Author's Note: 'The Girl' who was introduced in chapter 2 is loosely based
on a friend of mine (and by loosely, I mean very, very loosely.) Any
resemblance to anyone other than said friend is purely coincidental.
"You are...Lady Miaka!" Hotohori said, eyes wide as Miaka, Taka, and Chichiri entered his office. Hotohori was on his feet within a second.
"Hotohori?" Miaka asked. The man was, indeed, a near perfect image of the emperor she had met years ago within the pages of the book. His deep and soft eyes gazed at her with a wonder that approached worship.
"Yes, yes, that is my name. You are the priestess of Suzaku." Hotohori's voice had an excited quality that was much like a child who had just run into their favorite singer or actor on the street.
"You remember me?" Miaka asked in surprise.
"That's strange, no da...I thought Taka was the only one with memories of his past life." Chichiri said, placing a hand thoughtfully on his chin.
"Of course I remember you. I have read of your adventures since I was a child." Hotohori reached into a drawer in his desk and produced a very old-looking, leather bound book with Chinese characters in gold on the cover. "When my great great grandparents came to Japan a century ago, this was their only and greatest treasure: The Universe of the Four Gods. Its stories have been passed down through my family for centuries, since my ancestors reigned as emperors."
"We need your help, Hotohori." Taka said, with a nod, "We need to gather the warriors and summon Suzaku again."
"Yes...yes, I expected you would say that." Hotohori say behind his desk once more, "In my heart, I knew that one day I would meet you in person, Lady Miaka, and that I would serve you as my ancestor did so many years ago."
Chiriko turned to Taka, and spoke in a whispered tone: "I don't think he gets the whole reincarnation part, no da."
"It doesn't matter," Taka replied quietly with a rather nonchalant shrug, "As long as he's willing to help."
"Well...You should wait here until we find the others then, I guess." Miaka said, trying not to be embarrassed by Hotohori's worshipful gazes.
"If you need anything at all, just call me, Priestess." Hotohori nodded from his seat behind his desk. Miaka smiled and nodded as well, then glanced over at the large, ornate clock on one of the office's walls. She gasped and turned to Taka. "We have to go pick Hikari up!"
"Yui said she would take care of that today, remember?" Taka patted Miaka on the head as one would a forgetful child. Miaka nodded with a rather nervous laugh.
"Oh, yes, of course!"
"We should tell Taiitsukun-sama about finding Hotohori, no da."
"I really did remember. I was just trying to test your memory, Taka."
"Oh, right. Sure."
"Are you two even listening, no da?"
The girl had long since emerged from her closet hiding place. Hunger had eventually won out over sorrow and stubborn rebellion. At first, her mother had tried to make small talk, mostly concerning how wonderful things would be now that they had moved to Japan. Of course, it was fairly fruitless. She did not want to talk. She did not even really want to eat, but the sound of her own stomach rumbling would surely drive her mad were she to allow it to continue any longer.
Once an hour had passed, her mother finally took the hint and gave up trying to make conversation. Another span of time passed in complete silence before the girl stood and retreated to her new bedroom, barren though it was. Once the door was securely shut, she curled up in a corner, not unlike her time in the closet, and closed her eyes, hoping for sleep to come and take her mind off of everything.
The calm of sleep crept through her body, making her limbs feel heavy and her head feel light as she drifted off into a sound sleep. As her mind slipped into a dre4am state, the same presence that had been with her in the closet came to her and touched her mind.
"Why are you here?"
The girl looked up as she heard a female voice, soft and gentle. She was in what seemed to be a dark room, but a light shone on her, out of nowhere.
"Who's there?" She called out, trying to see into the darkness. There was no answer for a moment, then the female voice spoke again, sounding closer this time.
"Why are you here?"
"My mother brought me here." She replied with a frown, "Who are you?"
"I have no name." The voice said, with a very faint chuckle, "I have no name, I have no body, and you have no purpose. We both have problems, but if we work together, perhaps we can both be happy."
"This is just a dream." The girl looked down at her feet with a sigh.
"This is just a dream. But you can make it so much more, Samantha."
"How do you know my name?"
The voice laughed softly from just behind the girl. She turned quickly, but found nothing behind her.
"I have been watching you for some time. You have great potential, but your mother is holding you down. Help me, and I will help you overcome your...obstacles."
