Chapter 20: Is It Really So Easy?
Daikonsen awoke from her slumber to discover and overwhelming sense of pride surrounding her. She shifted and sat up. As she pulled the sheets away, she spotted a large dark stain in the white clothe. *Blood* She studied it. *I--I am not a virgin anymore.* She couldn't help but smile. *I lost my innocence to an angel.* The dry blood was almost a new confidence in her. She was purely a woman now, no child left to run back too. Daikonsen remembered the incredible passion, pleasure, and love she had felt, remembered the persperation dripping down their faces, the warmth in his eyes, the way his character glowed brighter with each time he rose above her. She remembered the way it felt, every single motion, moving together, as one body, two parts of the same soul. They were one that past night. They were one still in her heart. They were one and she remembered, oh how she remembered.
Seeing the sunlight dancing on the waters surface, she stood at the corner of the the bed. Softly crossing the room, violet eyes caught their reflection as well as her naked body. She was oblivious to the dark eyes staring back at her. Sky colored hair tumbled off her shoulders in wild curls. The tress ended at her waist. A deep red in the mirror caught her attention. Daikonsen gasped at the eyes but then a hand reached out for her and another. Panic filled her senses and immediately her body reacted, struggling and pulling away. "Mmm... Uhh!!!"
The fierce hands encircled and with one last cry she was pulled into the mirror. Her room remained quite and grew dim. Everything happend so fast and so quickly that it took her a moment to breathe. She didn't realize were she was until she opened her eyes. She was in the arms of the God of Love. "Daikonsen."
"Tenshi!" She gasped at his grasp around her. "What's going on?!"
"Nothing... Nothing at all. I just wanted to see you."
"Oh." Her face blushed but a smile creased her lips. *Tenshi.*
He allowed her to step back a little to look up at him. Stepping slowly back her gaze followed up, up, up until it met his face. She'd never seen him stand next to her and he was unbelieveably tall. The young woman would only meet his chest, but what else can you expect from a god. "You are so beautiful."
"Hmm!" She blinked at his remark. Looking down at herself she made a scary revelation--she was nude!! "Uh!" She frowned at herself but he just let out a soft chuckle, watching with amusement as she tried to cover herself.
"Silly chiisai hotaru (the correct way to say "little firefly")." Shaking his head he came closer. "You don't need to hid yourself from me." He planted a kiss on her forehead. The gems reacted and the character of the Phoenix appeared.
"Tenshi--"
"Just--" He came so close, so close... like the wind against your skin in a cool burst of a warm summer breeze. But he wasn't the wind. He was a fire. He was heat, his skin was warm and his touch hot. She thought if she ever tried to run from him, he'd always follow. "I love you..." He covered her mouth with his. A power eclipsed over them and energy ran like wind through her hair sending chills up her spine. A deep colored, crimson dress gently caressed her skin and she felt her long sky blue tresses touch her bare back. The dress was low in the front, lined with a gold silk. The back was extremely revealing touching her hips and then barely covering her bottom. It reached past her ankles in red layers. Her arms were covered with the same material except the sleves were gold. "Aishiteru... Megumi..."
*Goddess...* He had whispered a new name for her. In Japanese "megumi" means goddess. He was a god, she was his love, she was a goddess.
"That is what you are... A Goddess... Are you happy about our dance last night?"
She looked up into Suzaku's eyes secret fires burned there. "You have no idea." He grinned slightly, but that didn't stop her from putting her arms around him. Her head lay against his chest. "I'm so glad it was you... Glad is was you to be the first."
"You are not alone. I'm in love with a mortal, but even though it's against everything, suddenly I don't care. Nothing can change what you mean to me."
"There's a lot that I can say... But just hold me now..." His embraced cradled her very soul.
*Our love will light the way.*
"It will." He was reading her thoughts.
"Do you have a dream?"
"A dream?" Suzaku asked with ecstasy.
"What do you want most of all?"
