Dome of Heaven -Illness-
"Talking"
¨Talking¨ in the minds of the winged people
*Thinking*
Disclaimer: I do not own RK.
Chapter 03: The most important memory
Kaoru screamed and screamed. The blood was pulsating and already creating new imitations of wings.
"Damn! It is no use!" Misao yelled angrily and took off her cloak. Swiftly she wrapped it around Kaoru with the help of Senritsu. After they had tightened it around her so that any kind of movement was pretty much impossible, she pushed Kaoru on her back. She was twisting and her back was bending with the pressure of the blood.
"Open her mouth!" She ordered Senritsu while pulling one of her kunais out. Without hesitation she cut her hand. She heard the gasps as the blood dripped from the wound, but ignored them. Kneeling she put her hand above the struggling woman and forced few drops of red blood into her mouth. Then she pulled back and covered the wound. Kaoru gasped breath few times deep before she fell back into unconsciousness.
Misao sighed in relief. "It worked at least to some extent."
"To some extent?" Senritsu asked eyes wide. "But--!"
Misao nodded. "I know. But nothing like this has ever happened before."
"Still..." Senritsu looked at Kaoru. "Your blood is the ultimate cure. Before now, even one drop is enough to heal even the deadliest diseases and wounds. This is... impossible..."
Misao didn't answer, but merely stared at the sleeping woman. She knew the lives before hers, but no one had encountered a disease like this... She could guess now. The blood that had tried to sprout wings to Kaoru had been dying and trying to escape. If that was it, then soon all of her blood would die and she with it.
The legacy of Hideki.
Her hand tightened into a fist.
There was no other choice. To save her she would need to change all of her blood with healthy or heal her blood itself. Also she would need to bathe for a long time to remove all of the poison that was in her body. Few drops of her blood would not be enough.
But...
The laws were against this. No one outside their race was allowed to enter their land and home. Only men that would marry. This was the oldest law in their book and it was obeyed. No one had stood against it since it had been created to protect them.
If she would take Kaoru there...
If she would heal her using the blood of their people...
She would disobey the law and so she would dishonour her ancestors. Still... There was no other way.
"Misao-dono."
She started at the sound of her name and turned to look a very pained looking Kenshin. His eyes reflected his pain. *Pain so deep not even he can't hide it...* She didn't say a word.
"Can you heal her?" He asked with a slightly wavering voice. Voice filled with pain, fear and even guilt.
Misao turned to look at Kaoru. Her black hair was a mess, her face was covered in sweat. The grass was painted red and the smell of her blood was strong in the air.
"I can probably... but..." She whispered quietly.
"But? What but?! If you can save her then do so!" Sanosuke yelled. As with Kenshin, his voice was pained as well. With him, the guilt was even clearer. *He blames himself for taking the feather to her...* Misao thought sadly. If he had not brought the feather to her, she wouldn't have to make this choice.
"I can heal her, but ... I don't know if I will." She said with great regret in her voice. Was this her final answer? To obey...
"Yuuki-sama..." Senritsu whispered as she realized what Misao was thinking.
"What are you talking about?!" Sanosuke screamed at her.
Misao stood up still staring at Kaoru. "To heal her, I would have to take her to where we life." She said and could feel her eyes starting to wet.
"But you can't." Kenshin said. More than a question, it was a statement. Misao nodded. "I could get her there, I think, but doing so I would break the oldest law we have. And I... I..."
"What are laws compared to a human life?!" Sano yelled at her. Misao turned around and the tears finally started to flow down her cheeks. She opened her mouth and then closed it again. She had no answer... Yet why was she hesitant?
This was her best friend. She was dying and she had the power to stop it. Like Sanosuke said, what are laws compared to a human life? Her best friends life?
She wanted to save her. But she was the Queen of the Sky.
"I am Hiko Yuuki. I am the Queen of the Sky. I have to obey the laws of our people. I can't take advantage of my position! It would not be fair! I want to heal her! I really really want to! But I can't forget who I am! That's why..." She sobbed.
"But you can forget who you were?" Kenshin said silently. Misao stared at him.
"Makimachi Misao. Is it really okay for you to forget that name and that person? It seems to me, that you have forced yourself to change, to fit the position of the Queen. But is it really okay? Are YOU okay with that?" He said.
