AN: Mako-san, thanks for being honest ^-^ I really didn't want to make Tamahome the bad guy, but I couldn't think of any way to get him out of the story. I know it sounds harsh, but I didn't want some long reason and such on why he doesn't love her, so I thought of the easiest thing possible ^-^;; See, unlike Kitty Lynne ::waves::, I have no creativity whatsoever. Next time I'll try to think up a better reason ^-^
Umm, this chappy is a little violent, not too violent, but does feature the death of a character. ::sniffles:: But I needed it to happen to make the story work.
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"How are we going to get the shinzaho?" Miaka whined. Chichiri, Tasuki, and herself were sitting around a small campfire, courtesy of Tasuki's tessen.
"Who knows. Hitoshi sure got some power though, I'll give em' that much." Tasuki grumbled, poking at the fire with a tree branch. Miaka nodded and wrapped her arms around her legs and rested her chin on her knees. She sighed and continued to watch the fire. Her thoughts drifted to what Nuriko had told her earlier. She snuck a quick glance at Tasuki.
He was concentrating on the fire, his amber dancing with mischief. She blushed faintly as she studied his profile. His fangs peeked out of the corner of his mouth as he grinned at seemingly nothing.
Chichiri grinned behind his mask. He watched Miaka take a furtive look over her shoulder every now and then, thinking she wasn't getting caught. He continued to watch the two, who seemed to be oblivious that he was even there. Deciding to make his presence known, he cleared his throat. Both Miaka and Tasuki jumped, obviously startled.
"We should get some sleep, no da. We'll think about it more in the morning." Chichiri suggested. The two nodded and began to lay down.
"Nigh Chichiri, Night Tasuki." Miaka yawned before turning over and drifting off to sleep.
"Night, Miaka." Tasuki whispered before he too fell asleep. Chichiri smiled and laid down, trying to think up a plan for retrieving the shinzaho.
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Yumi frowned as she watched Hitoshi pace around the large palace room.
'He's so worked up about this Suzaku no Miko.' She noticed sadly. It was like he didn't have time for her anymore. She felt tears of sadness and anger well up in her eyes. Anger because Hitoshi never stayed with her anymore. And it was all that Suzaku girl's fault.
"Hitoshi-sama." She muttered miserably, watching him pace.
A small smile replaced the frown as an idea formed in her mind.
'If I capture the miko, then Hitoshi-sama will stay with me!' She thought happily. She quickly climbed to her feet and skipped out of the room happily.
"Hitoshi-sama will be so pleased!" She happily grabbed a dark navy cloak and wrapped it around her petit frame. She quietly stuffed a few things in her cloak pocket before slipping out of her room. She checked the hallways carefully before making her move and hurrying out the front door unnoticed.
"Just wait Hitoshi-sama. I will get her for you."
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Tasuki stifled a yawn. He had stayed up too late last night, even after Chichiri's suggestion of sleep. Thoughts of his miko overwhelmed him and he stayed up most of the night staring at the stars. Miaka and Chichiri were chattering about something or other behind him, which left him to have some quiet time to himself.
"Oi, Chiri. Where we heading?" Tasuki glanced back over his shoulder. Chichiri shrugged.
"All we can do is head for the Kutou palace. We have to hope we can get in, no da." He frowned as the trio continued their brisk walk on the steep mountain near the enemy palace.
"Matte!"
A small voice interrupted the groups' conversation. They turned around and studied the small girl before them. She was small, with a wiry frame. Her complexion was pale and was only brought out more by the lavender kimono and dark cloak she wore. The cloak's pockets bulged from unknown items and her brown eyes were flooded with tears.
"Oi, what do you think…?"
Miaka silenced Tasuki with a hand as she stepped forward and squatted before the stressed girl.
"Ohayo, what's your name?" Miaka smiled politely. Yumi glared angrily at her. This was the girl Hitoshi was obsessed about? She shook away the thought and let her right hand inch towards her cloak pocket.
"Yumi." She said softly, as not to raise any suspicion. Miaka smiled fondly.
"My name is Miaka. What are you doing out here all by yourself?" She asked, looking behind her to see if she was indeed, alone.
"You're hurt, no da." Chichiri pointed to the numerous cuts and bruises on the girls' body. Yumi shrugged and continued to eye the group wearily.
"If you come with us, we could get you some help." Miaka offered her hand. Yumi stared at it. She had the urge to reach out and trust the girl, but her thoughts trailed back to Hitoshi. How much he wanted this girl, her power. She knew she couldn't let him down.
Before anyone could tell what happened, her hand dove into her pocket and she pulled out a dagger. She quickly slashed at Miaka, catching her cheek. The miko cried out in shock and fell to the ground, cupping her face gingerly with her hands.
"Miaka-chan!" Chichiri kneeled down next to the miko and carefully pried her hand away from her face. Luckily it was a shallow cut. He took a piece of cloth out of his pocket and gently dabbed at it.
"You little bitch…." Tasuki snarled as he approached the girl, tessen in his hand. Yumi backed up nervously, the dagger poised before her as if ready too make another attack.
"I will get your miko! I will!" Yumi yelled angrily as she ducked past Tasuki.
"Oi!" He spun around in time to see Chichiri ward off the next attack intended for the miko.
"Miaka, this girl is crazy! Run!" Tasuki said, grabbing her arm.
"Iie." Miaka calmly pulled away from Tasuki and stood a good distance from the girl. Yumi panted heavily, her body too weak to handle this much movement.
"Why are you attacking me?" She asked quietly, eyeing the girl. Tasuki and Chichiri stood a good distance away in case they had to defend her. Angry tears poured down Yumi's face as she glared at Miaka.
"You took him away from me! He was all I ever had!" She sobbed, falling to her knees. The dagger fell out of her hands as she sobbed, her hands braced on the ground in front of her.