"To be human..."
"Why?"
"Because that way we could be together and no one could say otherwise."
A bittersweet sigh escaped her lips. "Even thought you hold so much glory, you are held by such sadness... But I will be with you... Always..."
"Arigato (thank you), Daikonsen. Aishiteru, Hotaru."
"Watashimo aishiteru, Tenshi." *I want you to be human too. That way we wouldn't have to meet in my dreams. It would be, just you and me, and no one could do anything to stop us.*
*Will love be enough?..................*
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"What is it Kouran?" He tried not meet her eyes, knowing what would happen if he did. So much had bottled up inside of him in just that past few days. All those memories returning--kisses, touches, embraces, 'I love you''s. It was enough to make a person commit suicide. He felt like he was going crazy.
"I just wanted to talk to you for a moment."
"About--"
"Us." She shyly walked around to the front of him. "I wanted to talk to you about us... I know you have a woman in your life now and that you care for her. She can protect you better than I can. She's a warrior, like you. And she is strong--I see that. Densetsu--she loves you too."
"Densetsu is strong. She's the most willful person I know."
"And I see the way you look at her--never the way you looked at me."
*But at one point I did--Kouran...*
"But... I love you... I can't help that, so don't tell me to stop," she hide her eyes beneath her bangs. Chichiri turned suddenly and looked directly at her. He felt guilty--for loving someone else, for loving Densetsu.
In his mind a memory of her came about. She looked up at him and smiled. 'Hi Chichiri! How are you?!' She held a bow in her lap. 'I just got done shooting. Daikonsen is still practicing with her sword. Do you want to sit with me for awhile?' He had answered yes and it ended with them making love on the table. Part of him want to laugh because of how funny that just sounded but then Kouran can into focus.
"I care about you so much, Houjun." Kouran smiled at him weakly but with a proud and confident look in her eyes. "Just think about this, all right? If you still want to be with her and not me, then--" She moved closer. "Just remember that--I love you." Gently she pressed her lips to his, but this time he did not back away. Lightly he kissed her back, but not without an overload of grief.
*Densetsu--forgive me for this.*
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"Where's Mirakuru?" Kakusei asked suddenly noticing her friend wasn't present at breakfast. Tamahome grinned with amusement as he watched Tasuki and Miaka try to see who could eat their food the fastest. Chiriko looked up from a scroll. His teal eyes lit up as they caught the sunlight.
"I believe she's still sleeping. She went through a lot just last night. Poor girl."
"You shouldn't pity her." Nuriko said without much of a smile. His hand supported his head and he looked across the table at the small boy. "She wouldn't like it much. She's stronger then you think. She is going to get through this thing with grace."
"I don't know Nuriko, she's very sensitive, like a child." Tamahome finally spoke up. He watched Miaka look up from her food. "Mirakuru is not exactly a tough fighter--she cries so easily--she fools around--her confidence is not very high--and she's can't even pick between two men."
"She's already chosen--" Daikonsen finally spoke up. Her head was in against the wall and she looked blankly out the window, watching the water. Violet eyes never look away from their place but still she seemed very attentitive. Everyone turned to her. Mitsukake, Chichiri, Mirakuru, and Kouran where the only ones not there. "There's only one man she loves. She will not abandon him, no matter what happens. You shouldn't underestimate her Tamahome!" Finally she turned--her eyes focused with a frighting look towards Tamahome. "You don't even know her!! You're too busy smothering Miaka with kisses and fantasizing about a future with her to even notice how much pain she's in!!!!" Nobody dared speak and for a moment the room was silent. Tamahome looked down at the table, ashamed because she knew she was right. Miaka's hand slipped into his. Surprised, he looked up at her. She smiled and nodded.
"Don't worry, Tamahome," she whispered reassuringly to him.
"You have incredible faith in her," Chiriko stated amused with her show of confidence in Mirakuru.
"Really?! Who'd she pick?" Tasuki stood up excited. "Come on." Nuriko looked down into his lap.
