So… lazy… must… write… beginning…

Blech. School started today. I really don't feel like thinking. My brain already hurts. Oh, and by the way, Math Analysis seriously sucks. Don't ever take it. I'm just going to get on with the story…

Chapter Twelve: The Way to Goodbye

"So you're absolutely certain, Chichiri?"

"Absolutely. Nakago wouldn't even try to attack either me or Miaka. Always Kori." Chichiri nodded.

"You also say Tamahome will never return?" Chichiri nodded again. "I cannot believe that Tamahome could inflict such wounds on Miaka!"

"Your Majesty," Mitsukake stepped forward. "This seems to be a technique that controls from within. I would guess that Tamahome was forced to take Kodoku. Even I would be powerless against that."

"Therefore Miaka had to... how horrible!" Hotohori put his hand to his head.

"If you'll excuse me, Your Majesty, I must go see to the patients, now."

Hotohori nodded to Mitsukake, who disappeared to take care of Miaka. He appeared moments later and headed in the opposite direction to take care of Tasuki and Kori. Chichiri followed.

"Hey, Chichiri, Mitsukake," Kori stated painfully as the two entered.

"Hello, Kori," Mitsukake replied back, first checking on the still unconscious Tasuki. "We'll take care of your wounds first, I suppose."

"Kori?" Chichiri asked as Mitsukake got closer to her. "Do you know why Nakago only attacked you?"

Kori shook her head. "I don't know. Hey... don't do that!" She brushed away Mitsukake's hands, which were taking her shirts off.

"Kori, I need you to take your shirts off so I can inspect your injuries." He countered, continuing his struggle to get the first one off. He succeeded in doing so. Kori scowled.

"You really don't want to. I'm very... self-conscious!"

"It doesn't matter. I need to see those wounds." He began the second one.

"Please don't! I can look at them! When you're gon--OW!"

"See? Struggling isn't helping you."

"Yeah, Kori, just be still a moment," Chichiri chided.

"I. Don't. Want. My shirt off!" she cried, struggling even more. The scond and third shirt were now gone. All that was left was her bright orange one.

"What the--" Mitsukake began noticing the rather... feminine form of Kori.

"Yeah. Are ya happy now!?" Kori snapped.

"We... we had no idea!" Chichiri countered quickly.

"Well, now that you know, there's no point in trying to hide it. C'mon, Mitsukake. Check out those wounds you needed to see so bad!" She snapped again, quickly removing the bright orange (thank god for bras). Mitsukake and Chichiri both turned away habitually. "Gracious, you've seen it before!" Kori rolled her eyes and grinned. "I want to be healed now!"

"Certainly," Mitsukake replied quickly, grabbing some antiseptic and bandages. "Why didn't you tell us you were... a girl?"

"It's kind of complex. And don't tell anybody, please? Especially Tasuki!" Kori glanced at her bandit pal quickly, then looked pleadingly at the two men before her. Chichiri smiled and pulled at his face, revealing the cute chibi expression to be merely a mask.

"We all carry our secrets," he stated, and Mitsukake nodded in agreement. Kori smiled satisfactorily as Mitsukake began bandaging her. Chichiri turned away and began to silently think and analyze some things that had been bothering him. He quickly left the room.

Kori was just putting her last disguise shirt back on when Tasuki stirred. He moaned painfully and cracked open one eye. Mitsukake smiled and stood next to his bed.

"Morning, sunshine!" Kori laughed and flashed a victory sign as Tasuki groaned again. Mitsukake sat him up very, very catiously. He started wrapping him up by starting at the head. He banadaged more of Tasuki without any complaints. However, when he pulled out the arm, Tasuki cried out in pain. Kori winced sympathetically, but couldn't supress her giggles.

"Can't y'take it a little easier!? I'm dyin' here!!" Tasuki shouted to Mitsukake's face. Kori laughed even harder.

