Misara didn't wake until late the next day, and only because of a terrible pain near her heart. It only lasted briefly, but it was enough to take her breath away. As she stood up, she realized that she wasn't dizzy anymore, and that she actually felt better than she had in days. Except for the chest pain, she was fine, and she decided to get out her violin and practice.
I haven't practiced for three months, she thought to herself. As she cradled the instrument in her arms, she was saddened by the thought of how unfamiliar it seemed to her. She usually never went more than a day without practicing, but since she didn't have it for the past three months, she decided that it wasn't really her fault. Sighing, she set it on her shoulder and started out with her scales. Cringing at how out of tune it was in the humidity, she wished she had some music to read. Remembering a concerto she had played a few years ago, she started to play.
Hotohori was pacing nervously through the hallways. For the life of him, he couldn't figure out what was wrong with Misara, besides the fact that he called her Miaka, which mortified him to no end. Putting himself in her place, he realized how much that must have stung, but why on earth was she fainting? Surely it didn't have anything to do with him, so could it have something to do with her being the Goddess of the Sky? Thoroughly confused, he was interrupted in the middle of his thoughts by a strange sound that wafted through the halls. It was impossible to describe, but he liked the sound. He followed the beautiful sound though the palace and finally reached Misara's room. The sound was coming though the door from her room, and gathering his courage, Hotohori opened the door and peered in curiously. Misara was standing in the middle of the room, with something brown on her shoulder. He guessed that the sound was coming from the brown thing as she pulled a long stick across the top of it. He must have made a sound, for she stopped and turned around to face him. Her eyes grew wide, then her cheeks reddened.
"Was I playing too loud?" She asked. "I'm sorry..."
"No, no..." Hotohori shook his head quickly. "It's just...what is that? Is that thing making that beautiful sound?"
Misara laughed quietly, a pretty sound that reminded him of Miaka's laugh. Wanting to hit himself for thinking of Miaka again, he frowned. Misara saw his frown and stopped laughing.
"I'm sorry, I wasn't laughing at you..." She apologized quickly, looking rather frightened.
Hotohori waved his hand. "No, it's alright. I was just...thinking of something..."
"Oh." Misara said quietly.
A moment of silence passed between them, before Hotohori spoke.
"Would you play something for me?" He asked politely. Misara nodded slowly, then began to play a soft, lilting piece. Hotohori sat by her, listening intently, until they were summoned to dinner.
Early the next morning, Misara was up and wide awake. She was practicing with her bow and arrow, but after a few hours, she was bored. Sighing, she put them away and decided to walk out into the city. Hotohori was busy with his advisors again, and she didn't want to disturb them, so she left without telling him. After walking a while in the city for a couple hours and missing lunch, she was about to turn around to go back to the palace when she stopped in her tracks and gasped softly. Her heart was hurting again, this time more than before, and she looked down at her chest. She gasped even louder this time, drawing attention from the people around her. On her chest shone Nuriko's symbol, and it was getting brighter every second, and burning her skin. Or was that her imagination? Misara couldn't tell, and she could have cared less because the pain was becoming unbearable. She sank to her knees in pain and was about to scream out when suddenly, the pain vanished and she felt fine. She looked down again and the symbol was gone, like the pain. Someone came up to her and asked if she was alright. She could only nod distractedly, her mind racing furiously to think of what it meant. She pulled herself to her feet and hurried back to the palace as fast as she could. She wanted to read that scroll again and see if it said anything about this.
When she walked into the palace, she was confronted by Hotohori, who was looking very upset. In fact, she had never seen him so mad before. He demanded to know where she had been and why she didn't tell anyone where she was going.
"I was going to tell you, but you were busy..." she began, but he cut her off.
"That doesn't excuse your behavior. I was worried about you when no one could find you. I even sent guards out to search for you in the city!" He was about to continue, but Misara was so mad that she interrupted him.
