Disclaimer: Fushigi Yuugi was certainly not created by me or any of my friends. It belongs to Yu Watase. Still. :P We are just having fun going off of her ideas for our own amusement, and maybe for the amusement of others. No money is being made from this story.

Ari: Well, hello, all you Modern Miko readers! waves hand in Jedi Mind Trick It has not been a long time since I have updated. It has not… what? It didn't work? Err.. ;; Well, it has been very stressful, what with job and school and finals and vacation…which I actually did get a lot of MM writing done on, so there. :P I will, as always, try to keep up with updating this story, and I promise I won't abandon it any time soon, like a lot of stories I know that rarely update and just fade away. I still really like this story, hopefully there are still people out there that do as well.. oh well. Here is the next extra-long installment of Modern Miko. (Hey, don't complain, it's not as long as some book chapters. :P It's just uh… long for fanfiction. You'll survive, I think it's worth it.)

Modern Miko: Chapter Nine

"But…Yume can't ride a horse!" Trav sputtered, turning to Mirai with a puzzled expression. (A/N: If you can identify this movie reference and how it is related to FY, then… good for you .) Mirai only shrugged, but looked just as confused. It was still so unbelievable that as they read this, their friends were in a strange fantasy world experiencing all kinds of traumatic situations, and there was nothing they could do about it. Except keep reading.

"So frustrating.." he muttered, Mirai nodding sympathetically. "I mean, we.. gah!" Reaching behind his back with his opposite hand, he rubbed his left shoulder blade furiously.

"Are you okay?"

I thought this went away when I came back from the book...

"Trav?

"Y…yeah, I'm fine. Just an itch." Smiling tightly, he returned his attention to the faded pages of the book. "Keep reading, Mirai. Just… keep reading."

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It was no wonder that Tamahome's chosen outfit had been so light and thin. As the horse's hooves pounded the dunes sending up a dusty spray, Yume regretted her stubborn decision to wear the filmy garment over her own clothes. She was slowly baking.

Honestly, she didn't really know where she as going. Towards town, she hoped. Her lack of appropriate money would serve to be a problem, but she could only cross that bridge when she came to it. For now, escaping from the clutches of that infuriating bandit was enough.

She wondered, though, what Tasuki would think. Would he see it as a betrayal? She didn't want to hurt him, but there was really nothing else to do. Wait there for who knows how long, or take a chance.

Yes, she was certain that she had done the right thing.

The Desert Hunters' tents faded more and more into the hazy distance every time Yume crested another dune. She looked back, smirked. Even though it wasn't exactly easy to do it, gripping the horse tightly as it lurched through the sand, she was succeeding. She had escaped capture all on her own, and was riding into the metaphorical sunset.

The horse descended again, hooves spread as it slid down the slope expertly. The ride was not entirely smooth, but Yume acknowledged the grace that the sleek dun possessed. She had not even considered until this point why it had allowed her to ride it so willingly—then, she had cared about the fact that she had a chance to get away at all. She puzzled over the question as the horse regained speed over a brief flat stretch.

The dunes in the distance were considerably lower than those that she was now leaving behind—she remembered from her survey of the area when they had arrived in the desert that this was a sign that she was well on the way towards the promise of town. She felt a surge of triumphant accomplishment even as the sweat beaded on her brow with every thundering stride of the bandits' horse. Now she could begin to breathe easy and form plans on what to do next.

Lost in these thoughts, she slowly came to the realization of something rather startling—the dun was slowing, in increments. Blurred desert landscape came into focus as this happened—the feeling of exhilarating speed faded. Yume's mind raced; there was no time for slacking their pace when she was so close. To her horror, as the minutes went on the horse transitioned to a brisk trot, then a walk, before abruptly coming to a dead stop nearly in the exact center of the flat stretch of valley between where Yume came from, and where she wanted to go.

It raised its neck and sniffed the air, Yume all the while futilely kicking at it in hopes of inspiring it to movement. Idly, the dun swished its tail in the silence.

