Here is yet another chapter. I've been kinda brain blocked. Thanx to everyone who has given reviews. You absolutely rock! Enjoy the chapter.

            The very ground itself seemed to be pulling apart. A large oak near the lake had rotted away and was quickly up-rooting itself. Tamahome, seeing the impending disaster charged forward, shoving Miaka out of the way. The two tumbled across the grass, out of the way of the fallen tree. They lay in a cloud of dust, breathing hard.

            "Are you alright?" Tamahome asked, looking down at Miaka.

            "Get off me."

            "What?"

            "I said, get off me."

            "Oh that's real nice. I save your life and all you can do is complain."

            "We have to make sure Nuriko is alright."

            "Who?"

            "Nuriko. The girl I was talking to."

            Unknown to Miaka was that Nuriko had safely dodged the collapsing oak. She stood beside the oak, brushing dust from her robes.

            "Nuriko! You're alright!!!" Miaka cried joyfully, shoving Tamahome away and running to give Nuriko a hug.

            "Of course I'm alright. It takes more than that to get rid of me."

            Tamahome was giving Nuriko a strange look. What was going on here? He knew for a fact that Nuriko was a man. Why did Miaka think-? Oh no…Tamahome knew instantly why Miaka still thought Nuriko was a girl. Nuriko had not told the girl he was actually a cross dresser, and a rather convincing one at that.

            "Nuriko, what's going on here? Why didn't you tell her the truth?"

            "What are you talking about?" Miaka asked stepping away from Nuriko.

            Nuriko looked at Tamahome over Miaka's head and gave Tamahome a look that was less than friendly. What the hell did he think he was doing? Did he want to give the girl a heart attack?

            "Tamahome, I haven't the slightest idea as to what you're talking about."

            "Don't give me that. You Lied to Miaka."

            "What is he talking about?" Miaka asked, a sense of dread filling her.

            "Go ahead Nuriko. Tell her."

            "Tamahome," Nuriko warned, his eyes filling with anger.

            "Tell me what?"

            "That Nuriko isn't really a girl. He's a cross dresser."

            "What?"

            Miaka backed away from the two young men, anger and panic filling her, as well as a sense of betrayal.

            "You lied to me."

            "Miaka, it wasn't like that."

            "You lied to me. I believed everything you said and you lied to me!"

            "Miaka."

            The young man reached out to her, almost as if to grab her hand.

            "Don't touch me! Don't come anywhere near me! Just stay away from me all of you!"

            Miaka once again found herself fleeing Tamahome, and now Nuriko. As she ran, Miaka cursed herself for being such a cry baby.  She just couldn't understand why she couldn't understand why she wasn't able to act like any other girl.

            "Because you're not like any other girl."  A voice in her mind told her.

            Miaka looked up and found her staring at an artfully done building. It looked out onto the lake and was only connected to similar buildings by a stone walk way. Standing in one of those buildings was Hotohori. Miaka stood motionless, admiring the beautiful emperor. He couldn't have been more than eighteen, if that.

            She approached the young emperor and followed his gaze out toward the lake where the sun was casting a rainbow of colors.

            "It sure is beautiful out here."

            "Indeed."

            "Hotohori-I mean, your Highness, I uh…um…"

            "What is it Miaka?"

            "I owe you an apology. I was so horrible to you earlier and you've done nothing but take care of me since I got here. I'm sorry…I don't know why I behaved the way I did I…"

            But Miaka could say no more. The tears she had been holding back streamed down her face in two scalding lines, cutting off her voice.

            Hotohori took a hesitant step forward and slowly enveloped the crying girl in his arms. When she did not pull back he held her tighter against him.

            "Do not cry Miaka. You have done nothing wrong. You have been through much since you're arrival. One can not blame you for being over whelmed."

            "But I…"

            "But nothing. You need not be so harsh Miaka. Just know this, if you need to cry I will be here for you. Not as the emperor, but as a man."

            Miaka stepped back and stared into the depths of the emperor's eyes. She leaned forward, almost kissing him when there was a gasp from behind….

To be continued …..Please review!!!!