"Who?" Miaka asked quietly, slowly taking another step towards the girl.
"Miaka…" Tasuki warned, but she silenced him with a wave of her hand. Yumi looked up, her eyes, once filled with hatred, anger and determination, were now filled with sadness.
"Hitoshi-sama." She whispered. Three gasps could be heard from in front of her.
"Hitoshi? You mean Nakago's son?" Miaka approached the girl, moving the dagger out of her reach. Yumi nodded numbly.
"Hai, I want him back. That's all. And now he's obsessed with you and I never see him!" She looked up at Miaka, her eyes still filled with tears. Miaka felt a small pang of guilt in her heart. Yumi didn't want to fight. She just wanted Hitoshi to be with her. Miaka embraced the girl in a hug and murmured in her ear until her sobs turned into whimpers.
"Shhh, it's okay."
"Yumi, what are you doing." A new, cold voice boomed from behind Yumi and Miaka.
"H-Hitoshi-sama!?" She squeaked and scrambled away from Miaka, ashamed. She ducked behind him, her eyes watching the ground. Miaka frowned and stood.
"Miaka, get back!" Tasuki ran in front of his miko. Chichiri did the same. Hitoshi watched, not amused.
"Why are doing this!? Yumi needs you!" Miaka angrily yelled at the boy. At the mention of her name, Yumi's head shot up in shock. Did Miaka really know what she was feeling?
"I will take no more of this." Hitoshi raised a hand and shot a bolt of energy at Miaka. Chichiri blocked it with his staff.
"Impressive." Hitoshi raised both hands this time, and threw a larger ball of energy at the group, which they easily dodged.
"Hah! Was that the best you could do!?" Tasuki teased.
"I wouldn't be so smug." Hitoshi advised. Yumi watched in horror as the ball Hitoshi threw came back around and headed toward Miaka.
"Iie!" Yumi sprinted over to Miaka and covered her body with her own.
"Yumi?" Miaka looked over her shoulder at the girl clinging to her waist. Miaka's eyes widened as she saw the ball of energy fly at her. She screamed as the impact of the blow sent her and Yumi flying to the ground.
"Miaka!" The two Suzaku seishi ran over to their miko, who was cradling Yumi to her chest.
"Y-yumi. Are you okay?" Miaka asked, wincing at the pain in her back. Silence.
"Yumi? C'mon, get up." Miaka nervously laughed and shook the girls' shoulders.
"Mi-aka?" Yumi opened her eyes a crack. Miaka nodded, glad that the girl was alive.
"I'm here, Yumi." She assured her.
"Miaka, arigatou….I…feel better now. I'm not….afraid to die." She whispered, taking shallow breaths. Miaka's eyes widened and filled with panic.
"W-what are you talking about?" She asked, her heart pounding in her chest. Yumi offered a weak smile, her brown eyes showing with adoration for the older girl before her.
"Aishteru, Hit-oshi….sa….ma…." She breathed before her eyes slid closed.
"Yumi….?" Miaka whispered.
"Miaka, I think she's….." Chichiri stated sadly, studying the still girl.
"Iie. She isn't. Are you, Yumi?" Miaka laughed as tears fell from her eyes.
"Yumi, wake up. Onegai! Yumi!" Miaka hunched over the girls' body, sobbing.
Hitoshi watched on in shock. 'Yumi, you… saved her. Why?' The ball of energy wasn't very powerful at all, but for someone in Yumi's condition….
~*FlashBack*~
"Iie! Iie!" A younger Yumi, at the tender age of seven, tried to pull out of the drunk man's grasp.
"You bitch, listen to me! I bought you because of your damn condition and you won't even do what I say!?" He roared and backhanded the girl. She flew to the ground whimpering from the sheer impact of the hit.
"You will listen to…what the hell?" The man looked behind him when he felt a rock hit his head. A young boy with yellow hair stood, eyeing the man coolly.
"Let her go." He demanded, gathering some more rocks in his hands. The man smirked.
"You want me to let her go? Get a life, kid." He growled, turning back around to face Yumi. She cowed away in fear, holding her already bruised cheek.
"I said, leave her alone!" The young boy, Hitoshi, ran up to the man and kicked him. Hard. The man yelped and grabbed his leg. Hitoshi quickly grabbed Yumi's hand and dragged her along with him, away from the man and into the woods.
"Bitch!" He yelled as he tried to keep up with them. After a feeble attempt to catch them, he gave up and went back home to wallow in his self-pity.
"A-arigatou." Yumi blushed and thanked the young boy. Hitoshi nodded curtly, then noticed her complexion.
"You don't look right. Are you okay?" He asked.
"H-hai. I was told I had a heart murmur, so my parents sold me off. That man bought me." She shuddered at the thought.
"What will I do now? I have no where to go?" Yumi grabbed Hitoshi's sleeve fearfully.
"You can come live with me." Hitoshi suggested. He was never this open with strangers. But something drew him to this girl before him. Yumi smiled excitedly.
"Arigatou!" She chirped, hugging him.
"My name is Yumi! What's yours'?"
"Hitoshi."
~*End FlashBack*~
"Yumi…" Hitoshi whispered, ignoring the stinging sensation in the back of his eyes. He glared angrily at the Suzaku no Miko. It was all her fault.
"It's all your fault! I swear I will kill you!" He yelled angrily before charging at Miaka with his sword.
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AN: What, did one of you think I was gonna kill off Tasuki or Chiri? Are you CRAZY!? ^-^ Whoo! What a place to leave off, ne? ^-^ Anyway, ::sniff:: Poor Yumi! ::cries:: I didn't want her to die….but…..::Grabs tissues:: Read and review please!
~*Neoshipper*~