I know I haven't updated in quite a while, but for the first time it wasn't my fault – exams had made their presence felt and regardless of how unnecessary I consider them, the parents would have my hide for lower grades. Sigh… Oh well, at least I'm free now for three glorious months. Unfortunately, the computer has decided to go into out and out revolt and blew itself up over the weekend. Fortunately, nothing was damaged other than it's evil hard drive. I'm now writing on my laptop and will continue to do so. Sadly enough, my father often hijacks this particular laptop for his own nefarious purposes, so I don't know how often I will be able to update. I hope everyone will continue to bear with me. Jeva, welcome to the story. Glad to have you on board. I know it's a pain that the story is coming to an end, but I'm planning to redo the first couple of chapters later on, so maybe that counts as more? Momiji-chan! I've missed you so! You really do keep me writing - you are the paper to my pen, the force to my light-saber, the whip to my back… ahem! Moving on, Vi3t BabiI, I'm so glad that you consider the story well written. I'm still discovering myself as well as my styles along the way. It's nice to know that it's not gone unnoticed. And now I'll get back to the story… On, on and never a moment's waste…
Chapter 14.
It was the bright light shining through the curtains that woke Miaka first. That, and the urges of her bladder. Sitting up lazily, she stretched the kinks out of her back before making a hasty foray into her bathroom. Emerging fifteen minutes later and considerably more human, she walked back towards the bed.
"Something's wrong here… I know it is…" she thought to herself. Nothing seemed to be out of place. The bed was messy as usual but that was to be expected in the mornings, the curtains were ajar but that was possibly because she had forgotten to draw them last night, the Book of the Four Gods was lying open on the chair beside her bed but that…
"The book! Where's Taka? Why is the book not glowing anymore? What's going on?" Thoughts raced madly through her head as she half-raced, half-stumbled towards the chair. The book lay passively; it's last pages fluttering gently in the warm breeze that drifted in through the window. Miaka picked it up gingerly, half expecting to find a new story appearing on the last blank pages, but the book remained inert. No writing appeared, nor did any red light flash out and transport her back to Konan. Everything was silent and steady, almost eerily so.
Glancing around for Taka, Miaka noticed the crumpled imprint of his head on the pillow beside her. "So last night can't have been a dream" she confirmed with herself out loud, "so where is he now?" She checked to see if he had left any sort of note, but the desk and bedside table were conspicuously empty. In fact, the whole room suddenly appeared to be too empty for comfort. "Maybe he's downstairs" she thought, "he might have gotten hungry, or else, he might have wanted to get me something. He knows I'm always hungry in the mornings. It wouldn't be unlike him to think of something like that. And what with me still recovering, he might take the time to bring me breakfast in bed. In fact, I'm sure that's what he doing right now…" Ignoring the faint clutching of fear in her stomach, Miaka walked out of her room and down towards the kitchen.
While passing Keisuke's room, she noticed the soft sounds of snoring coming from within. Checking quickly, she noted that Keisuke was still asleep and was possibly bunking his morning lectures. Not that she blamed him. Given the state of her own nerves after last night, she never wanted to have to deal with high school again. She shut the door softly and continued downwards. But in the kitchen nothing greeted her but empty chrome counter-tops and a note from her mother pinned to the fridge that warned her not to order out since there was enough food in the fridge. The hall was empty as well, as was the storeroom and the attic during her frantic search. No Taka anywhere to be found. All there was left of him was a book that wasn't glowing anymore and a faint impression in her pillow…
Miaka raced back into her room; heart pounding, palms sweating. It just wasn't possible that he had gone back into the book, was it? Wouldn't she have woken up? She would have felt the wrenching somehow… she would have…
But the feeling hadn't come upon her and now the room was empty. There was no note, no sign that Taka had left calmly because he would have taken care to hide the book then. He would have remembered that her mother might come in and would have taken the time to put the book in her desk or at least place it under a pillow or something. He wouldn't have left it lying out in the open on a chair where anyone who walked in could see it. And even if he had, he would have left a note of some sort saying when he would be back. Taka was reliable as the tides – it was one of the things she loved about him. So that left only one option…
He had returned to the book. Miaka moved slowly to take the book into her hands. Its heavy weight didn't reassure her for the first time since she had opened its pages. Instead it left her with an empty feeling inside. Taka was gone, back into the book, back into a world other than hers. She barely noticed the tears that had begun to streak down her cheeks. A powerful feeling was flooding her, a feeling she barely recognised. It took her a while to realize that it was rage – rage at Suzaku, a god that would give her everything and then take it away so soon, rage at herself for knowing this might occur and letting it happen anyway, rage at Taka for needing to read the book - mindless, blinding, all consuming rage. It surged through her body and into her arms. She tried ripping the book in her fury, but it stubbornly resisted. Through the depths of her anger, she realized that the book hadn't sent out a pulse of energy this time – no call for help or attempt to alert her. It had protected itself and remained stubbornly inert. Did this mean then that everything was complete? Was it preordained that Taka return to the book? Was that why he had been drawn to it so strongly ever since finding it? Then… where did that leave them?
