Author's notes: This chapter is dedicated to my dear friend Sakura-chan, whose birthday is today, January 20th! And I have *another* fabulous gift for her, other than that beautiful AMG wall scroll I gave her! *pulls out a huge box on wheels, having a lot of trouble*

Sakura-chan: WOW! That's big! Why don't you just get Nuriko to carry for you?

Lady Sage: Heh heh…you'll see. *hands her an end of the ribbon* Pull this.

*Sakura-chan pulls the ribbon, and the box falls apart to reveal the entire male cast of Fushigi Yuugi in Speedos*

Sakura-chan and Lady Sage: Ooooh…Speedos… *large puddles of drool*

Chiriko: *raises hand* Um…

Lady Sage: Yeah?

Chiriko: *pleadingly* Can I leave…please?

Lady Sage: Sure. You can leave.

*all of the guys try to sneak off*

Lady Sage: Nuh-uh! The rest of you have to stay! You can only leave with my blessing*evilly* The party's just started. *reveals that they are all on a small island surrounded by water*

*a look of terror dawns in the eyes of all the guys except Tasuki*

Tasuki: (#&^ this! LEKKA SHIENEN!!!! *evaporates the water and walks away, as all the guys follow*

Lady Sage: *falls to knees* Noooooooooooooo!!!!!!!!!! *gets up* Wanna go watch Rayearth OAV?

Sakura-chan: *sweatdrop* Ano…okay…

Lady Sage: *starts walking across where the water *used* to be* Now that Clef…in the OAV, that is…he's a *real* man, not like those wimps who just ran away from us like that. And Eagle…*sigh* Ohmygod, he is so hot. Not to mention Lantis…



Hotohori was shocked at what Chisa had told him. The pain she must have endured in her life, the bitterness she felt…and most of all, he was shocked at the coldness and cruelty his father exhibited. How could he have done something so coldhearted, so unfeeling? How could this be?

Chisa sighed. "Ugh, now I feel like crap. I need to distract myself, or I'll get depressed. You know Kishuku right? He didn't even realize I was a girl until puberty hit us. Here, I'll tell you about the time he actually found out I was a girl…

~Flashback mode~

Tamahome, age 13, was practicing his martial arts when he heard a noise in the bushes. He paused. "Who's there?" he shouted, ready to defend himself.

"Kishuku-chan!" Chisa, age 12, launched herself at her friend and knocked him over. She glomped onto his back and refused to let go. "Practicing again?"

Tamahome didn't respond. He was sure he felt something that was not quite right… He turned around and poked Chisa in the chest. Yes! There it was. He couldn't believe it, though! He had known Chisa for so long, but he had never known this. He wasn't snapped out of his daze until Chisa shouted, "YOU PERVERTED ASSHOLE BASTARD FRICKING FREAKING FRACKING IDIOTIC MORONIC GEEKY STUPID DUMBASS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!" punctuating each word with a punch to the face.

"Um, Chisa…are you growing…breasts?"

Chisa looked at him as if he were a moron. "Yeah, that's usually what happens to girls my age."

"Y-you're a girl!" Tamahome blithered, shocked.

"No ($&^, Sherlock's ex-girlfriend (AN: sorry, an inside joke I couldn't resist). You just figured that out?"

"Yep!" Tamahome laughed embarrassedly. "I always thought you were a guy!"

Chisa glared. "And why in the world I be a guy? All guys are idiots! I would rather die than be a stupid guy like you!" She was halfway into a fighting stance.

Tamahome realized what kind of mood she was in. "You know, you're right. You would never be a guy. You're just too kind and sweet and wonderful and beautiful and, um, bye!" With that, he turned tail and ran.



"Sire!" A guard came running. "We have captured the perpetrator. He is now in the dungeons."

Chisa, through her haze of pain and hurt, heard what Hotohori had been called. "Sire?" She looked up at him, studying him. Now that she thought about it, it was true. His expressions, the way he talked, the way he acted…they all had a regal bearing about them. Rage and hate welled up in her, now combined with a broken heart.

"You…" she snarled. "You BASTARD!" She jerked herself out of her arms, forcing him away from her. She was almost animal-like in her rage, with her lips curled and her eyes filled with fire…and tears. "How DARE you?" she screamed. "All that time, you never told me! DIE!" She pulled a knife out of her trousers and launched herself at Hotohori.

She slashed him in several places before anyone realized what was happening. Even then, Hotohori just stood there, making no move to resist or protect himself, his eyes sorry and filled with pain and sadness. Chisa was almost totally unaware of what she was doing; knowing only that she wanted to injure him, hurt him as he had hurt her. Blood dripped to the ground, but she felt no remorse. In fact, in the maniac state she was in…she was glad.

~**~

The guard was panicked. He was young, and new to the job. He was frightened, unsure of what to do. He didn't see a heartbroken, betrayed teenage girl and an equally pained, heartbroken young man. What he saw was a threat to his emperor. So he mustered up his courage and did what he was trained to do.

Chisa fell to the ground, eyes wide and staring, with the young guard's short sword going straight through her middle, buried hilt deep.



Ending notes: This chapter is short, too! I dunno, but I've had a thing about suspenseful endings lately. Don't worry; this isn't the end of the story. Would I kill off one of my favorite characters?

People who have read her fanfics before: YES!

Lady Sage: Ano…I guess I do kind of have a reputation… *takes a heroic stance* But never fear! This fic shall continue!