Misao turned away. "Changed, huh? I am an adult now. I can't... afford to make childish decisions."
"Afford? What is there to lose in healing her?"
She stiffened and then spoke. "Honour, respect..."
"You have forgotten then." Senritsu said quietly and all eyes turned to her. "We are the Children of the Sky. Remember, Yuuki-sama, who we were. Before the darkest days in our lives, who were we? What were we like? What were those stories my mother used to tell me? Tell me. You are the Queen of the Sky and our history is an open book for you."
Misao stared at her and then almost hesitantly closed her eyes to recall the memories of the past. Images, memories flashed across her head as she travelled far back.
She saw...
People working hard in the fields...
Hands extending to give help to those without wings...
Blood healing wounds, hands giving free food to the poor...
People helping others in any way they could with a smile on their faces...
She started to speak almost hesitantly. "We... We were kind. We helped all those who asked for help. We knew nothing about money, greed or fighting. We were... serene. Pure. I knew all this deep down, and yet I didn't understand it until I remembered it, lived it myself." She had her eyes still closed, but that didn't stop a tear from travelling down her cheek.
"We have changed and it has not been for the better, but I hope that we can still regain that beautiful way of being and living again." Senritsu smiled sadly at her. "Starting from here."
Misao stared at her and then nodded. "Yes..." She turned her eyes on the sky and her thoughts followed sending a message to her people. Senritsu smiled and walked to Kaoru. "Seijurou, do you have a spare blanket you could lend to us? Yuuki-sama will need her cloak on the way back." Hiko nodded and headed to the door.
"On the way back? You mean you will just fly off and leave her here?!" Sanosuke yelled and Senritsu gave him an impatient look. Kenshin saw this and took a hold of Sanosuke's arm so drawing his attention. "How can you be so calm about it?!" Sano yelled at him and Kenshin gave him a small smile. "Huh?"
"Because they are going to take her with them. Isn't that right?" He said and looked at Senritsu. She nodded with a small smile. "Yuuki-sama is summoning more people, since the two of us aren't enough."
"SO you mean you can heal her?" Megumi asked suddenly and started the people. They had almost forgotten Megumi, Yahiko and Aoshi since they were standing in the side and had mostly stayed quiet.
Senritsu nodded. "Most probably, yes."
"You are not sure?" Megumi raised her eyebrow.
Senritsu's face grew cold. "No, since we have never encountered this disease before, but we have never failed to heal a person we wished to heal. And since this is most probably because of Hideki's feather and since that is from our kind, we will succeed."
"Yet you cannot guarantee it?"
Megumi and Senritsu were trying to stare each other down. "Now listen--" Senritsu started but was interrupted.
"No, we cannot guarantee it. Not 100% anyway." Misao said as she walked to them.
"Yuuki-sama."
"But we will try our best." Misao looked at Megumi calmly. Her voice was sure and balanced. The only evidence that she had been crying was her still reddish eyes. She was confident again. Perhaps for the first time since she has became the queen, she knew who she was and what she was like. And most importantly what she wanted be like.
"Since you cannot guarantee her life, I wish to go with her." Megumi said firmly and caused many widened eyes. Misao gathered herself quickly and pursed her lips.
"I am her doctor. You cannot deny this from me." Megumi said. "If you indeed manage to heal her, then she will need a familiar face near when she wakes up."
"I am sure that you are not the one she would choose..." Yahiko muttered under his breath and received a death glare from Megumi.
She continued. "I myself find it hard to believe that you are Misao, if that is indeed true, and Kaoru might not believe it either. She has not seen this... 'new you'" Her voice held some clear sarcasm in it. "--but once and then she didn't know it was you. She needs someone familiar by her side."
Misao stayed quiet so long that they were getting uncomfortable. Then she snorted. "You are right that she might not believe me and panic. But that doesn't mean that we should allow you to our home. By allowing her there, I am already changing the rules big time."
Now it was Megumi's turn to keep her mouth shut. All the while the two of them stared at each other. It was a silent battle of wills.
"You don't need to allow me there and yet you will do so. Won't you?" Megumi asked and Misao smiled. "Yes." She said and received many surprised looks.
"But--" She continued. "--you will be... restrained. We can't allow you to see and learn all. And so you will be treated almost like a prisoner. You understand that, right?"