In a calm voice, "If you really want to know if she decided to stay with me or go back to his majesty... then I'll tell you." A soft smile creased Nuriko's lips, he looked up with reassurance in his eyes. "All my life I have waited for someone who would just be my friend, for me--before it was because I was a woman and the way my face looked. They saw frality and weakness there. And then I was, be even now I'm not over my sister's death. That's why I became her--Kourin. I guess I felt that if I pretended to be her she was still with me." Even though his words were sad it was strong and the smile stayed in place. "Finally the Priestess came and she found his Highness, Tamahome, and myself. She was the one who figured me out. And then it became harder for me to admit my masculity. It's not like I was really gay or anything. Of course at the time I cared very much for the Emperor and Miaka got in the way of that. But after--I soon realized that I never loved him. Every woman in the herim said that she loved him, but none had ever really knew the man. He never visited the herim, no matter how many pretty girls there were. He did love you Miaka--very much; but I think it was the legend of the Priestess that he really loved. Mirakuru is the only one who has every truely loved Hotohori and I say his name with respect. I confinced myself that my feelings for her were strictly like brother and sister, but then I couldn't resist..." Nuriko took a soft breath. "I remember how hurt I was I saw those two together. I knew what they were going to do but that didn't stop my tears. Later I promised myself that I would always protect her no matter what." He put his hand on Daikonsen's shoulder who appreicated his devotion. "I want her to be happy--and she can be happy and safe--in the arms of the Emperor."
Tasuki fell backwards into his seat. "Whoa! I hate all this lovey dovey crap." He grinned and placed his hands behind his head. Closing his eyes he spoke with crude humor. "I hate girls--so I have nothing to worry about."
Densetsu chuckled, looked to Kakusei, and then smirked. "Uh-huh," sarcasim rang supreme.
Miaka laughed but Tamahome didn't even react. She patted Tasuki on the back. "Don't worry Tasuki--we won't complain about all the noise coming from your room last night."
"Huh?!" Kakusei blinked and then her face reddened. Laughter broke out in the room.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Finally the noise had died down and everyone had settled. The subject of the shinzaho came up.
"So what exactly are we looking for?" Nuriko scratched his head. "Some kind of gem or something?"
"I think it might be something that was of sentimental value to the Priestess of Genbu," Chiriko thought for a second. "Yes--that makes the most sense."
"Her name was Tokiko, right?" Tamahome asked. "The Priestess of Genbu."
"Yes--Over two hundred years ago, I believe." Chiriko continued.
"Whoa! The book is that ol--" Densetsu jumped when she felt a kick on her shin. Daikonsen glared at her from across the table.
*They don't know their characters in a book.*
*Uh?! Oh--* She rubbed her leg. *That hurt, ya know.*
*You're sounding more like Chichiri everyday.*
Densetsu let out a soft giggle. Daikonsen grinned with amusement.
"So--something that was precious to the Priestess?" Kakusei spoke up finally.
"Genbu is the Beast God for the northern country of Houkon--and he is the god of ice," Tasuki added.
"Okay--um," Miaka thought--but it was useless. "Oh--I got a headache now."
Nuriko laughed at her silly remark his mood had changed drastically everyone had noticed. Seems he'd given up on Mirakuru but hadn't he already, many times before? He got lost in those intense eyes of hers.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
It wasn't like her to be stuck between two guys--she had never encountered this problem before. Even when they were older and started the band Densetsu got most of the male attention. She was cute and confident and mature and sexy. And here she was with a band of three middle schoolers. That was three years ago, they'd beng together in Unmei that long.
They'd all grown up since then. But the relationships between the four stayed the same. Densetsu and Kakusei were like a pair of twins--but not identical. They had very different personalities. Densetsu was much more outgoing and confident. Kakusei on the other had was quite, shy, and very much an introvert. Daikonsen and her were what the press called "soul twins." Their interests were very smiliar, they were cousins, were less than a year apart, and were just obviously close as close can be.
