Hey! How is everyone? Well, so far, Miaka has agreed to become Suzaku no Miko (Priestess of Suzaku), but what about Karen's role? What part does she have in this story? Please send reviews on your opinions on which Karen should be paired with. I have already some choices, but if I get enough reviews asking for a specific seishi…. I might have to reconsider the storyline…. Who knows! Enjoy! (^.^)

Ayashi no Fushigi Yuugi: Chapter 3

"The girl agreed to become Suzaku no Miko. People formed lines and prostrated before her." Read Yui. "The girl became Suzaku no Miko. At the place she fell asleep and dreamed." 

"Miaka! Miaka!" called a male voice.  "Miaka! Miaka!"

Miaka's eyes fluttered open. "Onii-chan?" (Onii-chan= older brother) Miaka layed, in one of the bedrooms in the palace of Konan. Her eyes focused on the person who had just entered her room.

It was her older brother. "Miaka!" He just stood there, in front of Miaka.

"Onii-chan!" Miaka reached out to grab his left hand. "I want to go back!" she cried. Miaka lifted her head, so that she could look into his eyes. "Onii-chan, hurry please, take me back to my world."

Miaka's brother just stood there, motionless with a monotone look on his face.

Miaka became frantic. "Onii-chan! Onii-chan!"

Still, with the same facial expression, he spoke. "I'm not… your brother."

Miaka's vision was covered in darkness.  

"I'm… not your brother," came a familiar voice.

Miaka was staring up at Tamahome and holding his left hand. Once Miaka realized who it was, she shook her head clear of the dream she had just had. "Tamahome!" Miaka quickly turned her back to him and covered her chest with her arms (Even though she was already wearing her school shirt). "What the hell are you doing in my room?"

"Don't say it like that." Tamahome snapped. He narrowed his eyes, towards Miaka. "I'm here, because you're depressed."

Miaka didn't respond.

"Karen and the Emperor are worried about you," he added.

"The Emperor is?"

Hotohori sat in front of a mirror, inspecting himself, while a couple of his advisors waited behind him. After glancing for a couple seconds, he sighed. "I'm so beautiful, it's scary."

At that remark, all of the advisors fell over in surprise.

"And you were worried about me?"

"Yes," he answered, honestly.

"I'm happy."

"Your news is all over the country."

Miaka looked at Tamahome, confused. "News?"

"Because Suzaku no Miko has appeared…. I can live at this incredible palace." Tamahome smiled.

Miaka pouted and turned her head away, from him. "Don't bother yourself,… I'm not lonely." Miaka made a quick glance at Tamahome. "If I were going to worry… it would be where to get fresh underwear." Miaka gasped.

Tamahome had pulled Miaka to his chest, his head resting on top of hers. "Don't be unreasonable. When you feel like it, cry hard." He said, softly.

"Yes." Miaka was almost speechless.

"As an exception, I'll be your brother… without charge."

Miaka eyes softened and she held onto Tamahome's shirt. "So warm."

"I've been thinking…"

Miaka looked up at Tamahome with a blank stare. "Huh?"

"…To get back to your world… the power of the Suzaku might help…. Because it can make your wishes come true."

"You're right."

Miaka bounded though the hallways of the palace. "Hotohori-saaaan!"

"Miaka!" Tamahome was trying to stop her from racing through the hallways.

"Hotohori-saaaan!" Miaka came running into the room where Hotohori was sitting, reading a scroll. Upon Miaka's entrance, she tripped and fell flat on her face.

"Miaka." The Emperor was surprised.

"Hotohori-san…Um…no…Emperor…"

Hotohori smiled. "You look cheery. I've had administering to do so I couldn't take care of you. Sorry."

Miaka bowed. "That's okay. I'm sorry too."

"So, what's up?"

"Frankly speaking, I want to ask you, how to get the power of Suzaku."

"About that," Hotohori lifted the open scroll and looked at it, "… It's written right here."

Miaka's eyes widened.

"Do you know this book?" the Emperor inquired.

"I don't know the contents. I've only seen it."

"The Four Gods' Sky and Earth."

Miaka smiled. "Yes, that's the one!" she chirped.

"What is it?" Tamahome asked, finally speaking.

"Taiso-sama…"

"Taiso-sama?"

"…The first Emperor… was given this book by Taiitsu-kun… who manages the world."

"Manages it?"

"Actually, the four Gods are twenty-eight constellations divided by East, West, South, and North… each having seven constellations. Ours… Suzaku… is in the southern sky. It is the name of that quadrant. Its seven constellations are: Chichiri, Tamahome, Nuriko, Hotohori, Chiriko, Tasuki, Mitsukake. These are Suzaku' seven seishi." Hotohori reached up to the collar of his garments and moved it out of the way, exposing a red character on the right side of his neck. "I'm Hotohori… the Sea Snake. Tamahome… is the crab."     