Megumi nodded.
"Hey! If she can go, why can't we also?" Sanosuke complained loudly and Misao looked at him with a pained look. "We are already making huge changes by taking Kaoru-san and Megumi-sensei there."
"Then why can't you make more changes and take us as well? It is my fault she is in this shape, I want to come and see that she will really recover." He continued and looked at Misao pleadingly.
"I already said that--"
"I want to go with her as well." This time it was Kenshin.
Misao sighed. "Let me guess. All of you want to go with her?"
At that Sanosuke and Kenshin nodded. When she turned to look at Megumi and Yahiko, they nodded as well. As if on their own her eyes turned to Aoshi. He was looking at her with shadowy and yet so intense eyes that she almost started.
Then he nodded as well.
She sighed. "And I know for a fact that father wants to come as well."
Hiko smirked remembering all the times he had asked Sora to take him there. She had always refused, even after Yuuki had born.
¨Are you sure about this Yuuki-sama?¨ Senritsu asked as she was replacing the robe with the blanket Hiko had brought to her. She tightened it well and then looked at the cloak. It was bloody.
¨And I think you should consider asking for a new cloak.¨
Misao turned and looked at her cloak. ¨It seems so.¨ She smiled. ¨And I am sure now. Of so many things. I can remember everything from my mother's life except for her thoughts. But I think I understand why she named me Yuuki [=brave]. Perhaps this is what she also wanted.¨
Senritsu smiled at her. ¨All this makes me somehow so glad. The change will come and I believe it is for the best.¨
¨Thank you. Oh, here they come. That was fast.¨ Misao's eyes strayed to the sky and she saw her people coming. 14 pairs of wings hid the sun behind them. They landed softly and gracefully on the ground and gathered around Misao. There was a time when it had bothered her, but not anymore. They bowed to her without saying a word.
¨Thank you.¨ She sent her thoughts to all of them with a smile. They nodded.
¨My apologies for my selfish decision.¨ Misao said without a smile.
¨It will be accepted in the end since we all know that you mean no harm to us. And since your descriptions were so accurate.¨ The woman said and turned to look at the Kenshin and others.
¨Very accurate indeed.¨ Other one said.
¨This might become very.. useful for us.¨ One said and the others laughed a little.
Misao smiled, she knew exactly what they were talking about. This might turn out to be harder for her friends than they believed. That was why she had allowed her father to come as well, he knew them better than anyone and would be able to explain certain things to them.
"All right. Form groups of two and place the stretchers on the ground. Tighten them hard." Misao ordered and the women nodded. They began to organize the stretchers onto the ground and pulled all kind of ropes from their bags. One of them pulled a new cloak and gave it to Misao. She smiled her thanks.
Yahiko walked closer to Misao. He still felt slightly uncomfortable with her, but had decided to get past it. "What are they doing?" He asked.
"Organizing. They are preparing all this to make it possible for us to take you to where we live." She answered.
"What?" Yahiko blinked.
"You will be tightened to those --" She pointed at the stretchers. "--and they to us. We will fly and take you with us. The blankets are to keep you safe from the cold."
"Is it cold where you live?" Yahiko asked, slowly getting more comfortable.
"No, but the journey is." Misao smiled. "Those blankets will keep you from getting sick. The journey will take some time since we have you to slow us down so I suggest you try to rest and not to worry."
"Umm..." Yahiko hesitated. Megumi had already asked this and she had answered. But..
"Yes?" Misao asked as she noticed his hesitation.
"Will you be able to save her?" Yahiko asked and Misao noticed how his voice trembled a little. *He is afraid of the answer.*
"We will try. As Senritsu said, we have never encountered any wound or decease we have been unable to cure. It will take time, but in the end I believe we will be able to heal her. So don't worry." She smiled at him. "We will take good care of her."
Yahiko nodded. He would trust her. If she really was Misao, there was no way she would let Kaoru die, if there was some way to save her.
A silent thought was sent to her. ¨We are ready. Tell them to hop on.¨
Misao nodded and turned to Yahiko. "The preparations are over. Come with me."
Yahiko followed her as she walked to the others. They were all around Kaoru, looking at her with worry.
"It is time to leave." Misao said and they turned to her. "Choose any of the stretchers and you will be tightened to them. You will be covered with blankets that will help you against the cold. Your eyes will be covered since we do not wish to reveal the path to our home. Any questions?"
