Misara walked happily to Miaka's room, glad to have a girl to talk to who would understand.
But when she got there, the door was closed and she heard the voices of the priestess and an
unmistakable Tamahome. As much as Misara wanted to talk to Miaka, she thought better of it, and
decided to leave those two alone.
I'll have to talk to her tomorrow then, before we leave, Misara thought a little reluctantly.
Now that she had nothing to do, she didn't know where to go.
I suppose I could go look for Nuriko and the others, she thought, but then she decided that
she wasn't really in the mood for more teasing from Nuriko. So she hitched up her skirt and headed
out to the gardens as the sun was starting to set.
She sat under a huge willow, watching the sunset behind the trees until it had completely
disappeared and the sky became very dark. The lights from the palace didn't reach the place where
she sat, and she realized that it was kind of peaceful, being alone in the dark. She leaned back and
closed her eyes.
The next thing she knew, someone was shaking her awake. She frowned and pushed them
away, yawning. Opening her eyes, she saw that it was morning, and crowded all around her were the
warriors of Suzaku and Miaka. Hotohori was sitting next to her, looking very worried.
"What?" She said, still yawning.
"We've been looking for you all morning, Misara!" Tamahome said, a little angrily.
She rubbed at her eyes. "Well, sorry." She muttered. "I guess I fell asleep out here..." She
gave Tamahome a look. "That's no reason to get all bent out of shape, Tama."
"We were worried about you." Hotohori said softly.
Misara turned to him. "I didn't mean to make you worry." She said sincerely. She stood up
and brushed the dirt off the back of her dress. "So..." she started. "What's going on? I mean,
besides the fact that all of you came looking for me for no reason."
No one said anything at first, and Misara raised an eyebrow. "If you weren't going to say
anything, you could have let me sleep a little longer, you know."
"Could I...talk to you alone?" Hotohori asked nervously, playing with the cuffs on his sleeves.
"Huh?" She said, turning to him again. "Well, sure, I guess."
"Alright! We'll leave you two alone now!" Miaka said loudly. She herded the rest of them
away. "Come on, you guys, let's eat some breakfast!"
As soon as they were gone, Misara yawned again and rubbed at her aching neck. "That's what
I get for falling asleep like that..." she said to herself.
"What did you say?" Hotohori asked.
She waved her hand. "Oh, nothing." She yawned again. "So what did you want to talk to me
about?"
"Oh...well..." he started. It wasn't like him to act so nervous, Misara thought, as the two of
them sat down on the nearest bench.
"Hey..." She said, taking his hands and smiling up at him. "Whenever you're ready."
Hotohori cleared his throat. "Did Tasuki talk to you about coming with us today?" Misara
frowned a little.
"Yes...well, sort of." She admitted. "Is that what this is about?"
"Yes." Hotohori said.
"I had planned on going with you, and I still am." Misara said stubbornly, knowing that he
didn't want her to go.
Hotohori looked incredibly uncomfortable for a moment and ran his hand through his hair.
"Well..." he started.
Misara held up her hand. "Hold on a second, Hotohori. If you're trying to convince me that I
shouldn't go, you can just forget about it."
Hotohori grabbed her shoulders. "No, I won't." He said firmly. Misara opened her mouth to
speak, but he continued. "I cannot and will not let you go with us. It's too dangerous!"
Misara pulled out of his grip. "I want to go! I don't care if you think it's dangerous or not!"
"Please, Misara..." he begged. "Think about this rationally..." he reached for her hand, but
she pulled it out of his reach again.
"I don't want to think about this rationally! I want to go with you! Suzaku may not be around
any longer, but I still consider myself the Goddess! I'm supposed to protect you!" She shot back.
Hotohori sighed loudly. "Nothing I say is going to change your mind, is it?" he asked tiredly.
"No." Misara said simply.
Heading back to the palace, Hotohori was intercepted by one of his advisors, and Misara left
him behind as she headed back to her room. On the way there, she ran into Houki, the last person she
wanted to talk to. She knew that she had no reason to be ashamed or anything, but she still felt
uncomfortable, and from the looks of it, so did Houki.
