didn't deserve their help at all.