"Why should you care about me anyway? It's my job to protect you and all the others, but you don't have to care a thing about me! I think you only want me around to remind you of how much you love Miaka...and every time you look at me, I know you're wishing I was Miaka instead of myself!" Misara was so furious that she couldn't say anymore, and ran off to her room, horrified that she had said something like that to His Highness.
All that afternoon, Misara silently bashed herself for being so childish, immature, and selfish. She played fierce, angry pieces on her violin to get rid of the tension until her fingers were raw and she couldn't think of anything else to play. As mad as she was at herself for being stupid, she didn't come out of her room for dinner. However, she did come out when a servant knocked on her door and informed her that Nuriko was back. Thoughly confused, she hurried to the main hall to find Nuriko and see why Miaka wasn't back too.
When she reached the hall, she found Nuriko kneeling, telling Hotohori what had happened in the few days they had been gone. Misara rushed into the room, interrupting them and asked loudly, "Where's Tamahome and Miaka? Where are they?? I thought they were coming back with you, Nuriko!"
Nuriko spun around and looked at her with sad eyes. "I was just about to tell His Highness that. I suppose you should know as well. You see, Miaka's friend, Yui, or something, is supposedly here in this world. Miaka wanted to find her, so she ran off without telling us, and Tamahome went after her. Oh yeah, so did Chichiri."
"Who?" Misara asked.
"He's another one of the Celestial Warriors. He saved us from Kutou assassins, and then when Miaka and Tamahome ran off, he followed them and told me to come here to tell you what had happened."
Hotohori's eyes narrowed. "Where did Miaka go, exactly?"
Nuriko sighed loudly. "Our best guess is that she went looking for her friend, who is possibly the Priestess of Seiryu. She's in Kutou, sire."
Hotohori stood up quickly. "My horse, now!" He all but screamed. His advisors struggled to hold him back, and tried to talk some sense into him. There was no way, they exclaimed, for him to go anywhere near Kutou without instigating a war. Hotohori gave up and sat back down on his throne, looking very dangerous, his hands gripping the armrests in anger. Nuriko looked on with his sad eyes, and Misara stared at the floor.
The waiting was the hardest part. Every second stretched on while the three waited for Miaka's return. Hotohori was all but civil to anyone in the beginning, but after a while he calmed down. Nuriko tried to comfort him, but he wouldn't eat or sleep. His face began to show signs of weariness, and just when Misara started to get really worried, Miaka came back.
Misara was in her room, practicing her violin as usual, when Nuriko rushed by and shouted,
"Miaka's back!! Hurry up, Misara!" Misara set her violin carefully in its case and latched it, then bolted out the door. She hurried into the hall where she found Hotohori, Nuriko, Miaka and Tamahome. She rushed up to Miaka and hugged her tightly.
"Thank goodness you came back alright!" She said, breathless from her run. Miaka smiled her big, happy smile and said, "Of course I'm alright! How have things been here with you?"
"Just fine, I've been practicing for hours on end but I love it." Misara answered.
She then turned around and hugged Tamahome. "Did anything exciting happen on your 'adventure'?" She asked him. Before he could answer, Misara turned quickly back to Miaka. "Did you find your friend?"
Miaka shrugged. "Well, sort of. It's a long story." Her face brightened instantly. "Oh!" She cried. "I forgot to tell you guys about Chichiri!" She motioned to the tall, blue-haired man standing behind everyone, who no one had noticed. He was smiling oddly, and his eyes didn't move when he said "Hello!" cheerfully. How funny, Misara thought, but he seemed nice enough. "Chichiri, right? I'm Misara." She said, walking up to him and holding out her hand. He didn't seem to understand the gesture and just looked at her funny. She blushed and withdrew her hand.
A loud cry sounded from behind her. It was Miaka, who had just remembered something else. Misara turned to her, confused.
"Misara, there was another girl in Kutou, with Yui...she looked really surprised to see me and called me Misara at first. She's got red hair that's really curly and wild and brown eyes. She said she was your best friend...but..." Misara gasped and put her hand to her mouth.