"No, you blasted horse! You can't do this to me, we were halfway there! Don't…just…stand…there." Yume punctuated each word with a solid kick of her heels to its sides. It figures…

The dun's ears were now flicking from side to side, and it was shifting its hooves impatiently. Yume sank into the saddle, leaning her head against the horse's arches neck. "Please…move…" she mumbled in its ear. For a moment, as the horse lurched forward, she believed that it might've finally decided to listen to her. Then she realized with further sinking spirits that the hooves she heard were not those of the horse that she now rode. Due to the dun's stubborn nature, she had lost the time she had gained in her escape.

"Now look what you've done, stupid horse." It merely snorted at her and tossed its head. I should've known better, with a horse that belongs to the bandits. "The last thing that I want is to be re-captured by Tamahome, so get going!"

Obviously the horse didn't really understand her, but it did seem to know the words "Tamahome" and "go". Unfortunately, it completely missed the context of her statement. Turning about, it galloped away in the opposite direction.

"The other way, the other way!" Panic seized Yume; she could hear two sets of hooves now at almost the same level of audibility. Tamahome would soon rise over the dune before the flat stretch, and she certainly did not want to meet him head-on.

"Come on, horse," she said in the most convincing tone that she could muster. "We're…friends, right? Why don't we turn around…and then Tamahome can chase us, kind of like a…game. Wouldn't that be fun? The game goes like this. We run like crazy away from him and don't get caught!" She rambled at it like this, hoping against hopes that somehow, in this crazy place, luck would for once be on her side and her unlikely plan would actually work.

In the next breathless moments, nothing changed. The dun thundered on, and it truly seemed as if it would continue until her plan completely fell apart around her.

Maybe if I tried some keywords… talked in simpler terms.

"Tamahome. Bad. Turn. Go away. Er…do not pass go, do not collect $200?" The pace faltered only for a second as the horse's eye rolled up at her. Okay, maybe not.

Yume sighed. "All I want to do, if it isn't too much to ask, is to go to the city."

She nearly flew out of the saddle as the horse once again stopped, this time with no gradual transition. It stamped its feet; unbelievably, it was as if it were mulling the idea over in its mind. Unlikely as that seemed, it didn't matter as long as she could get away from the bandits.

"Um…please?" Let this work, let this work…Ears drooping, it swung back around and picked up speed once more. Yume attempted to chase away her questions and feeling of incredulity; all that mattered was that she seriously needed to make up for lost time. Leaning as far down as she could on the dun's muscular back, she finally looked behind her out of the corner of her eye. She instantly regretted it. Through the haze of kicked-up dust, she could see the galloping legs of a black horse in the all-too-near distance.

"Keep running," she whispered to her own horse, who was finally stepping up to the challenge. Its long stride only briefly touched the sand as it churned beneath its hooves. She could hear Tamahome's attempts to shout over the pounding hooves and the distance between them, and cringed. If it weren't for this loyal, stubborn thing… I can't think about my chances now. Every second counts, at this point.

The dun weaved from one side to the other in avoiding spiny vegetation, which was appearing with increasing frequency as they neared the ivory-colored walls of the desert city. Yume refused to look behind again, concentrating instead on keeping her grip and pace. Her mouth had become very dry, and her eyes red and blurry; all that was pushed to the back of her mind. Speed… She clenched a fistful of mane.

Yume grit her teeth as a foreleg slid into her peripheral vision—she had lost more ground than she had thought. Sensing this proximity, the horse she rode surged ahead, inch by inch. She hoped fervently that the dun had not allowed the other horse to catch up only to prove its superiority, if indeed superiority it possessed. The twin sets of hooves echoed in her ears, a constant reminder of her dangerous dance between freedom and capture. The next moments would decide. She could no longer see any part of her pursuer, but she sensed his presence as surely as if his horse were breathing on her neck. If she could just reach the walled city ahead of him and slip into a crowd; maybe, just maybe, that would be enough.

She could hear, vaguely, bits of his attempted shouts before they scattered into the wind their speed created. She wondered idly what it could be that he was trying to tell her, but concluded that she was better off not knowing. Determined not to let anything he said get to her, Yume pointedly ignored him as she urged her horse on.

And then there it was, close enough that she herself could have said it.

"Fersiforu!"