Mirakuru could recall memories of her friendships with all three girls. *Remember the good times that we had?* And sadly, *I let them slip away from us when things were going wrong. But I won't let it the bad times override the good times. I love you guys more than anything.* And then her thoughts drifted to the Emperor who she had left behind. "I wanna feel your warmth upon me, I wanna be the one...*
She turned her head towards Mitsukake who had just barely opened his eyes. His calm state and quiet, soft ways were enchanting, even graceful. He wasn't happy-go-lucky like Miaka or as reckless as Tasuki, or even as strong willed as Tamahome. He was himself--kind and soft-hearted. He was like a big brother to her. His voice was healing, just to listen to it, it was sweet, and gentle. He was just him. He was Mitsukake.
Softly he smiled down at her. And gently but happily she whispered, "Hi."
"Good morning."
"Sleep good?" She smiled back.
"Hmm." He nodded his head. Tama stirred and climbed into Mirakuru's arms. He yawned, did a little circle, and then settled back down against her chest. He purred contently.
She giggled warmly and pat the cat on the head. "Hey, Tama-chan."
"You should probabaly go see Chichiri--I think he could help you with what you need to do." Mitsukake was referring to speaking with Hotohori and they both know Chichiri had a spell for that.
"Yeah--Okay." She sat up and crossed her legs and held Tama in her lap. As she pet his head she looked back up towards Mitsukake. "I hope I can do it--I don't want to start crying or make a fool of myself." Mirakuru consentrated on the cat watching his fur sink beneath her each stroke. *Hotohori... So afraid to love you, more afraid to hurt him, cling to the past--the little girl who fell into a book.*
She didn't notice Mitsukake sit up she was so lost in thought. She felt tears come when he finally took her into his arms. "This is not like me, to be so comforting to somebody, but this is not like you either. Crying over a silly thing such as this. It's not so hard. Just follow you heart."
*Is it really so easy?*
Daikonsen awoke from her slumber to discover and overwhelming sense of pride surrounding her. She shifted and sat up. As she pulled the sheets away, she spotted a large dark stain in the white clothe. *Blood* She studied it. *I--I am not a virgin anymore.* She couldn't help but smile. *I lost my innocence to an angel.* The dry blood was almost a new confidence in her. She was purely a woman now, no child left to run back too. Daikonsen remembered the incredible passion, pleasure, and love she had felt, remembered the persperation dripping down their faces, the warmth in his eyes, the way his character glowed brighter with each time he rose above her. She remembered the way it felt, every single motion, moving together, as one body, two parts of the same soul. They were one that past night. They were one still in her heart. They were one and she remembered, oh how she remembered.
Seeing the sunlight dancing on the waters surface, she stood at the corner of the the bed. Softly crossing the room, violet eyes caught their reflection as well as her naked body. She was oblivious to the dark eyes staring back at her. Sky colored hair tumbled off her shoulders in wild curls. The tress ended at her waist. A deep red in the mirror caught her attention. Daikonsen gasped at the eyes but then a hand reached out for her and another. Panic filled her senses and immediately her body reacted, struggling and pulling away. "Mmm... Uhh!!!"
The fierce hands encircled and with one last cry she was pulled into the mirror. Her room remained quite and grew dim. Everything happend so fast and so quickly that it took her a moment to breathe. She didn't realize were she was until she opened her eyes. She was in the arms of the God of Love. "Daikonsen."
"Tenshi!" She gasped at his grasp around her. "What's going on?!"
"Nothing... Nothing at all. I just wanted to see you."
"Oh." Her face blushed but a smile creased her lips. *Tenshi.*
He allowed her to step back a little to look up at him. Stepping slowly back her gaze followed up, up, up until it met his face. She'd never seen him stand next to her and he was unbelieveably tall. The young woman would only meet his chest, but what else can you expect from a god. "You are so beautiful."