Taylor....she thought....It has to be Taylor...but...how did she get here??
I haven't practiced for three months, she thought to herself. As she cradled the instrument in her arms, she was saddened by the thought of how unfamiliar it seemed to her. She usually never went more than a day without practicing, but since she didn't have it for the past three months, she decided that it wasn't really her fault. Sighing, she set it on her shoulder and started out with her scales. Cringing at how out of tune it was in the humidity, she wished she had some music to read. Remembering a concerto she had played a few years ago, she started to play.
Hotohori was pacing nervously through the hallways. For the life of him, he couldn't figure out what was wrong with Misara, besides the fact that he called her Miaka, which mortified him to no end. Putting himself in her place, he realized how much that must have stung, but why on earth was she fainting? Surely it didn't have anything to do with him, so could it have something to do with her being the Goddess of the Sky? Thoroughly confused, he was interrupted in the middle of his thoughts by a strange sound that wafted through the halls. It was impossible to describe, but he liked the sound. He followed the beautiful sound though the palace and finally reached Misara's room. The sound was coming though the door from her room, and gathering his courage, Hotohori opened the door and peered in curiously. Misara was standing in the middle of the room, with something brown on her shoulder. He guessed that the sound was coming from the brown thing as she pulled a long stick across the top of it. He must have made a sound, for she stopped and turned around to face him. Her eyes grew wide, then her cheeks reddened.
"Was I playing too loud?" She asked. "I'm sorry..."
"No, no..." Hotohori shook his head quickly. "It's just...what is that? Is that thing making that beautiful sound?"
Misara laughed quietly, a pretty sound that reminded him of Miaka's laugh. Wanting to hit himself for thinking of Miaka again, he frowned. Misara saw his frown and stopped laughing.
"I'm sorry, I wasn't laughing at you..." She apologized quickly, looking rather frightened.
Hotohori waved his hand. "No, it's alright. I was just...thinking of something..."
"Oh." Misara said quietly.
A moment of silence passed between them, before Hotohori spoke.
"Would you play something for me?" He asked politely. Misara nodded slowly, then began to play a soft, lilting piece. Hotohori sat by her, listening intently, until they were summoned to dinner.
Early the next morning, Misara was up and wide awake. She was practicing with her bow and arrow, but after a few hours, she was bored. Sighing, she put them away and decided to walk out into the city. Hotohori was busy with his advisors again, and she didn't want to disturb them, so she left without telling him. After walking a while in the city for a couple hours and missing lunch, she was about to turn around to go back to the palace when she stopped in her tracks and gasped softly. Her heart was hurting again, this time more than before, and she looked down at her chest. She gasped even louder this time, drawing attention from the people around her. On her chest shone Nuriko's symbol, and it was getting brighter every second, and burning her skin. Or was that her imagination? Misara couldn't tell, and she could have cared less because the pain was becoming unbearable. She sank to her knees in pain and was about to scream out when suddenly, the pain vanished and she felt fine. She looked down again and the symbol was gone, like the pain. Someone came up to her and asked if she was alright. She could only nod distractedly, her mind racing furiously to think of what it meant. She pulled herself to her feet and hurried back to the palace as fast as she could. She wanted to read that scroll again and see if it said anything about this.
When she walked into the palace, she was confronted by Hotohori, who was looking very upset. In fact, she had never seen him so mad before. He demanded to know where she had been and why she didn't tell anyone where she was going.
"I was going to tell you, but you were busy..." she began, but he cut her off.
"That doesn't excuse your behavior. I was worried about you when no one could find you. I even sent guards out to search for you in the city!" He was about to continue, but Misara was so mad that she interrupted him.
"Why should you care about me anyway? It's my job to protect you and all the others, but you don't have to care a thing about me! I think you only want me around to remind you of how much you love Miaka...and every time you look at me, I know you're wishing I was Miaka instead of myself!" Misara was so furious that she couldn't say anymore, and ran off to her room, horrified that she had said something like that to His Highness.