They looked at each other and then shook their heads.
"All right. Move then and we will begin to tighten Kaoru-san. I will fly by her the entire time so you need not worry. Try to relax since the journey will last some time." Misao said and they nodded.
Slowly, almost hesitantly they began to move away. She saw most of them giving last glance at Kaoru over their shoulders.
"Misao."
She knew the voice and hesitated for a moment before turning to face Aoshi. "Aoshi-sama."
He raised an eyebrow and she blinked. Her smile was slightly embarrassed.
"I mean Aoshi-san. I don't think -sama is the honorific I should use anymore. Actually I shouldn't use any anymore."
"Aa." He merely said.
They looked at each other for some time, Misao smiling slightly while feeling uncomfortable.
"You are not going to return to the Aoiya." It was a statement and Misao nodded.
"I will visit in the future, but it isn't my home anymore." She answered with slight sadness. She had spent her entire life until now calling the Aoiya her home. But that didn't hold true anymore. She realized with some sadness that she would never return there. Not truly and fully.
Aoshi nodded and left for one of the remaining stretchers. Misao watched him leave and then turned back to Kaoru with a confused look on her face.
*What was that about?*
End of chapter 3.
To be continued in chapter 4.
Author:
Again the lack of Aoshi really bothers me, but since he isn't as concerned about Kaoru as the others are.
So...
Not much of him yet. It will change though.
Writing this chapter and the chapter 2 was really fun! I really wanted to write. This fic has always been the easiest to write. Perhaps because although I like the fic and the idea, I don't make it "serious" in the same way as with my other fics.
In the next chapter there will be a lot of explonations of Misao's new life. So brace yourselves!
Also, thank you to all those who have given this fic reviews!
zhoujen, Sharai and Angel: Here you go! The next chapter will be up in a week or so. I think.
Cat H: All your questions will be answered in the future, but I can say that this is A&M fic and soooo... ^__^
MoonPhoenix: Misao is Yuuki. That is a fact already stated in the first part (8 chapter fic) -Hideki-. The thing is that the others didn't know this.
"Talking"
¨Talking¨ in the minds of the winged people
*Thinking*
Disclaimer: I do not own RK.
Chapter 03: The most important memory
Kaoru screamed and screamed. The blood was pulsating and already creating new imitations of wings.
"Damn! It is no use!" Misao yelled angrily and took off her cloak. Swiftly she wrapped it around Kaoru with the help of Senritsu. After they had tightened it around her so that any kind of movement was pretty much impossible, she pushed Kaoru on her back. She was twisting and her back was bending with the pressure of the blood.
"Open her mouth!" She ordered Senritsu while pulling one of her kunais out. Without hesitation she cut her hand. She heard the gasps as the blood dripped from the wound, but ignored them. Kneeling she put her hand above the struggling woman and forced few drops of red blood into her mouth. Then she pulled back and covered the wound. Kaoru gasped breath few times deep before she fell back into unconsciousness.
Misao sighed in relief. "It worked at least to some extent."
"To some extent?" Senritsu asked eyes wide. "But--!"
Misao nodded. "I know. But nothing like this has ever happened before."
"Still..." Senritsu looked at Kaoru. "Your blood is the ultimate cure. Before now, even one drop is enough to heal even the deadliest diseases and wounds. This is... impossible..."
Misao didn't answer, but merely stared at the sleeping woman. She knew the lives before hers, but no one had encountered a disease like this... She could guess now. The blood that had tried to sprout wings to Kaoru had been dying and trying to escape. If that was it, then soon all of her blood would die and she with it.
The legacy of Hideki.
Her hand tightened into a fist.
There was no other choice. To save her she would need to change all of her blood with healthy or heal her blood itself. Also she would need to bathe for a long time to remove all of the poison that was in her body. Few drops of her blood would not be enough.
But...
The laws were against this. No one outside their race was allowed to enter their land and home. Only men that would marry. This was the oldest law in their book and it was obeyed. No one had stood against it since it had been created to protect them.
If she would take Kaoru there...
If she would heal her using the blood of their people...
She would disobey the law and so she would dishonour her ancestors. Still... There was no other way.
"Misao-dono."
