Chapter 18: My All
Mirakuru sat comfortably against the seat in the large dining room. "I hope she hurries up, I'm getting impatient," she smiled wishing Miaka would get there so they could start the feast. Hotohori, who was sitting next to her, at the head of the table, glanced towards her. His hand supported his head and his hair was pulled back revealing his startling green eyes.
"That seems to be one of your qualities." He grinned at her with a sexy smile with a secret message of 'Just wait until I get you alone again.' She flustered as her face flushed. Mirakuru found herself pulling the Emperor away from the table. Nobody really noticed except the curious eyes of Daikonsen.
*You're gonna find the battles ahead even harder then the internal ones you're fighting now, Miraku-chan.* She followed with her glare as the king allowed the girl to lead him to where ever it was they were headed. *But he really does love you,* she smiled at the last sight of the Emperor's robes. Nuriko sat across the table from her. She smiled at him, "What's up?"
He came out of his dream world. "Hmm." He blinked and absorbed her words. "Oh! Nothing." He smiled back. His violet eyes met hers and they burned.
"Huh?" She said to herself, surprised with his unusual calmness. She watched the way his eyes looked at where Mirakuru was just sitting, it was different, unlike the warmth she usually saw, but what a guardian angel might look like. Her eyes followed Chichiri and Saikyo as they walked in. Chichiri's aura didn't have that usual glow and neither did Densetsu's.
"Well look who it is." Tamahome teased. "The guards were getting quite a show this morning, weren't they Chichiri?" Chichiri just looked at him but didn't say anything. "What?"
Nuriko hit him over the head. "Just leave them alone, they both look exhausted."
He rubbed the side of his head with a large hand. But he came closer to his face with his and with a touch of his hand to his back he whispered. "Just like the way I'll make Miaka."
Saikyo blushed even harder then Mirakuru had down and Mitsukake, Chiriko, and Nuriko let out a laugh.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ "I wish we hadn't been interrupted earlier." Mirakuru shied her eyes away from his and admitted her feelings to him, but it was hard for her to do so. "Maybe we would still be together, or maybe in your room. Maybe we'd still be--"
"I know..." He pulled her into his arms. "I know, more than you could ever imagine." He sighed and allowed her closer. "You really are still a little girl... But I'll change all that..." His voiced hissed into her ear.
"Hotohori, I want you," she dared to whisper, her cheeks painted with a soft pink.
"Then let me have you..." He muffled against her hair. Her hands slipped up to his arms and then to his hands. Taking his hand she began to run, still he followed, and she led him to his room.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
By the time the had reached his chambers tresses of his hair were flying free. They entered the luxurious room with speed and as they crossed the floor she pushed him to his back against his bed. "I want you inside of me," the sternness in her voice scared him, but he closed the gap between them with his arms.
"Dear girl," he murmured. "Aishiteru... As the others travel in search of the Shinzaho of Genbu, I want you to stay with me. We can get married, I'll make you my bride, my wife, my Empress."
"Stay!" She shivered and drew back. "I didn't even think about it."
"I cannot leave Konan, I am the Emperor."
"But, I want you to be with me." As if she could no longer support her face she put it on his chest and laid down next to him.
"And if I were an ordinary man I would be. I have my responsibilities, so I cannot go. Stay with me Mirakuru."
*Hotohori...* She clung to him wanting so badly to stay, but wanting even more to help with the war ahead. Indecision filled the room and her heart, as well as her mind. Her better judgement said to go, he can wait. Her heart said she should go, he'll always be the one. But why did she so badly want to stay in these warm arms. Nuriko. The warrior called "Willow," the strength of a thousand and the heart of no man before him. She knew she'd get caught up in him again, caught up in same frustration as before.
"With you I want to spend, the rest of my life." Lifting her up into his arms, she snuggled up against his body. "Will you allow me to keep you with me?"
"I have to go with them." Mirakuru wanted to cry but she wouldn't show it. "No matter how much I want to stay, I can't."
"Then let me--" Before he could think any further he began to act, his hands reaching to undress her. "--Touch your body." Their bodies switched positions and he looked down at her nude body with a need she feared. "You're so beautiful, almost to perfect to touch." There was nothing she could say, he made her feel beautiful, and wanted, and loved. "I want just one night with you... I want to feel your body next to mine..."
