Chapter 7:
Baiko returned to the bench with food for the both of them, and he noticed she wasn't there. He took a deep breath and assumed she didn't hear him tell her to wait while he got food. He immediately thought she went back to the palace. So he returned to find her.
When he reached the palace, he couldn't find her anywhere. He tore apart her room and was searching the closet when he heard a voice.
"What are you doing in the Priestess's quarters?"
Baiko turned to see Hotohori, looking more confused than angry. "And where is she?"
Baiko turned, so Hotohori could see his tear-filled eyes, "I don't know, I was with her, and I left to get food, but when I returned she had gone somewhere. I'm thinking she might've gone to find her parents on her own... or... something."
Hotohori kneeled down beside Baiko and put a hand on his shoulder. "She's just like her mother. When her mother was the priestess, she would run off at the worst times possible because she didn't want to cause us troubles. Let's get Nuriko, and from there we'll set off to find her."
Baiko nodded, and Hotohori helped him up. The two of them quickly fixed the room, and then ran off to find Nuriko. When they didn't find Nuriko in her room, panic began to rise, but neither of them said anything. They set off to search the palace. When they reached Hotohori's chambers, the last place they hadn't checked, both of them were thoroughly shaken up. Hotohori slowly opened the door. Moments later, Baiko screamed.
Arisa was being smothered in hugs and kisses by her sister and Kenji was sitting against the wall, smiling. It took Arisa about half a minute to understand what was going on. She was back home, out of the book. Maybe it was all just a dream... maybe I just fell unconscious in my parents room and now I woke up... Akina thought, But... I'm sure Hotohori had to have been real... And what about Baiko, where did he come from?
"Hikari, what's going on?" Akina stood up.
"You... You..." Hikari hugged Akina again. "You were in that book... I'm not sure how, or why, but... A few minutes ago, I heard father's voice, he said that you had to save them and that you would be safe in the book. He also told me something about the two of us having some connection, and me being able to help you from my reality."
Kenji stood, "Akina, did you meet a boy in there... I think his name was Baiko..."
"Baiko, they said he was meant to be my protector. I was with him, and then he left, and I ran off to find him, and fell off a bridge... then I was here..." Towards the end of the story, Akina's voice began to slow. "That's not believable, is it?"
"Sis, I don't know what to believe anymore," Hikari's eyes filled with tears. "Right now, I'm just glad you're back."
"But, mom and dad... Taiisukun said that they were... Trapped in a beast god..."
"Suzaku," Hikari muttered. "Before you appeared, I head father's voice. He said that there was the story of what was going on, written and hid in a capsule buried in the backyard. Maybe that can tell us what is going on."
Akina agreed, and the two of them rushed outside. Before following them, Kenji picked up the book, and opened to the newest freshly written page, and was surprised to read the words, "The moment Kenji opened "The Universe of the Four Gods," he was engulfed in a blue light. The boy screamed in terror as he was pulled into the alternate reality." Kenji dropped the book, and found himself screaming, as the room faded out...
"Please put your heads down to mourn the death of our great friend Nuriko. She was a wonderful person; always willing to help when it was needed. I'm sure we will always... always..." Hotohori couldn't finish the rest of his eulogy. This was the second time Nuriko had died, and that didn't make it any easier. Baiko stood and helped the Emperor back to his seat. A young girl stood and walked up to the grave.
"Hello everybody. My name is Kourin, I'm sure none of you have met me before, because my parents keep me locked inside. Nuriko was my older brother, but when he was reborn as a girl, she was my older sister. She would come visit me in my room, and tell me stories of the outside world. She told me the reason I was kept locked in was because I had another sister, whom I was named after. She was killed, much to Nuriko's dismay. Nuriko was a wonderful person; she'd sneak me out of the house to see the outside world late at night. I'm going to miss her, and if anyone has any information as to who or what killed her, I'd really appreciate knowing. Thank you." Kourin bowed her head at the grave, and walked away.
During this monologue, Hotohori realized something. Once the funeral was over, he turned to Baiko, and said "I'm going to be the next to die, so I'm saying goodbye while I still can. Good luck saving our old Priestess, I only wish I could help."