"Lady Misara?" Houki asked cautiously. "Could I speak to you for a moment?" Misara
looked around, but finding no escape, finally nodded dejectedly.
"Well," Houki started, and Misara noted that she was wringing her hands. "You see, I was
talking to my hus...er, his Highness, and he told me about you, and..." she trailed off, but Misara didn't
speak, instead letting her continue. After a few moments, she did.
"I think...that if you and...his Highness...are to be married..." she stopped again, and with a
determined look in her eyes, rushed on. "I think we should be friends." She finally looked up at
Misara, who didn't know what to say. That was the last thing Misara thought that Houki would say,
and she was a little stunned, but pleased.
"I would like us to be friends," Misara started, and Houki's eyes turned hopeful, "but I'm still
not sure if I'm going to marry Hotohori or not."
"Oh..." Houki said, looking as though that were the last thing she'd thought Misara would say.
"Oh..."
"Well," Misara went on, "I'd still like to be friends, if you don't mind."
Houki smiled, looking for all the world like Nuriko, which Misara found a little disturbing. But
she smiled back at the Empress, glad that she understood and that she didn't hate Misara.
"Here..." Houki said suddenly, grabbing Misara's hand and putting something heavy into it.
Upon closer inspection, Misara saw that it was a large ring with a golden phoenix on it, strung on a long
chain. She looked up at Houki again, puzzled.
Houki blushed. "His Highness gave it to me a long time ago...and I thought it might bring you
luck today. You need Suzaku's protection more than I do." Misara didn't have the heart to tell her
that Suzaku didn't exist anymore, so she smiled once more at the Empress and expressed her
gratitude.
Misara changed out of her dress and back into her old clothes, not really wanting to get the
dress dirty or anything, since it really didn't belong to her. She had hung the ring around her neck, as it
was too big to wear around her finger. Besides, she didn't really want Hotohori seeing it, because
although it was obviously Houki's to give, she felt like a thief all the same. The book she had found in
the monastery had been lying forgotten on her desk, and she stuck it in her pocket once more, wishing
she had time to inspect it closer. Deciding that she was finally ready, she headed out to where the
others were gathering to leave, not wanting them to leave her behind.
She climbed onto her horse, her bow on her back, and waited for the others to do the same.
When everyone was ready, they left the safety of the palace and headed toward the battlefield. By this
time, Misara was almost regretting her decision to come, but she kept her face emotionless and stared
straight ahead, not wanting to give herself away. Hotohori rode next to her in silence, and she knew
that if she wanted to, he would take her back. Not sure what they would find when they got there,
Misara was a little taken aback to see that the fighting had already started. From a nearby plateau, she
could see Nakago and the rest of the Seiryu warriors. She couldn't see his face, but she just knew that
Nakago was wearing that smile. She cringed in spite of herself, causing Hotohori to glance over at her.
She turned to him. He was decked out in his war clothes: armor, sword, and a helmet complete with a
plume. If the situation had been so serious, she might have laughed, but as this was definitely not the
time, she kept her mouth closed.
From the giant group of soldiers in front of them came sounds of steel clashing and battle cries.
Before anyone could react, twin bolts of lightning came out of the sky and landed in the heart of the
battle. Misara's group stopped in their tracks, not sure of where to go. Ahead of Misara, Tamahome
made a rude noise and she heard him mutter, "Soi."
Misara pulled her bow off her back and strung an arrow. She didn't have anywhere to aim it,
however, although the thought of hitting Nakago with it made her smile just a little. Suddenly, the noise
of the battle seemed to dim, and a bright blue light radiated from the plateau where the warriors of
Seiryu and Yui were standing. Very clearly they could hear Yui say, "Kai-jin" and make her first wish.
An identical blue light surrounded Miaka, and then extended to Misara. Miaka screamed as she began
to disappear. Misara couldn't breathe as the world around her swirled and all the colors blurred
together, finally turning black. The last thing she heard was Hotohori's voice, yelling her name.