"Hmm..." Some how tears began creasing her cheeks and be grew startled.
"What is wrong?"
"Nuriko said those things to me too," she finally said after a moment. His words floated around her hurting heart.
"Mirakuru," he wanted to cry too. His body rested on top of hers but he was still dressed. "Why do you have to mention Nuriko?... Why can't it be just us? I want you to be mine, not his, not ever." Then he sat up and his eyes away from her. "Only one man can truly love you." There was ruffling sounds as she moved around for her panties and bra. She slide her school uniform top over her body to hid as much as she could, as well as her red skirt. "And I cannot let you go with him."
The headpiece was pulled away from his already loose hair and he set it aside on a table. He stood up, upset with her. *How could she think of Nuriko?* He took a step, then another, and another.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Arms went around him and he couldn't move any further. "I have to go! Damn it Hotohori!!!"
(Music starts to play... "My All" Mariah Carey)
"Please, stay with me, I need you right now..." He whispered and she could feel his honesty as tears streaming down his face like rain does on the glass of a window during a thunderstorm. "Do not make me cry..."
"You already are..." she whispered back. "And... so am I..." She paused for a moment and ran a hand through his hair and down his back. He fell backwards just then, into her arms, and into her embrace.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~I'm thinking of you
In my sleepless solitude tonight
If it's wrong to love you
Then my heart just won't let me be right
'Cause I've drowned in you
And I won't pull through without you by my side
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Her fingers entwined with his and she clenched their hands together.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
I'd give my all to have
Just one more night with you
I'd risk my life to feel
Your body next to mine
'Cause I can't go on
Living in the memory of our song
I'd give my all for your love tonight
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"You know I can't stay," she said sadly.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Baby can you feel me
Imagining I'm looking in your eyes
I can see you clearly
Vividly emblazoned in my mind
And yet you're so far
Like a distant star
I'm wishing on tonight
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"But..." He sank into her.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
I'd give my all to have
Just one more night with you
I'd risk my life to feel
Your body next to mine
'Cause I can't go on
Living in the memory of our song
I'd give my all for your love tonight
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
This was the first time he'd ever shown how much he needed her to stay with him, and knew it'd kill him if she didn't. *Hotohori... My love...* She shook her head and she sobbed, he cried even harder.
He'd never cried so hard. "I know this is hard for you, but please, stay... Stay with me, I'll make you my bride... I'll make you my wife, and I'll make you mine. Spend your life with me... If you go--"
"Stop..."
"I will sink into my yearning for you, and if I don't make love to you soon, I'll die."
"Hotohori!" She held him tightly against her body that was being undressed once again.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
I'd give my all to have
Just one more night with you
I'd risk my life to feel
Your body next to mine
'Cause I can't go on
Living in the memory of our song
I'd give my all for your love tonight
Give my all for your love
Tonight
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
He was inside her, only partially but their desires were stopped from a knock on the door.
"Sire," a guard said, "The Priestess wishes your presence as well as the Lady Mirakuru." Immediately he pulled away and dressed himself. "Shall I tell her you're on your way Majesty."
"Yes, thank you." He whipped away his tears and became angry with himself for crying over a silly little thing. *She'll stay...*
"Hotohori?" The girl said, cheeks flushed with a cherry color, the tears still wet on her face, but she was not crying.
"We best get to the ceremony and I'd like no mention of this to the others." He was distancing himself from her.
"But--" She said and grasp a hold on his waist after she slipped her clothes back on for the second time. "Didn't that mean anything?"
He turned around still pinning his shirt. "We didn't make love." Something told her he was still crying on the inside.
"We almost did. Isn't that enough for now?"
"Mirakuru." His eyes focused on hers and he lifted her up into his arms. Her feet no longer touched the ground. "I love you..."
"I love you, Hotohori... And I swear..." She hid her hurting eyes. "Next time we are together we will..." *But it won't be tonight, because tonight I won't be with you...*
He smiled at her and took her hand as he lead her back to the Dining Room. Uneasily she crossed the room, but with grace and Nuriko's eyes followed hers. Their eyes met and she sent a silent message to him. 'I'm leaving Hotohori to help with the journey... And I'll be with you...'