"Hmm!" She blinked at his remark. Looking down at herself she made a scary revelation--she was nude!! "Uh!" She frowned at herself but he just let out a soft chuckle, watching with amusement as she tried to cover herself.
"Silly chiisai hotaru (the correct way to say "little firefly")." Shaking his head he came closer. "You don't need to hid yourself from me." He planted a kiss on her forehead. The gems reacted and the character of the Phoenix appeared.
"Tenshi--"
"Just--" He came so close, so close... like the wind against your skin in a cool burst of a warm summer breeze. But he wasn't the wind. He was a fire. He was heat, his skin was warm and his touch hot. She thought if she ever tried to run from him, he'd always follow. "I love you..." He covered her mouth with his. A power eclipsed over them and energy ran like wind through her hair sending chills up her spine. A deep colored, crimson dress gently caressed her skin and she felt her long sky blue tresses touch her bare back. The dress was low in the front, lined with a gold silk. The back was extremely revealing touching her hips and then barely covering her bottom. It reached past her ankles in red layers. Her arms were covered with the same material except the sleves were gold. "Aishiteru... Megumi..."
*Goddess...* He had whispered a new name for her. In Japanese "megumi" means goddess. He was a god, she was his love, she was a goddess.
"That is what you are... A Goddess... Are you happy about our dance last night?"
She looked up into Suzaku's eyes secret fires burned there. "You have no idea." He grinned slightly, but that didn't stop her from putting her arms around him. Her head lay against his chest. "I'm so glad it was you... Glad is was you to be the first."
"You are not alone. I'm in love with a mortal, but even though it's against everything, suddenly I don't care. Nothing can change what you mean to me."
"There's a lot that I can say... But just hold me now..." His embraced cradled her very soul.
*Our love will light the way.*
"It will." He was reading her thoughts.
"Do you have a dream?"
"A dream?" Suzaku asked with ecstasy.
"What do you want most of all?"
"To be human..."
"Why?"
"Because that way we could be together and no one could say otherwise."
A bittersweet sigh escaped her lips. "Even thought you hold so much glory, you are held by such sadness... But I will be with you... Always..."
"Arigato (thank you), Daikonsen. Aishiteru, Hotaru."
"Watashimo aishiteru, Tenshi." *I want you to be human too. That way we wouldn't have to meet in my dreams. It would be, just you and me, and no one could do anything to stop us.*
*Will love be enough?..................*
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"What is it Kouran?" He tried not meet her eyes, knowing what would happen if he did. So much had bottled up inside of him in just that past few days. All those memories returning--kisses, touches, embraces, 'I love you''s. It was enough to make a person commit suicide. He felt like he was going crazy.
"I just wanted to talk to you for a moment."
"About--"
"Us." She shyly walked around to the front of him. "I wanted to talk to you about us... I know you have a woman in your life now and that you care for her. She can protect you better than I can. She's a warrior, like you. And she is strong--I see that. Densetsu--she loves you too."
"Densetsu is strong. She's the most willful person I know."
"And I see the way you look at her--never the way you looked at me."
*But at one point I did--Kouran...*
"But... I love you... I can't help that, so don't tell me to stop," she hide her eyes beneath her bangs. Chichiri turned suddenly and looked directly at her. He felt guilty--for loving someone else, for loving Densetsu.
In his mind a memory of her came about. She looked up at him and smiled. 'Hi Chichiri! How are you?!' She held a bow in her lap. 'I just got done shooting. Daikonsen is still practicing with her sword. Do you want to sit with me for awhile?' He had answered yes and it ended with them making love on the table. Part of him want to laugh because of how funny that just sounded but then Kouran can into focus.
"I care about you so much, Houjun." Kouran smiled at him weakly but with a proud and confident look in her eyes. "Just think about this, all right? If you still want to be with her and not me, then--" She moved closer. "Just remember that--I love you." Gently she pressed her lips to his, but this time he did not back away. Lightly he kissed her back, but not without an overload of grief.