Yume's heart leapt to her throat as the horse's gait faltered; she gave it a solid kick to discourage further hesitation. "You're his horse, aren't you," she whispered to the dun accusingly. It merely lowered its head, snorted. She didn't really expect, or need, an answer; she had concluded as much a while ago, but had only now had this suspicion confirmed. So, then, why did it not just stop for its true rider? She prayed that this bizarre luck would hold. Does this horse want to get away from Tamahome as much as I do? She chuckled at the thought, however unlikely. Continuing shouts snapped her back to her current reality.

"…op! You…tess of…ku! Don'…void me!"

Yume blinked in confusion. Obviously, he wanted her to stop and listen to him, which was exactly what she was not going to do. She kept her eyes straight ahead of her, and could hear the hooves fall back behind her. So maybe this horse is superior, after all. She smirked. The walls continued to rise ahead of her. It would not be much longer… She was sure that she could coax the powerful horse into one last push to reach the arched gates, welcoming her to disappear into safety and anonymity.

Having by this time regained some of her former confidence so close to her goal of escape, Yume's focus was so set on that last stretch that she felt rather than saw Fersiforu's glossy leather reins slide from her hands as a form vaulted onto his back behind her. Within the next startling seconds as the dun thundered on towards the gate now looming over them, a strong pair of tanned arms were around her own arms and waist, effectively binding her as one hand controlled the appropriated reins. She had almost done it, but now it was over; Tamahome, it seems, had won. Yume squirmed a bit, but was instantly discouraged by the firm reaction of the bandit tightening his grip ever so slightly. But we're still heading towards town…

"You hungry?" Tamahome's voice, speaking quietly right next to her ear, caused Yume to jump a bit—at least as much as she could, in her current situation. That certainly wasn't what she expected the first thing out of his mouth after her escape attempt would be.

"I am…yeah," she answered, a tone of suspicion in her voice. "Didn't you get food once I chased you out of the tent so I could change?"

"Mm. That was…the plan. Once I heard Fersi take off, though, that changed to finding another horse to follow with as quickly as possible, ya know. This one was the closest one available… Tasuki's horse," he said, before she could ask. "He wanted to come too, of course, but that would mean borrowing someone else's ride, and there aren't many in the camp who are willing to part with a good horse, even for a little while."

Yume nodded, secretly wishing that it had been Tasuki who had followed on his own horse, and Tamahome stuck begging for another one. As it was, she didn't imagine that would take long; Tasuki seemed to have a comparatively lower rank, while Tamahome was more "Ruzoku's right hand man." But Tamahome wouldn't think of that. Yume sighed.

They were now passing through the cream-stone gateway that opened onto a bustling city. A market spread before them, with carts and stands loaded with all sorts of goods, the farmers and merchants loudly boasting of the deals that they offered. It truly was a situation that one could melt into and disappear, Yume though ruefully. Fersi picked carefully through the crowd, swinging his head this way and that as he eagerly took in his surroundings. Yume agreed that it was an interesting and exciting place, but was unable at the moment to do much more than brood over the mess she had found herself in. Despite her most desperate attempts, she was no closer in her search for friend and cousin, and worse, she was a prisoner again.

"Don't squirm so much. It's bad enough trying to navigate with one hand and ride double in this place." Yume glowered down at her hands, still grasping handfuls of Fersi's mane. Tasuki's horse followed obediently, not needing to be led so that it would not bolt. They turned down a street that was more narrow and comparatively less busy—people shuffled by on various errands or leaned against the walls of buildings, only lifting their eyes briefly as the two horses passed by. It was not a particularly rich city, though there were those who obviously did quite well as merchants there; most of the people seemed rather ordinary, with brightly colored yet cool clothing. Some sneers tossed Yume's way made her briefly grateful that she was on alone on this street—although she figured she would have avoided such semi-abandoned side streets if she had been on her own, anyway.

As she continued to observe her surroundings with increasing curiosity, the horses simultaneously stopped before a well-lit archway at a clicking noise and a subtle tug of the reins from Tamahome. The sun was beginning to set, and the building's lights flickered across the pathway; lively voices and clattering dishes could be heard over a strumming instrument that Yume had never heard before. She blinked as Tamahome fluidly dismounted before he turned back towards her and offered his hand, straight-faced. She started to stubbornly slide off on her own, but he grasped her elbow halfway down and didn't release it once her feet had reached the dusty ground.