Mirakuru sat comfortably against the seat in the large dining room. "I hope she hurries up, I'm getting impatient," she smiled wishing Miaka would get there so they could start the feast. Hotohori, who was sitting next to her, at the head of the table, glanced towards her. His hand supported his head and his hair was pulled back revealing his startling green eyes.
"That seems to be one of your qualities." He grinned at her with a sexy smile with a secret message of 'Just wait until I get you alone again.' She flustered as her face flushed. Mirakuru found herself pulling the Emperor away from the table. Nobody really noticed except the curious eyes of Daikonsen.
*You're gonna find the battles ahead even harder then the internal ones you're fighting now, Miraku-chan.* She followed with her glare as the king allowed the girl to lead him to where ever it was they were headed. *But he really does love you,* she smiled at the last sight of the Emperor's robes. Nuriko sat across the table from her. She smiled at him, "What's up?"
He came out of his dream world. "Hmm." He blinked and absorbed her words. "Oh! Nothing." He smiled back. His violet eyes met hers and they burned.
"Huh?" She said to herself, surprised with his unusual calmness. She watched the way his eyes looked at where Mirakuru was just sitting, it was different, unlike the warmth she usually saw, but what a guardian angel might look like. Her eyes followed Chichiri and Saikyo as they walked in. Chichiri's aura didn't have that usual glow and neither did Densetsu's.
"Well look who it is." Tamahome teased. "The guards were getting quite a show this morning, weren't they Chichiri?" Chichiri just looked at him but didn't say anything. "What?"
Nuriko hit him over the head. "Just leave them alone, they both look exhausted."
He rubbed the side of his head with a large hand. But he came closer to his face with his and with a touch of his hand to his back he whispered. "Just like the way I'll make Miaka."
Saikyo blushed even harder then Mirakuru had down and Mitsukake, Chiriko, and Nuriko let out a laugh.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ "I wish we hadn't been interrupted earlier." Mirakuru shied her eyes away from his and admitted her feelings to him, but it was hard for her to do so. "Maybe we would still be together, or maybe in your room. Maybe we'd still be--"
"I know..." He pulled her into his arms. "I know, more than you could ever imagine." He sighed and allowed her closer. "You really are still a little girl... But I'll change all that..." His voiced hissed into her ear.
"Hotohori, I want you," she dared to whisper, her cheeks painted with a soft pink.
"Then let me have you..." He muffled against her hair. Her hands slipped up to his arms and then to his hands. Taking his hand she began to run, still he followed, and she led him to his room.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
By the time the had reached his chambers tresses of his hair were flying free. They entered the luxurious room with speed and as they crossed the floor she pushed him to his back against his bed. "I want you inside of me," the sternness in her voice scared him, but he closed the gap between them with his arms.
"Dear girl," he murmured. "Aishiteru... As the others travel in search of the Shinzaho of Genbu, I want you to stay with me. We can get married, I'll make you my bride, my wife, my Empress."
"Stay!" She shivered and drew back. "I didn't even think about it."
"I cannot leave Konan, I am the Emperor."
"But, I want you to be with me." As if she could no longer support her face she put it on his chest and laid down next to him.
"And if I were an ordinary man I would be. I have my responsibilities, so I cannot go. Stay with me Mirakuru."
*Hotohori...* She clung to him wanting so badly to stay, but wanting even more to help with the war ahead. Indecision filled the room and her heart, as well as her mind. Her better judgement said to go, he can wait. Her heart said she should go, he'll always be the one. But why did she so badly want to stay in these warm arms. Nuriko. The warrior called "Willow," the strength of a thousand and the heart of no man before him. She knew she'd get caught up in him again, caught up in same frustration as before.
"With you I want to spend, the rest of my life." Lifting her up into his arms, she snuggled up against his body. "Will you allow me to keep you with me?"
"I have to go with them." Mirakuru wanted to cry but she wouldn't show it. "No matter how much I want to stay, I can't."
"Then let me--" Before he could think any further he began to act, his hands reaching to undress her. "--Touch your body." Their bodies switched positions and he looked down at her nude body with a need she feared. "You're so beautiful, almost to perfect to touch." There was nothing she could say, he made her feel beautiful, and wanted, and loved. "I want just one night with you... I want to feel your body next to mine..."