Baiko returned to the bench with food for the both of them, and he noticed she wasn't there. He took a deep breath and assumed she didn't hear him tell her to wait while he got food. He immediately thought she went back to the palace. So he returned to find her.
When he reached the palace, he couldn't find her anywhere. He tore apart her room and was searching the closet when he heard a voice.
"What are you doing in the Priestess's quarters?"
Baiko turned to see Hotohori, looking more confused than angry. "And where is she?"
Baiko turned, so Hotohori could see his tear-filled eyes, "I don't know, I was with her, and I left to get food, but when I returned she had gone somewhere. I'm thinking she might've gone to find her parents on her own... or... something."
Hotohori kneeled down beside Baiko and put a hand on his shoulder. "She's just like her mother. When her mother was the priestess, she would run off at the worst times possible because she didn't want to cause us troubles. Let's get Nuriko, and from there we'll set off to find her."
Baiko nodded, and Hotohori helped him up. The two of them quickly fixed the room, and then ran off to find Nuriko. When they didn't find Nuriko in her room, panic began to rise, but neither of them said anything. They set off to search the palace. When they reached Hotohori's chambers, the last place they hadn't checked, both of them were thoroughly shaken up. Hotohori slowly opened the door. Moments later, Baiko screamed.
Arisa was being smothered in hugs and kisses by her sister and Kenji was sitting against the wall, smiling. It took Arisa about half a minute to understand what was going on. She was back home, out of the book. Maybe it was all just a dream... maybe I just fell unconscious in my parents room and now I woke up... Akina thought, But... I'm sure Hotohori had to have been real... And what about Baiko, where did he come from?
"Hikari, what's going on?" Akina stood up.
"You... You..." Hikari hugged Akina again. "You were in that book... I'm not sure how, or why, but... A few minutes ago, I heard father's voice, he said that you had to save them and that you would be safe in the book. He also told me something about the two of us having some connection, and me being able to help you from my reality."
Kenji stood, "Akina, did you meet a boy in there... I think his name was Baiko..."
"Baiko, they said he was meant to be my protector. I was with him, and then he left, and I ran off to find him, and fell off a bridge... then I was here..." Towards the end of the story, Akina's voice began to slow. "That's not believable, is it?"
"Sis, I don't know what to believe anymore," Hikari's eyes filled with tears. "Right now, I'm just glad you're back."
"But, mom and dad... Taiisukun said that they were... Trapped in a beast god..."
"Suzaku," Hikari muttered. "Before you appeared, I head father's voice. He said that there was the story of what was going on, written and hid in a capsule buried in the backyard. Maybe that can tell us what is going on."
Akina agreed, and the two of them rushed outside. Before following them, Kenji picked up the book, and opened to the newest freshly written page, and was surprised to read the words, "The moment Kenji opened "The Universe of the Four Gods," he was engulfed in a blue light. The boy screamed in terror as he was pulled into the alternate reality." Kenji dropped the book, and found himself screaming, as the room faded out...
"Please put your heads down to mourn the death of our great friend Nuriko. She was a wonderful person; always willing to help when it was needed. I'm sure we will always... always..." Hotohori couldn't finish the rest of his eulogy. This was the second time Nuriko had died, and that didn't make it any easier. Baiko stood and helped the Emperor back to his seat. A young girl stood and walked up to the grave.
"Hello everybody. My name is Kourin, I'm sure none of you have met me before, because my parents keep me locked inside. Nuriko was my older brother, but when he was reborn as a girl, she was my older sister. She would come visit me in my room, and tell me stories of the outside world. She told me the reason I was kept locked in was because I had another sister, whom I was named after. She was killed, much to Nuriko's dismay. Nuriko was a wonderful person; she'd sneak me out of the house to see the outside world late at night. I'm going to miss her, and if anyone has any information as to who or what killed her, I'd really appreciate knowing. Thank you." Kourin bowed her head at the grave, and walked away.
During this monologue, Hotohori realized something. Once the funeral was over, he turned to Baiko, and said "I'm going to be the next to die, so I'm saying goodbye while I still can. Good luck saving our old Priestess, I only wish I could help."