But when she got there, the door was closed and she heard the voices of the priestess and an
unmistakable Tamahome. As much as Misara wanted to talk to Miaka, she thought better of it, and
decided to leave those two alone.
I'll have to talk to her tomorrow then, before we leave, Misara thought a little reluctantly.
Now that she had nothing to do, she didn't know where to go.
I suppose I could go look for Nuriko and the others, she thought, but then she decided that
she wasn't really in the mood for more teasing from Nuriko. So she hitched up her skirt and headed
out to the gardens as the sun was starting to set.
She sat under a huge willow, watching the sunset behind the trees until it had completely
disappeared and the sky became very dark. The lights from the palace didn't reach the place where
she sat, and she realized that it was kind of peaceful, being alone in the dark. She leaned back and
closed her eyes.
The next thing she knew, someone was shaking her awake. She frowned and pushed them
away, yawning. Opening her eyes, she saw that it was morning, and crowded all around her were the
warriors of Suzaku and Miaka. Hotohori was sitting next to her, looking very worried.
"What?" She said, still yawning.
"We've been looking for you all morning, Misara!" Tamahome said, a little angrily.
She rubbed at her eyes. "Well, sorry." She muttered. "I guess I fell asleep out here..." She
gave Tamahome a look. "That's no reason to get all bent out of shape, Tama."
"We were worried about you." Hotohori said softly.
Misara turned to him. "I didn't mean to make you worry." She said sincerely. She stood up
and brushed the dirt off the back of her dress. "So..." she started. "What's going on? I mean,
besides the fact that all of you came looking for me for no reason."
No one said anything at first, and Misara raised an eyebrow. "If you weren't going to say
anything, you could have let me sleep a little longer, you know."
"Could I...talk to you alone?" Hotohori asked nervously, playing with the cuffs on his sleeves.
"Huh?" She said, turning to him again. "Well, sure, I guess."
"Alright! We'll leave you two alone now!" Miaka said loudly. She herded the rest of them
away. "Come on, you guys, let's eat some breakfast!"
As soon as they were gone, Misara yawned again and rubbed at her aching neck. "That's what
I get for falling asleep like that..." she said to herself.
"What did you say?" Hotohori asked.
She waved her hand. "Oh, nothing." She yawned again. "So what did you want to talk to me
about?"
"Oh...well..." he started. It wasn't like him to act so nervous, Misara thought, as the two of
them sat down on the nearest bench.
"Hey..." She said, taking his hands and smiling up at him. "Whenever you're ready."
Hotohori cleared his throat. "Did Tasuki talk to you about coming with us today?" Misara
frowned a little.
"Yes...well, sort of." She admitted. "Is that what this is about?"
"Yes." Hotohori said.
"I had planned on going with you, and I still am." Misara said stubbornly, knowing that he
didn't want her to go.
Hotohori looked incredibly uncomfortable for a moment and ran his hand through his hair.
"Well..." he started.
Misara held up her hand. "Hold on a second, Hotohori. If you're trying to convince me that I
shouldn't go, you can just forget about it."
Hotohori grabbed her shoulders. "No, I won't." He said firmly. Misara opened her mouth to
speak, but he continued. "I cannot and will not let you go with us. It's too dangerous!"
Misara pulled out of his grip. "I want to go! I don't care if you think it's dangerous or not!"
"Please, Misara..." he begged. "Think about this rationally..." he reached for her hand, but
she pulled it out of his reach again.
"I don't want to think about this rationally! I want to go with you! Suzaku may not be around
any longer, but I still consider myself the Goddess! I'm supposed to protect you!" She shot back.
Hotohori sighed loudly. "Nothing I say is going to change your mind, is it?" he asked tiredly.
"No." Misara said simply.
Heading back to the palace, Hotohori was intercepted by one of his advisors, and Misara left
him behind as she headed back to her room. On the way there, she ran into Houki, the last person she
wanted to talk to. She knew that she had no reason to be ashamed or anything, but she still felt
uncomfortable, and from the looks of it, so did Houki.