"Hmm..." Some how tears began creasing her cheeks and be grew startled.
"What is wrong?"
"Nuriko said those things to me too," she finally said after a moment. His words floated around her hurting heart.
"Mirakuru," he wanted to cry too. His body rested on top of hers but he was still dressed. "Why do you have to mention Nuriko?... Why can't it be just us? I want you to be mine, not his, not ever." Then he sat up and his eyes away from her. "Only one man can truly love you." There was ruffling sounds as she moved around for her panties and bra. She slide her school uniform top over her body to hid as much as she could, as well as her red skirt. "And I cannot let you go with him."
The headpiece was pulled away from his already loose hair and he set it aside on a table. He stood up, upset with her. *How could she think of Nuriko?* He took a step, then another, and another.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Arms went around him and he couldn't move any further. "I have to go! Damn it Hotohori!!!"
(Music starts to play... "My All" Mariah Carey)
"Please, stay with me, I need you right now..." He whispered and she could feel his honesty as tears streaming down his face like rain does on the glass of a window during a thunderstorm. "Do not make me cry..."
"You already are..." she whispered back. "And... so am I..." She paused for a moment and ran a hand through his hair and down his back. He fell backwards just then, into her arms, and into her embrace.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~I'm thinking of you
In my sleepless solitude tonight
If it's wrong to love you
Then my heart just won't let me be right
'Cause I've drowned in you
And I won't pull through without you by my side
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Her fingers entwined with his and she clenched their hands together.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
I'd give my all to have
Just one more night with you
I'd risk my life to feel
Your body next to mine
'Cause I can't go on
Living in the memory of our song
I'd give my all for your love tonight
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"You know I can't stay," she said sadly.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Baby can you feel me
Imagining I'm looking in your eyes
I can see you clearly
Vividly emblazoned in my mind
And yet you're so far
Like a distant star
I'm wishing on tonight
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"But..." He sank into her.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
I'd give my all to have
Just one more night with you
I'd risk my life to feel
Your body next to mine
'Cause I can't go on
Living in the memory of our song
I'd give my all for your love tonight
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
This was the first time he'd ever shown how much he needed her to stay with him, and knew it'd kill him if she didn't. *Hotohori... My love...* She shook her head and she sobbed, he cried even harder.
He'd never cried so hard. "I know this is hard for you, but please, stay... Stay with me, I'll make you my bride... I'll make you my wife, and I'll make you mine. Spend your life with me... If you go--"
"Stop..."
"I will sink into my yearning for you, and if I don't make love to you soon, I'll die."
"Hotohori!" She held him tightly against her body that was being undressed once again.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
I'd give my all to have
Just one more night with you
I'd risk my life to feel
Your body next to mine
'Cause I can't go on
Living in the memory of our song
I'd give my all for your love tonight
Give my all for your love
Tonight
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
He was inside her, only partially but their desires were stopped from a knock on the door.
"Sire," a guard said, "The Priestess wishes your presence as well as the Lady Mirakuru." Immediately he pulled away and dressed himself. "Shall I tell her you're on your way Majesty."
"Yes, thank you." He whipped away his tears and became angry with himself for crying over a silly little thing. *She'll stay...*
"Hotohori?" The girl said, cheeks flushed with a cherry color, the tears still wet on her face, but she was not crying.
"We best get to the ceremony and I'd like no mention of this to the others." He was distancing himself from her.
"But--" She said and grasp a hold on his waist after she slipped her clothes back on for the second time. "Didn't that mean anything?"
He turned around still pinning his shirt. "We didn't make love." Something told her he was still crying on the inside.
"We almost did. Isn't that enough for now?"
"Mirakuru." His eyes focused on hers and he lifted her up into his arms. Her feet no longer touched the ground. "I love you..."
"I love you, Hotohori... And I swear..." She hid her hurting eyes. "Next time we are together we will..." *But it won't be tonight, because tonight I won't be with you...*
He smiled at her and took her hand as he lead her back to the Dining Room. Uneasily she crossed the room, but with grace and Nuriko's eyes followed hers. Their eyes met and she sent a silent message to him. 'I'm leaving Hotohori to help with the journey... And I'll be with you...'