Miaka looked, back and forth, at Tamahome and Hotohori.

"He's Suzaku no Miko's protector and gives her power. The Four Gods' Sky and Earth is about the girl who gets the Seven Seishi of Suzaku. It says that everything she wants come true," Hotohori finished.

'That means if you find five more men, with characters on their body…" Tamahome started.

"Everything will come true?" Miaka finished Tamahome's question.

"You have to find the five men first," Hotohori reminded her. "Without all seven Seishi together…the power of the Suzaku will not appear."

"Tamahome," Miaka turned to Tamahome. "Did you know?"

"What's that?"

"That your name is one of the Seven Seishi?"

 "Yeah."

Miaka turned to Hotohori. "Hotohori, I mean, Emperor, did you?"

"Of course I knew."

Miaka frowned. "Oh, that's why they are nice to me," Miaka thought to herself. Miaka turned, so that she wasn't facing either Seishi.

"Why are you disappointed?" Tamahome asked.

Miaka quickly put on a fake smile. "Oh it's nothing!" she chirped. Determination was burning in Miaka's eyes. "All right! Only five more to go!" she shouted, holding up her hands and fingers, in representation of the five.

"Assemble men… who are academically and physically competent!" shouted Hotohori.

"Umm… by the way…" Miaka started. "Has anyone seen Karen-chan?"

Hotohori and Tamahome exchanged glances.

"Shit, I hope they don't decide to go to my room now." Karen was leaning up against the wall, outside of the room where Miaka, Tamahome, and Hotohori were. Karen had been listening to the whole conversation, planning to step in if anything about Tennyo was mentioned. "If they find me out here, it will look bad. They might even consider me as an enemy!" Karen continued to listen.

"Is she still sleeping?" Tamahome asked.

"Speaking of Karen," Hotohori turned to Miaka. "Miaka, am I correct to say that you don't really know this girl?"

"Oh no! This is a bad situation!" Karen clenched her teeth.

Miaka laughed. "Of course I know Karen-chan! She's my friend."  (Miaka just wants to be everyone's friend).

Karen's facial expressions were of shock. "She really thinks of me as a friend?" Karen's face softened and she smiled. Karen

"When did you meet her?" Tamahome looked at Miaka, skeptically.

Miaka turned red with embarrassment. "Umm… about a couple minutes before I came into this world with her and Yui-chan."

Both Seishi sighed.

"Why is that important anyways?"

"Well, Miaka, usually girls are summoned from another world to become a Miko of a country that is in threat of extinction. But, there already has been a Genbu no Miko, a Byakku no Miko, and now you Miaka, Suzaku no Miko."

Tamahome gasped. "You don't think that she is the Seiryuu no Miko?" Tamahome frowned. "That would be bad…"

"You're right Tamahome."

"Huh? What's wrong with her being the Seiryuu no Miko?"

"There is much tension between our countries… and they may use their Miko against us, to harm the country of Konan." Hotohori said, gravely.

Miaka smiled. "It's alright. Karen-chan would never hurt us." Miaka said as she was leaving the room.

Tamahome grabbed Miaka's arm and looked down at her. "Don't be too sure of that, Miaka."

"Karen-chan! Karen-chan!" Miaka came, bursting into Karen's room. Karen was sitting on her bed, already dressed.

"What's up?" Karen grinned at Miaka.

"Hotohori-san is getting together people who could possibly be the last five Seishi. I came to get you, so we can go to the courtyard. You can help me find them."

"Okay." Karen hopped up from the bed.

Miaka looked at what Karen was wearing. "Where did you get that?"

Karen looked down at she was wearing. "This?"

Karen had on another yellow top, but it had sleeves that covered the top of her shoulders. She was also wearing a pair of baggy, dark red cargo pants with her red tennis shoes.

"Yes, this!" Miaka was ecstatic.

"Well, I was on a trip when we came here. I luckily brought my backpack along." Karen looked at the sad Miaka. "If you want…"

Miaka looked at her confused.

"I can let you borrow some of my clothes, until you can get your own."

"Arigatou!" (Thank you). Miaka flung herself at Karen, giving her a bear hug.

"Alright, alright."

Miaka, Karen, Tamahome, and Hotohori stood up on the steps, before many of the Emperor's elite men.

"Emperor… Suzaku no Miko… by your orders… we have assembled the best men." Shouted one of Hotohori's men.

"You did well."

"Raise your hand if you have a character on your body!" Miaka shouted to the men before her.

None of the men raise their hands.

"Huh?"

Karen looked at Miaka. "I didn't think it would be easy…"

Tamahome smiled. "By just wanting it to, the characters won't just appear. One might not even know it's there." He said, calmly. Tamahome then jumped up from sitting on the steps and started to crack his knuckles. "So, I'll test them for ya."