She started at the sound of her name and turned to look a very pained looking Kenshin. His eyes reflected his pain. *Pain so deep not even he can't hide it...* She didn't say a word.
"Can you heal her?" He asked with a slightly wavering voice. Voice filled with pain, fear and even guilt.
Misao turned to look at Kaoru. Her black hair was a mess, her face was covered in sweat. The grass was painted red and the smell of her blood was strong in the air.
"I can probably... but..." She whispered quietly.
"But? What but?! If you can save her then do so!" Sanosuke yelled. As with Kenshin, his voice was pained as well. With him, the guilt was even clearer. *He blames himself for taking the feather to her...* Misao thought sadly. If he had not brought the feather to her, she wouldn't have to make this choice.
"I can heal her, but ... I don't know if I will." She said with great regret in her voice. Was this her final answer? To obey...
"Yuuki-sama..." Senritsu whispered as she realized what Misao was thinking.
"What are you talking about?!" Sanosuke screamed at her.
Misao stood up still staring at Kaoru. "To heal her, I would have to take her to where we life." She said and could feel her eyes starting to wet.
"But you can't." Kenshin said. More than a question, it was a statement. Misao nodded. "I could get her there, I think, but doing so I would break the oldest law we have. And I... I..."
"What are laws compared to a human life?!" Sano yelled at her. Misao turned around and the tears finally started to flow down her cheeks. She opened her mouth and then closed it again. She had no answer... Yet why was she hesitant?
This was her best friend. She was dying and she had the power to stop it. Like Sanosuke said, what are laws compared to a human life? Her best friends life?
She wanted to save her. But she was the Queen of the Sky.
"I am Hiko Yuuki. I am the Queen of the Sky. I have to obey the laws of our people. I can't take advantage of my position! It would not be fair! I want to heal her! I really really want to! But I can't forget who I am! That's why..." She sobbed.
"But you can forget who you were?" Kenshin said silently. Misao stared at him.
"Makimachi Misao. Is it really okay for you to forget that name and that person? It seems to me, that you have forced yourself to change, to fit the position of the Queen. But is it really okay? Are YOU okay with that?" He said.
Misao turned away. "Changed, huh? I am an adult now. I can't... afford to make childish decisions."
"Afford? What is there to lose in healing her?"
She stiffened and then spoke. "Honour, respect..."
"You have forgotten then." Senritsu said quietly and all eyes turned to her. "We are the Children of the Sky. Remember, Yuuki-sama, who we were. Before the darkest days in our lives, who were we? What were we like? What were those stories my mother used to tell me? Tell me. You are the Queen of the Sky and our history is an open book for you."
Misao stared at her and then almost hesitantly closed her eyes to recall the memories of the past. Images, memories flashed across her head as she travelled far back.
She saw...
People working hard in the fields...
Hands extending to give help to those without wings...
Blood healing wounds, hands giving free food to the poor...
People helping others in any way they could with a smile on their faces...
She started to speak almost hesitantly. "We... We were kind. We helped all those who asked for help. We knew nothing about money, greed or fighting. We were... serene. Pure. I knew all this deep down, and yet I didn't understand it until I remembered it, lived it myself." She had her eyes still closed, but that didn't stop a tear from travelling down her cheek.
"We have changed and it has not been for the better, but I hope that we can still regain that beautiful way of being and living again." Senritsu smiled sadly at her. "Starting from here."
Misao stared at her and then nodded. "Yes..." She turned her eyes on the sky and her thoughts followed sending a message to her people. Senritsu smiled and walked to Kaoru. "Seijurou, do you have a spare blanket you could lend to us? Yuuki-sama will need her cloak on the way back." Hiko nodded and headed to the door.
"On the way back? You mean you will just fly off and leave her here?!" Sanosuke yelled and Senritsu gave him an impatient look. Kenshin saw this and took a hold of Sanosuke's arm so drawing his attention. "How can you be so calm about it?!" Sano yelled at him and Kenshin gave him a small smile. "Huh?"
"Because they are going to take her with them. Isn't that right?" He said and looked at Senritsu. She nodded with a small smile. "Yuuki-sama is summoning more people, since the two of us aren't enough."
"SO you mean you can heal her?" Megumi asked suddenly and started the people. They had almost forgotten Megumi, Yahiko and Aoshi since they were standing in the side and had mostly stayed quiet.