"Don't try anything," he muttered, and she gave him an exasperated look. He half-dragged her into the room, largely ignored by the likely drink-induced merriment of the crowd. Weaving through staggering and laughing bunches of people, they eventually arrived at a long table lined with benches. Many of those seated there nodded to Tamahome, who returned the gesture. More bandits, maybe…? The table was covered with plates and platters, both full and empty—those last were periodically replaced by servers who silent appeared without being summoned. This certainly was not the meager fare of stew and stale bread offered back at the camp.

Tamahome slid back one of the small benches on the side of the table that was against the wall and faced the entryway—he pulled Yume down beside him, not violently but certainly with an amount of force. She glared at him, but bit her tongue. Speaking in a low murmur to the men around him, he was passed steaming bowls and platters, which he gratefully took portions from and placed on his own plate. Yume stretched her arm out to take a bowl as it went by, only to feel Tamahome's left arm reach around her shoulders and across her collar bone, restricting her movement. He grinned as her eyes flashed angrily up at him. Keeping his arm around her, he scooped some food from the bowl onto her plate. He continued to do this with following platters.

"I suppose you plan to feed me, as well," she said dryly under her breath so that only he could hear. At this, he loosened his grip so that her right arm was free.

"…I'm left-handed…"

He shifted hastily to the other side. She shook her head, stiffly bringing food to her mouth with the provided utensil. Several men around the table chuckled, as if she were some new amusement—this she resented, but there was little she could do about it. Yume attempted to ignore most of the conversation going on around her. It was mostly talk of trade, of hunting—not just boring, but also rather coarse. When the conversation suddenly become more personal, she brought her attention back reluctantly to her surroundings. And wished that she could become invisible.

"So, where did you acquire this one?" A raspy voice accompanies this question from across the table. Yume's fist clenched around the spoon she now held.

"I…wouldn't say "acquire". She is merely under my care—for the moment. She's trying to find someone…"

Before Yume's surprise could register that Tamahome was being truthful about her situation, the man across from them broke into a grin that glinted in the low light. His eyes held much amusement.

"Under your care. Sure." He chucked, a grating sound.

"Think what you want, Tsukori." Tamahome glowered, lifting a drinking-bowl to his mouth. The other man's smile only widened, with a glint in his eye to match the metallic one in his grin.

"Oh, I will. Don't worry." Yume cringed and wondered how much longer she would have to put up with this. Could she trust what Tasuki had claimed was protection? Running from it had done no good. Sitting here accomplished nothing. Yume was relieved to find that it was not long until the topic of discussion had moved on to other, safer—for her, anyway—subjects. Feuds between clans of bandits, wars in far-off regions—these were talked about in a more hushed, serious tone. She tried to listen, but found it hard to follow. Something about betrayals between armies and emperors, misunderstandings and rampant rumors sparking wars, friend turning on friend—which all really seemed to boil down to one big mess. Trying to sort it all out was beginning to give her a headache. She gave up.

As she began to feel drowsy and many of the plates were being cleared, Yume felt a subtle loosening of Tamahome's grip on her upper arms. She twisted around to try and look up at him, and caught Tasuki's eye as he silently slid onto the beach next to her. He gave her a warm, friendly smile and then a look for Tamahome that was clearly meant to say "What are you doing?" Tamahome immediately removed his arm, much to Yume's inward amusement.

"You missed dinner, Tas'," Tamahome said, indicating the mostly-empty platters.

Tasuki nodded, but was still smiling. "I'll be fine, I ate a bit while at camp looking for a horse." His obvious but not mean-spirited emphasis of the word caused Tamahome to wince playfully.

"Ah, yes, well…yours is out there, now."

"I noticed."

"Mm."

Yume was relieved by Tasuki's presence in this place—at least she believed he would consistently stick up for her—but still hoped they would not remain there much longer. It was stuffy, and there were far too many conversations that she would rather not hear. She yawned, a little too loudly.