*Densetsu--forgive me for this.*
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"Where's Mirakuru?" Kakusei asked suddenly noticing her friend wasn't present at breakfast. Tamahome grinned with amusement as he watched Tasuki and Miaka try to see who could eat their food the fastest. Chiriko looked up from a scroll. His teal eyes lit up as they caught the sunlight.
"I believe she's still sleeping. She went through a lot just last night. Poor girl."
"You shouldn't pity her." Nuriko said without much of a smile. His hand supported his head and he looked across the table at the small boy. "She wouldn't like it much. She's stronger then you think. She is going to get through this thing with grace."
"I don't know Nuriko, she's very sensitive, like a child." Tamahome finally spoke up. He watched Miaka look up from her food. "Mirakuru is not exactly a tough fighter--she cries so easily--she fools around--her confidence is not very high--and she's can't even pick between two men."
"She's already chosen--" Daikonsen finally spoke up. Her head was in against the wall and she looked blankly out the window, watching the water. Violet eyes never look away from their place but still she seemed very attentitive. Everyone turned to her. Mitsukake, Chichiri, Mirakuru, and Kouran where the only ones not there. "There's only one man she loves. She will not abandon him, no matter what happens. You shouldn't underestimate her Tamahome!" Finally she turned--her eyes focused with a frighting look towards Tamahome. "You don't even know her!! You're too busy smothering Miaka with kisses and fantasizing about a future with her to even notice how much pain she's in!!!!" Nobody dared speak and for a moment the room was silent. Tamahome looked down at the table, ashamed because she knew she was right. Miaka's hand slipped into his. Surprised, he looked up at her. She smiled and nodded.
"Don't worry, Tamahome," she whispered reassuringly to him.
"You have incredible faith in her," Chiriko stated amused with her show of confidence in Mirakuru.
"Really?! Who'd she pick?" Tasuki stood up excited. "Come on." Nuriko looked down into his lap.
In a calm voice, "If you really want to know if she decided to stay with me or go back to his majesty... then I'll tell you." A soft smile creased Nuriko's lips, he looked up with reassurance in his eyes. "All my life I have waited for someone who would just be my friend, for me--before it was because I was a woman and the way my face looked. They saw frality and weakness there. And then I was, be even now I'm not over my sister's death. That's why I became her--Kourin. I guess I felt that if I pretended to be her she was still with me." Even though his words were sad it was strong and the smile stayed in place. "Finally the Priestess came and she found his Highness, Tamahome, and myself. She was the one who figured me out. And then it became harder for me to admit my masculity. It's not like I was really gay or anything. Of course at the time I cared very much for the Emperor and Miaka got in the way of that. But after--I soon realized that I never loved him. Every woman in the herim said that she loved him, but none had ever really knew the man. He never visited the herim, no matter how many pretty girls there were. He did love you Miaka--very much; but I think it was the legend of the Priestess that he really loved. Mirakuru is the only one who has every truely loved Hotohori and I say his name with respect. I confinced myself that my feelings for her were strictly like brother and sister, but then I couldn't resist..." Nuriko took a soft breath. "I remember how hurt I was I saw those two together. I knew what they were going to do but that didn't stop my tears. Later I promised myself that I would always protect her no matter what." He put his hand on Daikonsen's shoulder who appreicated his devotion. "I want her to be happy--and she can be happy and safe--in the arms of the Emperor."
Tasuki fell backwards into his seat. "Whoa! I hate all this lovey dovey crap." He grinned and placed his hands behind his head. Closing his eyes he spoke with crude humor. "I hate girls--so I have nothing to worry about."
Densetsu chuckled, looked to Kakusei, and then smirked. "Uh-huh," sarcasim rang supreme.
Miaka laughed but Tamahome didn't even react. She patted Tasuki on the back. "Don't worry Tasuki--we won't complain about all the noise coming from your room last night."