"Why do you get to?" Karen jumped off the steps, in front of Tamahome, blocking him from the men.

"Move outta the way. Ladies shouldn't fight." Tamahome smirked at Karen.

Karen grinned back. "I'm not a lady. I'm a maiden. And, you should leave it to me Tamahomo."

"It's Tamahome!" he shouted, furiously.

Karen looked away from him, disinterested. "Yeah, yeah. Whatever." She turned back to him. "Besides, how will you be able to tell if any of these men are Seishi? Maybe their characters won't appear, because they are being attacked by a fellow Seishi."

"She is right Tamahome. But Karen, are you capable of defending yourself? I would feel horrible if something happened…"

"No you wouldn't." Karen said in a monotone voice.

"What?" Hotohori wasn't sure if he heard her correctly.

Tamahome stood, motionless and Karen took the opportunity.

Karen turned to the men. "Are you ready?" Karen shouted, as she jumped high into the air, doing a summersault and landing behind them.

Miaka clapped her hands. "Oh, that was amazing!"

Karen smirked and without warning she ran into the group of men and past them. Down the middle of the group, where Karen had passed through, half of the men layed unconscious. Karen took out the rest by tripping them and punching them directly in the face.

Tamahome and Hotohori looked at Karen in shock.

Miaka clapped. "That was so great! Where did you learn to do that?"

Karen thought back to the learning programs that her father had made. "I had a lot of free time to learn all types of things from that machine…and thanks to my Tennyo heritage…" Karen grinned. "Oh, my Papa taught me."

Tamahome shook off his shock and became giddy. "I hope the other five are beautiful girls."

Miaka and Karen glared at Tamahome. "I hope the rest are handsome guys," they said in unison.

Miaka chuckled. "Finding Suzaku's Seishi is my territory."

Karen and Tamahome turned to Miaka. "How?"

"Really strong men, no matter what happens, won't hurt a girl," she said as she pulled off her school jacket.

Karen turned red. "What does that make me?!" she shouted incredulously.

"Um…" Miaka put up here hands in defense. "Really strong men won't hurt girls who can't fight."

"Whatever…" she grumbled.

"Like a strong dog that doesn't need to bark a lot," Miaka continued. "You'll see what I mean."

"Korin-sama, lets go back." Said a woman's voice, urgently. "If someone finds you, you'll be scolded."

Two women were standing in the shadows, watching Miaka and the others. One of them was hiding behind a pillar, while the other, a maid, stood beside her.

The one behind the pillar dismissed the maid's request. "That's the Suzaku no Miko that everyone is talking about?"

"Yes, it is." The maid replied.

"Though she's not a princess, she's close to the Emperor." She said with a hint of disapproval. "How about the man and the girl next to her?"

"He's the one who protects Miko-sama and… the girl is a friend, perhaps. He is one of the Seven Seishi, Tamahome-sama."

"Tamahome," Korin repeated.

"Feel free to attack me." Miaka stood in front of the men with her arms crossed, defiantly, over her chest."

All of the men looked at her confused.

"What's wrong?"

"Suzaku no Miko-sama…" one of the men spoke up, "…we can't be so disrespectful."

"That's what you'd say but… you're just cowardly because I'm from another world." She taunted. "You're prouder of your strength than it deserves. Hey, hey… chicken! Those beards are protectors… are deceptive!" she shouted. "STUPID! MORON! FOOLS!"

All of the men growled at her, loosing their tolerance.

"If you're frustrated, attack… you WON-TON guys!"

One of the men balled up his fist in temper. "What does that mean… 'Won-ton' guys!"

Miaka looked nervous. "What? All of them got angry!"

All the men came running at Miaka with their weapons out.

Miaka ran from them in horror. "None of them are Seishi!" she cried.

"Anyone would get angry insulted that much." Tamahome gave Miaka an odd look.

Miaka ran to and opened structure in the middle of the courtyard. She turned to see one of the men toss his hammer at her. The hammer smashed into one of the supporting pillars and the pillar broke.

Tamahome came running. "You Bastards! Don't be so serious against a girl!" Tamahome attacked the men, sending them flying.

Another pillar broke.

"Miaka! Get out of there!" shouted Hotohori!

"Miaka!" Karen cried out, running towards Miaka. "Tamahome is closest, he has to do something."

Miaka cried out as she watched the building collapse.

Tamahome kept running towards Miaka.

The building collapsed.

"MIAKA!" Karen and Hotohori shouted.

"Suzaku no Miko…" Yui read."… was buried beneath the collapsed structure." "What?" Yui looked down at her right leg. It was bleeding. "W-what?!" Yui gasped.

Oooooh, whatta bad place to stop! I'm so evil! What will happen? Will Miaka be saved? What about Yui's leg? And what about Karen?! Please review with your opinion on who Karen should be paired up with and stay tuned for another chapter of "Ayashi no Fushigi Yuugi."