All that afternoon, Misara silently bashed herself for being so childish, immature, and selfish. She played fierce, angry pieces on her violin to get rid of the tension until her fingers were raw and she couldn't think of anything else to play. As mad as she was at herself for being stupid, she didn't come out of her room for dinner. However, she did come out when a servant knocked on her door and informed her that Nuriko was back. Thoughly confused, she hurried to the main hall to find Nuriko and see why Miaka wasn't back too.
When she reached the hall, she found Nuriko kneeling, telling Hotohori what had happened in the few days they had been gone. Misara rushed into the room, interrupting them and asked loudly, "Where's Tamahome and Miaka? Where are they?? I thought they were coming back with you, Nuriko!"
Nuriko spun around and looked at her with sad eyes. "I was just about to tell His Highness that. I suppose you should know as well. You see, Miaka's friend, Yui, or something, is supposedly here in this world. Miaka wanted to find her, so she ran off without telling us, and Tamahome went after her. Oh yeah, so did Chichiri."
"Who?" Misara asked.
"He's another one of the Celestial Warriors. He saved us from Kutou assassins, and then when Miaka and Tamahome ran off, he followed them and told me to come here to tell you what had happened."
Hotohori's eyes narrowed. "Where did Miaka go, exactly?"
Nuriko sighed loudly. "Our best guess is that she went looking for her friend, who is possibly the Priestess of Seiryu. She's in Kutou, sire."
Hotohori stood up quickly. "My horse, now!" He all but screamed. His advisors struggled to hold him back, and tried to talk some sense into him. There was no way, they exclaimed, for him to go anywhere near Kutou without instigating a war. Hotohori gave up and sat back down on his throne, looking very dangerous, his hands gripping the armrests in anger. Nuriko looked on with his sad eyes, and Misara stared at the floor.
The waiting was the hardest part. Every second stretched on while the three waited for Miaka's return. Hotohori was all but civil to anyone in the beginning, but after a while he calmed down. Nuriko tried to comfort him, but he wouldn't eat or sleep. His face began to show signs of weariness, and just when Misara started to get really worried, Miaka came back.
Misara was in her room, practicing her violin as usual, when Nuriko rushed by and shouted,
"Miaka's back!! Hurry up, Misara!" Misara set her violin carefully in its case and latched it, then bolted out the door. She hurried into the hall where she found Hotohori, Nuriko, Miaka and Tamahome. She rushed up to Miaka and hugged her tightly.
"Thank goodness you came back alright!" She said, breathless from her run. Miaka smiled her big, happy smile and said, "Of course I'm alright! How have things been here with you?"
"Just fine, I've been practicing for hours on end but I love it." Misara answered.
She then turned around and hugged Tamahome. "Did anything exciting happen on your 'adventure'?" She asked him. Before he could answer, Misara turned quickly back to Miaka. "Did you find your friend?"
Miaka shrugged. "Well, sort of. It's a long story." Her face brightened instantly. "Oh!" She cried. "I forgot to tell you guys about Chichiri!" She motioned to the tall, blue-haired man standing behind everyone, who no one had noticed. He was smiling oddly, and his eyes didn't move when he said "Hello!" cheerfully. How funny, Misara thought, but he seemed nice enough. "Chichiri, right? I'm Misara." She said, walking up to him and holding out her hand. He didn't seem to understand the gesture and just looked at her funny. She blushed and withdrew her hand.
A loud cry sounded from behind her. It was Miaka, who had just remembered something else. Misara turned to her, confused.
"Misara, there was another girl in Kutou, with Yui...she looked really surprised to see me and called me Misara at first. She's got red hair that's really curly and wild and brown eyes. She said she was your best friend...but..." Misara gasped and put her hand to her mouth.
Taylor....she thought....It has to be Taylor...but...how did she get here??