"Huh?!" Kakusei blinked and then her face reddened. Laughter broke out in the room.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Finally the noise had died down and everyone had settled. The subject of the shinzaho came up.
"So what exactly are we looking for?" Nuriko scratched his head. "Some kind of gem or something?"
"I think it might be something that was of sentimental value to the Priestess of Genbu," Chiriko thought for a second. "Yes--that makes the most sense."
"Her name was Tokiko, right?" Tamahome asked. "The Priestess of Genbu."
"Yes--Over two hundred years ago, I believe." Chiriko continued.
"Whoa! The book is that ol--" Densetsu jumped when she felt a kick on her shin. Daikonsen glared at her from across the table.
*They don't know their characters in a book.*
*Uh?! Oh--* She rubbed her leg. *That hurt, ya know.*
*You're sounding more like Chichiri everyday.*
Densetsu let out a soft giggle. Daikonsen grinned with amusement.
"So--something that was precious to the Priestess?" Kakusei spoke up finally.
"Genbu is the Beast God for the northern country of Houkon--and he is the god of ice," Tasuki added.
"Okay--um," Miaka thought--but it was useless. "Oh--I got a headache now."
Nuriko laughed at her silly remark his mood had changed drastically everyone had noticed. Seems he'd given up on Mirakuru but hadn't he already, many times before? He got lost in those intense eyes of hers.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
It wasn't like her to be stuck between two guys--she had never encountered this problem before. Even when they were older and started the band Densetsu got most of the male attention. She was cute and confident and mature and sexy. And here she was with a band of three middle schoolers. That was three years ago, they'd beng together in Unmei that long.
They'd all grown up since then. But the relationships between the four stayed the same. Densetsu and Kakusei were like a pair of twins--but not identical. They had very different personalities. Densetsu was much more outgoing and confident. Kakusei on the other had was quite, shy, and very much an introvert. Daikonsen and her were what the press called "soul twins." Their interests were very smiliar, they were cousins, were less than a year apart, and were just obviously close as close can be.
Mirakuru could recall memories of her friendships with all three girls. *Remember the good times that we had?* And sadly, *I let them slip away from us when things were going wrong. But I won't let it the bad times override the good times. I love you guys more than anything.* And then her thoughts drifted to the Emperor who she had left behind. "I wanna feel your warmth upon me, I wanna be the one...*
She turned her head towards Mitsukake who had just barely opened his eyes. His calm state and quiet, soft ways were enchanting, even graceful. He wasn't happy-go-lucky like Miaka or as reckless as Tasuki, or even as strong willed as Tamahome. He was himself--kind and soft-hearted. He was like a big brother to her. His voice was healing, just to listen to it, it was sweet, and gentle. He was just him. He was Mitsukake.
Softly he smiled down at her. And gently but happily she whispered, "Hi."
"Good morning."
"Sleep good?" She smiled back.
"Hmm." He nodded his head. Tama stirred and climbed into Mirakuru's arms. He yawned, did a little circle, and then settled back down against her chest. He purred contently.
She giggled warmly and pat the cat on the head. "Hey, Tama-chan."
"You should probabaly go see Chichiri--I think he could help you with what you need to do." Mitsukake was referring to speaking with Hotohori and they both know Chichiri had a spell for that.
"Yeah--Okay." She sat up and crossed her legs and held Tama in her lap. As she pet his head she looked back up towards Mitsukake. "I hope I can do it--I don't want to start crying or make a fool of myself." Mirakuru consentrated on the cat watching his fur sink beneath her each stroke. *Hotohori... So afraid to love you, more afraid to hurt him, cling to the past--the little girl who fell into a book.*
She didn't notice Mitsukake sit up she was so lost in thought. She felt tears come when he finally took her into his arms. "This is not like me, to be so comforting to somebody, but this is not like you either. Crying over a silly thing such as this. It's not so hard. Just follow you heart."
*Is it really so easy?*