Senritsu nodded. "Most probably, yes."
"You are not sure?" Megumi raised her eyebrow.
Senritsu's face grew cold. "No, since we have never encountered this disease before, but we have never failed to heal a person we wished to heal. And since this is most probably because of Hideki's feather and since that is from our kind, we will succeed."
"Yet you cannot guarantee it?"
Megumi and Senritsu were trying to stare each other down. "Now listen--" Senritsu started but was interrupted.
"No, we cannot guarantee it. Not 100% anyway." Misao said as she walked to them.
"Yuuki-sama."
"But we will try our best." Misao looked at Megumi calmly. Her voice was sure and balanced. The only evidence that she had been crying was her still reddish eyes. She was confident again. Perhaps for the first time since she has became the queen, she knew who she was and what she was like. And most importantly what she wanted be like.
"Since you cannot guarantee her life, I wish to go with her." Megumi said firmly and caused many widened eyes. Misao gathered herself quickly and pursed her lips.
"I am her doctor. You cannot deny this from me." Megumi said. "If you indeed manage to heal her, then she will need a familiar face near when she wakes up."
"I am sure that you are not the one she would choose..." Yahiko muttered under his breath and received a death glare from Megumi.
She continued. "I myself find it hard to believe that you are Misao, if that is indeed true, and Kaoru might not believe it either. She has not seen this... 'new you'" Her voice held some clear sarcasm in it. "--but once and then she didn't know it was you. She needs someone familiar by her side."
Misao stayed quiet so long that they were getting uncomfortable. Then she snorted. "You are right that she might not believe me and panic. But that doesn't mean that we should allow you to our home. By allowing her there, I am already changing the rules big time."
Now it was Megumi's turn to keep her mouth shut. All the while the two of them stared at each other. It was a silent battle of wills.
"You don't need to allow me there and yet you will do so. Won't you?" Megumi asked and Misao smiled. "Yes." She said and received many surprised looks.
"But--" She continued. "--you will be... restrained. We can't allow you to see and learn all. And so you will be treated almost like a prisoner. You understand that, right?"
Megumi nodded.
"Hey! If she can go, why can't we also?" Sanosuke complained loudly and Misao looked at him with a pained look. "We are already making huge changes by taking Kaoru-san and Megumi-sensei there."
"Then why can't you make more changes and take us as well? It is my fault she is in this shape, I want to come and see that she will really recover." He continued and looked at Misao pleadingly.
"I already said that--"
"I want to go with her as well." This time it was Kenshin.
Misao sighed. "Let me guess. All of you want to go with her?"
At that Sanosuke and Kenshin nodded. When she turned to look at Megumi and Yahiko, they nodded as well. As if on their own her eyes turned to Aoshi. He was looking at her with shadowy and yet so intense eyes that she almost started.
Then he nodded as well.
She sighed. "And I know for a fact that father wants to come as well."
Hiko smirked remembering all the times he had asked Sora to take him there. She had always refused, even after Yuuki had born.
¨Are you sure about this Yuuki-sama?¨ Senritsu asked as she was replacing the robe with the blanket Hiko had brought to her. She tightened it well and then looked at the cloak. It was bloody.
¨And I think you should consider asking for a new cloak.¨
Misao turned and looked at her cloak. ¨It seems so.¨ She smiled. ¨And I am sure now. Of so many things. I can remember everything from my mother's life except for her thoughts. But I think I understand why she named me Yuuki [=brave]. Perhaps this is what she also wanted.¨
Senritsu smiled at her. ¨All this makes me somehow so glad. The change will come and I believe it is for the best.¨
¨Thank you. Oh, here they come. That was fast.¨ Misao's eyes strayed to the sky and she saw her people coming. 14 pairs of wings hid the sun behind them. They landed softly and gracefully on the ground and gathered around Misao. There was a time when it had bothered her, but not anymore. They bowed to her without saying a word.
¨Thank you.¨ She sent her thoughts to all of them with a smile. They nodded.
¨My apologies for my selfish decision.¨ Misao said without a smile.
¨It will be accepted in the end since we all know that you mean no harm to us. And since your descriptions were so accurate.¨ The woman said and turned to look at the Kenshin and others.
¨Very accurate indeed.¨ Other one said.