Sinking to her knees Miaka tried to process all her thoughts as they rushed through. "This can't be the end… it just can't! There's no way…" she mumbled softly, rubbing her hands over the pages gently, trying to seek entrance into the book. If Taka couldn't stay with her in this world then she would join him in his. But the book remained silent and no light welcomed her. She tried screaming Taka's name, Tamahome's name, but to no avail. She begged Suzaku to let her in but nothing occurred. She called for all the Gods, for Taitsu-kun, for anybody to help her, but the book just lay on her lap, pages fluttering slightly in the wind.
A thought suddenly occurred to her. "A connection, that's what I need! Something to connect both worlds. Something that existed in both worlds" Excited at this possibility, she rushed to her desk and yanked open the drawer to reveal Nuriko's bracelets. They had come from the other world, maybe they would do? But the didn't emit any of the energy of Suzaku. They glittered sharply on her wrists, but the book still refused her entrance.
"They aren't working" she sobbed, "nothings working." Rocking back on her ankles she keened softly; the sound of grief wrenched from her throat. Rocking back and forth on the floor, the book sliding from her lap onto the ground, she wept.
And then, like a miracle, she noticed the slightly open door of her cupboard, and there, peeking through the numerous outfits, was a ragged edge of brown with a dark mottled stain. Bounding forward, she shoved all the clothes out of the way onto the floor, before carefully drawing out her old school uniform. The dried blood flaked lightly onto her hands, but this time she ignored it's presence. Clutching it to herself, she silently gave thanks to whatever impulse had possessed her to keep it. The blood on it would connect both the worlds, since not all of it had been hers. "It's almost fitting in a way" she thought "that I should return wearing the same uniform. I guess it really goes to show how things come in circles…"
Miaka changed hurriedly, stripping out of the shorts and t-shirt that she had worn the day before and donning the shirt and skirt of her old school. She hurriedly fastened the waistcoat and yanked the ripped and rather threadbare jacket into place. Old mud flaked off the cuffs of her shirt and several rips gave evidence to past struggles but she ignored them, as well as the somewhat unpleasant smell of dried sweat that wafted to her nostrils. There was power within these clothes. The last time they had connected Yui and her, this time they would reconnect her with Taka. Or Tamahome. "Oh god! Which will it be?" she wailed, collapsing momentarily, strength sapped by this dilemma.
"It doesn't matter… I'll get to that hurdle when I reach it…" Miaka picked herself up again and went toward the book. She looked longingly around the room one last time. She would miss everything in this world – her mother, Keisuke, Yui, all her other friends, the easy conveniences that she had learnt last time not to take for granted – everything. An overwhelming urge rushed through her to see Keisuke one last time, to feel him hug her and know that everything would be all right, because her big brother wouldn't let it be any other way. But Keisuke might try to stop her. She knew all too well that he feared what lay within the book, and with good reason, considering what had happened to Yui… and herself. He truly believed that the world inside the book was make-believe, but she knew better. And that was why she couldn't wake him to say goodbye.
Gathering her courage, she gathered the book in her arms and harnessed all her ki. "Kai-jin" she whispered, pushing through the barriers around the book so that Suzaku might feel her plea. She deliberately blanked out all thoughts that suggested that he wouldn't grant the request she was about to make – the fact that the gods had denied Tatra and Suzano, the fact that not even the gods might have the power to keep her within the book for her life time, the fact that her three wishes had been made already, the fact that she was no longer a virgin – she blanked all thoughts out and concentrated only on the energy she could feel just out of her reach.
"Suzaku, help me! Your miko entreats you!" she was almost unaware of the harsh currents of wind that were swirling around her or the glow that illuminated her body. All that filled her mind was the approaching presence of her god. And then suddenly, the room went dark and she could no longer feel the weight of the book.
Trembling, Miaka looked around and was encountered by more darkness. She stood in a void. Turning back to the front she was startled by the figure that filled her view, glittering red, eyes focused intently upon her face.
"Suzaku" she breathed.
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Author's note: - Down to the last two chapters. The next section is the reason why I started out the whole fic in the first place. Any suggestions, constructive criticism or warm wriggling puppies are more than welcome. I know I've ended on a bit of a cliffhanger, but I figured at least one was due in this story. I hope the chapter was worth the read. I haven't really checked it through cause Daddy needs the laptop and I don't know when I'll have another chance to upload anything. I guess I'll check this chapter as well during the re-haul.
As always I remain,
(Evil and) diabolique.