"Three broken ribs, broken right arm and leg, body-wide contusions, etc... If you survived these injuries, you won't die any time soon. I'll heal you once my powers are restored after Kori," Mitsukake replied back very calmly. Tasuki leaned back against the bed and winced as Mitsukake worked on his leg.

"I ain't no animal, y'butcher!" Tasuki shouted as Mitsukake turned his leg painfully. Kori managed to finally supress her laughter.

"Tasuki, he's just trying to help you! You'd be in worse pain if he weren't doing this now!" she scolded. "An' Mits, you can heal him first: he's a little more severe than me." Kori winked and gave another victory sign.

"An' what about Miaka? Ya healed her with yer powers, right!?" Mitsukake nodded in response to Tasuki's question.

"I may have healed her wounds, but..." Mitsukake sighed dramatically. "There's nothing I can do about her heart." Tasuki looked at him and nearly rolled his eyes. Kori began laughing again.

***

"Hotohori..." Kori stepped into the large hall and looked around for the Emperor. She finally spotted him on the floor, trying to look busy. "Your Majesty..." Kori stated louder, finally getting his attention. He looked at her with tired, dejected eyes.

"What do you require?" he asked, his voice not helping his forlorn attitude.

"Hoto... Your Highness..." Kori struggled for the right words to say.

"Please, call me Hotohori," he forced a smile.

"Thank you." Kori offered a sympathetic smile back. "I... um... I'm really sorry... about Miaka, I mean. I know what you're going through."

"I... thank you for your concern, but--"

"She's gone!" Nuriko dashed into the room, looking very distressed.

"Miaka's vanished!?!" Hotohori cried, turning to Nuriko quickly.

"Is this true!?" Kori checked and Nuriko nodded.

"I can't find her anywhere! She just left this note!" Nuriko handed the note to Hotohori. He examined it quickly.

"What does it say!?" he asked incredulously.

"It says..." Kori looked at it and gasped. "It says... Goodbye." Before anybody could say anything else, Hotohori was out the door.

"Go get Mitsukake and Chiriko! Start looking!" Nuriko ordered. Kori nodded and dashed off in the opposite direction of Nuriko.

"Water!?!" Chichiri shouted as Mitsukake, Chiriko, and Kori all met up with him, Nuriko, and Tasuki.

"Water!?" All five others cried.

"The pond!" Nuriko shouted suddnely, dashing off in that direction. The others followed quickly. Nuriko stopped when he spotted something on the ground. He leaned in to pick it up. "This is... His Majesty's..."

Chiriko gasped and pointed to something in the water. "Th-That's..."

"Miaka!" Kori shouted. "His Majesty!?!" Sure enough, Hotohori's life force was protecting both him and Miaka. He floated over them and landed safely on the ground.

"Phew!" Chichiri sighed, checking Miaka's pulse as Hotohori landed. "She's all right. She's alive! No da!"

"Miaka!" Nuriko cried, trying to take her from Hotohori. He refused to let go.

"She's alive! Thank the gods!"

***

Sorry about the crappiness of this chapter and the last chapter. I really am just feeling lazy today. Couldn't have anything to do with the fact that all my teachers seem to think that we need to WORK on the FIRST DAY OF SCHOOL!! Blech. So here's the new chapter, sorry for crappiness, and the next two should be up tomorrow. But oh… Kori's secret revealed to more people… when will the others discover it??

You'll have to wait, won't you??

By the way, if there's a mistake that's really bothering you, please let me know. I know exactly how you feel (there was a story where someone was engaged to the wrong person by typo), and I'd really like to fix it! Even well comstructed flames (tell me why, though) are accepted!

Well, look tomorrow for the next additions of Secrets Best Left Alone, Chapter Thirteen: To Protect You!!!

~Taryn Eithne

Here's a teaser:

"'Only one person could have done it without at least Chichiri feeling him!'"

Whoa… more suggestiveness… whoopsies… ^^;