¨This might become very.. useful for us.¨ One said and the others laughed a little.
Misao smiled, she knew exactly what they were talking about. This might turn out to be harder for her friends than they believed. That was why she had allowed her father to come as well, he knew them better than anyone and would be able to explain certain things to them.
"All right. Form groups of two and place the stretchers on the ground. Tighten them hard." Misao ordered and the women nodded. They began to organize the stretchers onto the ground and pulled all kind of ropes from their bags. One of them pulled a new cloak and gave it to Misao. She smiled her thanks.
Yahiko walked closer to Misao. He still felt slightly uncomfortable with her, but had decided to get past it. "What are they doing?" He asked.
"Organizing. They are preparing all this to make it possible for us to take you to where we live." She answered.
"What?" Yahiko blinked.
"You will be tightened to those --" She pointed at the stretchers. "--and they to us. We will fly and take you with us. The blankets are to keep you safe from the cold."
"Is it cold where you live?" Yahiko asked, slowly getting more comfortable.
"No, but the journey is." Misao smiled. "Those blankets will keep you from getting sick. The journey will take some time since we have you to slow us down so I suggest you try to rest and not to worry."
"Umm..." Yahiko hesitated. Megumi had already asked this and she had answered. But..
"Yes?" Misao asked as she noticed his hesitation.
"Will you be able to save her?" Yahiko asked and Misao noticed how his voice trembled a little. *He is afraid of the answer.*
"We will try. As Senritsu said, we have never encountered any wound or decease we have been unable to cure. It will take time, but in the end I believe we will be able to heal her. So don't worry." She smiled at him. "We will take good care of her."
Yahiko nodded. He would trust her. If she really was Misao, there was no way she would let Kaoru die, if there was some way to save her.
A silent thought was sent to her. ¨We are ready. Tell them to hop on.¨
Misao nodded and turned to Yahiko. "The preparations are over. Come with me."
Yahiko followed her as she walked to the others. They were all around Kaoru, looking at her with worry.
"It is time to leave." Misao said and they turned to her. "Choose any of the stretchers and you will be tightened to them. You will be covered with blankets that will help you against the cold. Your eyes will be covered since we do not wish to reveal the path to our home. Any questions?"
They looked at each other and then shook their heads.
"All right. Move then and we will begin to tighten Kaoru-san. I will fly by her the entire time so you need not worry. Try to relax since the journey will last some time." Misao said and they nodded.
Slowly, almost hesitantly they began to move away. She saw most of them giving last glance at Kaoru over their shoulders.
"Misao."
She knew the voice and hesitated for a moment before turning to face Aoshi. "Aoshi-sama."
He raised an eyebrow and she blinked. Her smile was slightly embarrassed.
"I mean Aoshi-san. I don't think -sama is the honorific I should use anymore. Actually I shouldn't use any anymore."
"Aa." He merely said.
They looked at each other for some time, Misao smiling slightly while feeling uncomfortable.
"You are not going to return to the Aoiya." It was a statement and Misao nodded.
"I will visit in the future, but it isn't my home anymore." She answered with slight sadness. She had spent her entire life until now calling the Aoiya her home. But that didn't hold true anymore. She realized with some sadness that she would never return there. Not truly and fully.
Aoshi nodded and left for one of the remaining stretchers. Misao watched him leave and then turned back to Kaoru with a confused look on her face.
*What was that about?*
End of chapter 3.
To be continued in chapter 4.
Author:
Again the lack of Aoshi really bothers me, but since he isn't as concerned about Kaoru as the others are.
So...
Not much of him yet. It will change though.
Writing this chapter and the chapter 2 was really fun! I really wanted to write. This fic has always been the easiest to write. Perhaps because although I like the fic and the idea, I don't make it "serious" in the same way as with my other fics.
In the next chapter there will be a lot of explonations of Misao's new life. So brace yourselves!
Also, thank you to all those who have given this fic reviews!
zhoujen, Sharai and Angel: Here you go! The next chapter will be up in a week or so. I think.
Cat H: All your questions will be answered in the future, but I can say that this is A&M fic and soooo... ^__^
MoonPhoenix: Misao is Yuuki. That is a fact already stated in the first part (8 chapter fic) -Hideki-. The thing is that the others didn't know this.