"Lady Misara?" Houki asked cautiously. "Could I speak to you for a moment?" Misara
looked around, but finding no escape, finally nodded dejectedly.
"Well," Houki started, and Misara noted that she was wringing her hands. "You see, I was
talking to my hus...er, his Highness, and he told me about you, and..." she trailed off, but Misara didn't
speak, instead letting her continue. After a few moments, she did.
"I think...that if you and...his Highness...are to be married..." she stopped again, and with a
determined look in her eyes, rushed on. "I think we should be friends." She finally looked up at
Misara, who didn't know what to say. That was the last thing Misara thought that Houki would say,
and she was a little stunned, but pleased.
"I would like us to be friends," Misara started, and Houki's eyes turned hopeful, "but I'm still
not sure if I'm going to marry Hotohori or not."
"Oh..." Houki said, looking as though that were the last thing she'd thought Misara would say.
"Oh..."
"Well," Misara went on, "I'd still like to be friends, if you don't mind."
Houki smiled, looking for all the world like Nuriko, which Misara found a little disturbing. But
she smiled back at the Empress, glad that she understood and that she didn't hate Misara.
"Here..." Houki said suddenly, grabbing Misara's hand and putting something heavy into it.
Upon closer inspection, Misara saw that it was a large ring with a golden phoenix on it, strung on a long
chain. She looked up at Houki again, puzzled.
Houki blushed. "His Highness gave it to me a long time ago...and I thought it might bring you
luck today. You need Suzaku's protection more than I do." Misara didn't have the heart to tell her
that Suzaku didn't exist anymore, so she smiled once more at the Empress and expressed her
gratitude.
Misara changed out of her dress and back into her old clothes, not really wanting to get the
dress dirty or anything, since it really didn't belong to her. She had hung the ring around her neck, as it
was too big to wear around her finger. Besides, she didn't really want Hotohori seeing it, because
although it was obviously Houki's to give, she felt like a thief all the same. The book she had found in
the monastery had been lying forgotten on her desk, and she stuck it in her pocket once more, wishing
she had time to inspect it closer. Deciding that she was finally ready, she headed out to where the
others were gathering to leave, not wanting them to leave her behind.
She climbed onto her horse, her bow on her back, and waited for the others to do the same.
When everyone was ready, they left the safety of the palace and headed toward the battlefield. By this
time, Misara was almost regretting her decision to come, but she kept her face emotionless and stared
straight ahead, not wanting to give herself away. Hotohori rode next to her in silence, and she knew
that if she wanted to, he would take her back. Not sure what they would find when they got there,
Misara was a little taken aback to see that the fighting had already started. From a nearby plateau, she
could see Nakago and the rest of the Seiryu warriors. She couldn't see his face, but she just knew that
Nakago was wearing that smile. She cringed in spite of herself, causing Hotohori to glance over at her.
She turned to him. He was decked out in his war clothes: armor, sword, and a helmet complete with a
plume. If the situation had been so serious, she might have laughed, but as this was definitely not the
time, she kept her mouth closed.
From the giant group of soldiers in front of them came sounds of steel clashing and battle cries.
Before anyone could react, twin bolts of lightning came out of the sky and landed in the heart of the
battle. Misara's group stopped in their tracks, not sure of where to go. Ahead of Misara, Tamahome
made a rude noise and she heard him mutter, "Soi."
Misara pulled her bow off her back and strung an arrow. She didn't have anywhere to aim it,
however, although the thought of hitting Nakago with it made her smile just a little. Suddenly, the noise
of the battle seemed to dim, and a bright blue light radiated from the plateau where the warriors of
Seiryu and Yui were standing. Very clearly they could hear Yui say, "Kai-jin" and make her first wish.
An identical blue light surrounded Miaka, and then extended to Misara. Miaka screamed as she began
to disappear. Misara couldn't breathe as the world around her swirled and all the colors blurred
together, finally turning black. The last thing she heard was Hotohori's voice, yelling her name.