"Yume. You must be tired…you've ridden long and hard." As she turned, she saw Tasuki giving her a look of concern. "We have to return to camp first, though. Ruzoku…will only forgive our absence for so long. Do you think you can ride? You could ride with me, otherwise, if you wish…"

Yume nodded, though to which option, she was not sure. "I think I can ride," she said after a moment. I've had enough of males holding down my arms for one day… Tasuki nodded in return. Tamahome remained uncharacteristically silent. He seemed to be deep in thought, staring out at nothing in particular. Finally, he too nodded, and they all rose to leave the tavern.

It was a fairly uneventful, quiet night's ride across the dunes—a chill in the air sliced through Yume's now too-thin clothing and the sand was bathed in a blue-grayish glow. Yume rode the extra horse, who was not as smooth a ride as Fersi but still did not give her many problems other than the occasional spook. It was a non-descript dark brown color, and somewhat small in build compared to the other two horses. The three riders took a brisk but comparatively leisurely pace, the bandits—particularly Tasuki—occasionally slowing to point something out to Yume that she otherwise would have certainly missed. They knew this desert well.

About half-way though the trip, Yume edged her horse closer to Tasuki's. Tamahome glanced over from where he was curiously, but remained there.

"I want to ask you some questions, while I still have the chance."

"Yes, what is it Yume?"

"Well…" she scanned the star-filled skies above her, as if hoping to find the words among them. "First off…why is Tamahome so mean to me? It's like there's something he doesn't like about me, something that offends him…"

Tasuki blinked, his horse's gait slowing. His expression seemed to be one of bewilderment.

"Has he really treated you so badly? I know he's not the most…sensitive person. I don't believe he would do anything to truly harm you, so I don't think it has anything to do with 'dislike' or 'offense.'" He shrugged, but shot a glance over at the other bandit who now rode ahead of them.

Yume bit her lip. "Well… maybe not. It's just…calling me a witch, keeping me like a captive…it doesn't make sense. I don't even really know him!"

"Hmm… you might know him more than you think." It was a hushed, distant tone—almost a whisper. He was still looking ahead, his thoughts somewhere else.

"What?... Don't say 'nothing'!" Yume added as Tasuki began to open his mouth. He stopped, and grinned sheepishly.

"You see? You even seem to know me pretty well." He smiled again, and she shook her head. After a pause, he continued speaking.

"Yume, I wish I could say more at this point than 'trust us.' Don't take Tamahome's actions too seriously, either. He…is in some ways as lost as you."

With that, Yume was left to ponder Tasuki's mysterious explanation as they crested one of the tall dunes that surrounded the desert camp. When this gave them a clear, far-off view of the tents, her breath caught in her throat.

Ruzoku's Hunter camp was on fire.

"Hah!" Tamahome shouted into the surreal stillness, coaxing Fersiforu into a rapid speed down the dune towards the blazing camp. Tiny dark figures, like ants at this distance, swarmed among the groups of tents that now glowed red even in the darkness of night. Tasuki soon followed, once assured that Yume was not left behind. She clung to her horse in a daze, unable to rip her eyes away from the leaping flames and the swirling specks she vaguely acknowledged as people.

"We're under attack," Tasuki said breathlessly as they thundered across the sand. "It's Sasuke's Talons, I just know it. Ruzoku allowed them to become this strong." There was a bitterness to his voice unfamiliar to Yume. His mouth was set in a thin, grim line, but his eyes were wide with what could only be fear.

Ari: Well, I hope people got through all that, I know it's a lot to ask people to read for a story that is on the internet. :P That should be it for Yume for a little while.. next chapter will feature Ari and Riki!

Also, I don't know if it seems like it to anyone else, but Tasuki might seem a little too nice, a little too perfect… as they call them in fan-fic, a "Harry Stu" (after Mary Sue, the perfect character that is based on the author, all the guys fall in love with her, she's wonderful as can be, etc.) Well, he's not perfect, he has weaknesses too… as you may see in later chapters. Just clearing that up a bit.

One last thing…

Q: Why do the characters in the story (except Trav) have Japanese names, when they are not Japanese in the slightest and live in California?

A: Well, honestly we just didn't want to use boring, regular names and wanted it to seem more like anime. ;; But the in-storyworld explanation is that Ari, Yume and Mirai's respective parents were friends in college and all liked Japanese culture so much that they decided to name their kids Japanese names. Yeah, it's kinda weird. But that's my story.. and I'm sticking to it. :P Ha…

'Til next time!