"Who's no Miko?" - Fushigi Yugi

Part 2

Kaijin stood in the doorway of the hut she and the three other Nakago Seishi lived in as Wataru and Ketsa walked up the path, teasing and brawling the whole way. The rough hand of her male twin landed at her shoulder, comforting the mind he knew to be troubled.

"The Miko will come, Kaijin."

"I hope so..." she whispered as she watched the wind disturb the delicate sands. "I hope so..."

****

"So...did she visit you at work?" Reese paced around her large room, holding the cordless phone to her ear.

"Who?"

"Shelly," he drawled out the name dreamily.

Reese rolled her eyes. "She doesn't know where I work."

"You sound disappointed."

"I'd hit you if I could. I've gotta go."

"Did I hit a nerve?" Jake sarcastically asked.

"No. I have homework."

"Sure ya do."

"I'm hanging up."

"Love ya too, Pieces." Reese smiled as she hung the phone back on the cradle. With a quick sigh, she flopped down in the dark brown leather chair and rolled over to the strained oak corner desk. She stared at the physics, English, and math books and notebooks that were neatly stacked where she had placed them earlier. Her gaze shifted to the notebooks of stories, poems and other writings that lined several shelves. With a second hesitation, she grabbed one and opened it. Reese quickly grabbed her pen out of its holder and placed the tip of it to the page, already half full of words written in a semi-neat script. Carefully re-reading what was already written, she began to finish the thoughts and story. Within minutes, her pen was flying from page to page, filling them with wonderful ideas about dragons, princesses, thieves, a handsome prince, and daring deeds. She didn't stop until her mother called her for dinner.

****

"Reese, what would you think about going to Tokyo?" Reese nearly fell out of her chair.

"Japan!! You're taking me to Japan?!" At her father's nod, she leaped out of the chair and ran over to him, giving him a big hug. Her gather smiled as he hugged her back.

****

"The Miko will be here soon."

"Miko? I though He was sealed, no da."

"He was."

Chichiri turned away from Taiitsukun, his frowning face hidden behind a smiling mask. "Why was she not sealed as well?"

A frown formed on Taiitsukun's face as well. The Nyan Nyan, for once, were silent.

"She should have been." Taiitsukun stared off for a second. "Chichiri!"

"Hai, no da!"

"Watch this girl."

"Hai, no da!" With a swirl of his kasa, the blue-haired monk disappeared.

****

"The Suzaku Seishi Chichiri knows about our Miko." Kaijin sat up and stared at her twin from the opposite bed.

"How do ya know?" Wataru interrupted.

Kain shook his head slightly. "I can feel his 'chi,' you dolt.'"

"Dolt?" Thunder crashed outside,

"Boys," Kaijin's calm voice intervened just as Ketsa stepped up next to Wataru. She placed a comforting hand on both of their shoulders. "Be calm. We can not afford this fight. We must be strong at this time. The other Seishi of the other Gods will try to stop us. We can not let them stop the Miko from releasing Nakago." The others nodded.

****

"Japan! 'Grates, Pieces." Jake hugged Reese and swung her up. Shelly looked with a blank star, baffled by all the commotion. She lightly cleared her throat, causing the two best friends to stop and turn to her.

"Um..." Her confused look said everything. Reese looked at Jake; Jake looked at Reese. Both broke into fits of hysterical giggles, which only cause Shelly to become more baffled.

"I'm going to Japan, Shelly," Reese finally said after sobering a bit.

"That much I got, but...what's the big deal?" Next to her Reese heard Jake choke on the soda he'd been sucking down. He was about to speak, but at Reese's "do it and you die" look, he backed off.

"Shelly, this is like a dream come true for me. I'm finally going to Japan. You have no clue how long I've wanted this." She felt Jake smile. He knew. Of course he knew. Jake had been with her since kindergarten. He knew everything about Reese. He was the first, and only person to know that she was... "When are you leaving?" Jake broke in, knowing exactly with Reese had been thinking just by her expressions.

"A week from tomorrow," replied the grateful Reese. Jake nodded slowly, but Shelly seemed upset. She placed hands on hips and glared at the two friends as they prattled on about what Rees do for two weeks in Tokyo. Reese stopped mid-sentence when she felt the angry gaze at her back.

"What up..?" she cautiously asked. Shelly stamped her foot.

"You're leaving in a week for two weeks. Who an I going to hang out with?"

"Um...Jake...?"

"Thanks, Reese," Reese heard him mutter under his breath. She smiled.

"Shelly, why doing you hang out with your other friends. Besides, it's just two weeks. I think you'll be okay for two weeks without me around."

"No kidding. The real question is...what am I going to do?" Jake whined. His eyes became wet with fake tears as he threw himself at Reese and latched on to her. Reese was laughing so hard, she could hardly stand and the two went crashing to the ground. Shelly didn't laugh as the two sat there, entangled in each other's arms, laughing at how stupid they were. Instead, Shelly stamped her foot again. She turned and walked away as she called good-by over her shoulder. Reese stopped laughing and watched her walk away. Then Jake was tickling her and Reese was suddenly more concerned at getting away from his hands than what was up with Shelly. Besides, she thought to herself, it's just two weeks. She'll get over it.

****

The bullet train was the fastest thing that Reese had ever been on. She watched with fascination as the buildings of Tokyo went flying by. She believed that nothing could ever hurt this city.

A desert suddenly flashed in front her. She was back on the train moments later. Reese closed her eyes and shook her head.

"Something wrong, Reese?" her father asked.

"Huh...oh. No...it just must be jet-lag." Reese chuckled and continued to stare out of the window. She was suddenly back in the desert again. This time Reese knew she wasn't dreaming. The heat was too real. The sand was too grainy. The dunes were too huge. The- she was back on the train.

"Um...Dad? I think I need to go back to the hotel. I don't feel so good."

"Alright. We'll get off at the next stop."

****

"She's coming, no da."

"No way. That Nakago bastard was sealed twenty years ago. And ever if she was coming, Genrou is here to stop her."

"It won't be easy, Tasuki-kun, no da. The Nakago Seishi are very strong, no do. They should be since Nakago is their God, no da. They even have some of their power left, no da. We didn't when Yui-sama sealed Suzaku, remember, no da." Chichiri reminded the red haired bandit who sat at the desk before him. Tasuki swore then hit the top of the desk with the butt of his tessin.

"Damn it, Chichiri. What're we gonna do then? Can just the two of us take on all seven of them?" Chichiri smirked. "Whatcha smirkin' at?"

"I never said seven, no da." Chichiri answered.

"Whatcha mean-" Suddenly, Tasuki got it. Now he too was smirking, his fangs slightly showing from the corner of his mouth. "So they don't got all seven. So..." The light bulb faded.

"So, even with seven, we couldn't always keep track of Miaka, no da. They won't be able to be with the Nakago no Miko all the time, no da. If I can get to her-, no da"

"Why you?"

Chichiri facefaulted. "Tasuki, you can distract them and I can talk to the Miko, no da. Maybe I can take her to Mt. Taikyoku and tell her the story of Nakago and get her on our side, no da."

Tasuki nodded and smiled again. He laughed at Chichiri. Chichiri sweatdropped then facefaulted. He sighed as he watched Tasuki laugh.

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