Samantha paused for perhaps five seconds, considering the words, then she finally gave a nod, closing her eyes.
"What do I have to do?"
"You are...Lady Miaka!" Hotohori said, eyes wide as Miaka, Taka, and Chichiri entered his office. Hotohori was on his feet within a second.
"Hotohori?" Miaka asked. The man was, indeed, a near perfect image of the emperor she had met years ago within the pages of the book. His deep and soft eyes gazed at her with a wonder that approached worship.
"Yes, yes, that is my name. You are the priestess of Suzaku." Hotohori's voice had an excited quality that was much like a child who had just run into their favorite singer or actor on the street.
"You remember me?" Miaka asked in surprise.
"That's strange, no da...I thought Taka was the only one with memories of his past life." Chichiri said, placing a hand thoughtfully on his chin.
"Of course I remember you. I have read of your adventures since I was a child." Hotohori reached into a drawer in his desk and produced a very old-looking, leather bound book with Chinese characters in gold on the cover. "When my great great grandparents came to Japan a century ago, this was their only and greatest treasure: The Universe of the Four Gods. Its stories have been passed down through my family for centuries, since my ancestors reigned as emperors."
"We need your help, Hotohori." Taka said, with a nod, "We need to gather the warriors and summon Suzaku again."
"Yes...yes, I expected you would say that." Hotohori say behind his desk once more, "In my heart, I knew that one day I would meet you in person, Lady Miaka, and that I would serve you as my ancestor did so many years ago."
Chiriko turned to Taka, and spoke in a whispered tone: "I don't think he gets the whole reincarnation part, no da."
"It doesn't matter," Taka replied quietly with a rather nonchalant shrug, "As long as he's willing to help."
"Well...You should wait here until we find the others then, I guess." Miaka said, trying not to be embarrassed by Hotohori's worshipful gazes.
"If you need anything at all, just call me, Priestess." Hotohori nodded from his seat behind his desk. Miaka smiled and nodded as well, then glanced over at the large, ornate clock on one of the office's walls. She gasped and turned to Taka. "We have to go pick Hikari up!"
"Yui said she would take care of that today, remember?" Taka patted Miaka on the head as one would a forgetful child. Miaka nodded with a rather nervous laugh.
"Oh, yes, of course!"
"We should tell Taiitsukun-sama about finding Hotohori, no da."
"I really did remember. I was just trying to test your memory, Taka."
"Oh, right. Sure."
"Are you two even listening, no da?"
The girl had long since emerged from her closet hiding place. Hunger had eventually won out over sorrow and stubborn rebellion. At first, her mother had tried to make small talk, mostly concerning how wonderful things would be now that they had moved to Japan. Of course, it was fairly fruitless. She did not want to talk. She did not even really want to eat, but the sound of her own stomach rumbling would surely drive her mad were she to allow it to continue any longer.
Once an hour had passed, her mother finally took the hint and gave up trying to make conversation. Another span of time passed in complete silence before the girl stood and retreated to her new bedroom, barren though it was. Once the door was securely shut, she curled up in a corner, not unlike her time in the closet, and closed her eyes, hoping for sleep to come and take her mind off of everything.
The calm of sleep crept through her body, making her limbs feel heavy and her head feel light as she drifted off into a sound sleep. As her mind slipped into a dre4am state, the same presence that had been with her in the closet came to her and touched her mind.
"Why are you here?"
The girl looked up as she heard a female voice, soft and gentle. She was in what seemed to be a dark room, but a light shone on her, out of nowhere.
"Who's there?" She called out, trying to see into the darkness. There was no answer for a moment, then the female voice spoke again, sounding closer this time.
"Why are you here?"
"My mother brought me here." She replied with a frown, "Who are you?"
"I have no name." The voice said, with a very faint chuckle, "I have no name, I have no body, and you have no purpose. We both have problems, but if we work together, perhaps we can both be happy."
"This is just a dream." The girl looked down at her feet with a sigh.
"This is just a dream. But you can make it so much more, Samantha."
"How do you know my name?"
The voice laughed softly from just behind the girl. She turned quickly, but found nothing behind her.
"I have been watching you for some time. You have great potential, but your mother is holding you down. Help me, and I will help you overcome your...obstacles."
Samantha paused for perhaps five seconds, considering the words, then she finally gave a nod, closing her eyes.
"What do I have to do?"