Chapter Four: Voting on the Student Council

Yui stared at her best friend for a few moments.

"Yui didn't you hear me?"

"No, I heard you Miaka, but are you sure?" Yu replied concerned.

"Yes" Miaka nodded, "That's why I didn't hear you."

"Okay. Let's go to the library and find out if the book is there. Then we'll talk about this. And maybe we'll talk about it with Keisuke and Tetsuya."

"All right" Miaka agreed following Yui down the street.

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The National library wasn't too far from their school. Yui and Miaka walked in. Yui looked at the desk and saw that the person behind it was preoccupied. She and Miaka rushed up the stairs that led to the room. They looked down the hall to make sure no security guard was around. They walked over to the door and Yui turned the handle. The door was unlocked once more so they walked in.

"Do you remember where you put it?" Miaka asked putting down her bag.

"It's around here somewhere" Yui replied, "Let's just look."

Miaka and Yui rummaged through several shelves. Finally exhausted Yui looked at Miaka straight in the eye.

"It's just as I feared. It's gone," Yui said somberly.

"Where could it be?" Miaka replied worriedly.

"I don't know" Yui said, "C'mon let's call your brother and Tetsuya and meet with them."

"Yui. I need to tell Taka" Miaka replied.

"Do you think he will remember?"

"I don't know. He knows the stories and he tries to remember but so far nothing. But I have to tell him. It involves him too."

"That's true. Okay Miaka. Let's go to the college. We can meet all three of them there."

"Okay."

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That evening at Miaka's house the five of them discussed the strange occurrences.

"But are you sure Miaka? That you heard Suzaku?" her older brother Keisuke asked.

"Yes. In my dreams. And then this afternoon" she replied.

"I had a dream too. And this afternoon when Miaka and I went to the library we found that the book was gone" Yui said.

"The Universe of the Four Gods was not there?" Tetsuya asked.

"No. We couldn't find it anywhere. Taka is everything all right?" Miaka asked as she stared at him.

His back was turned from the couches they were sitting on.

"I wondered why the two of you looked so strange this morning?" he replied as he stared out the window.

"Taka do you remember anything? Anything at all?" Yui asked him.

"I've been trying to. All I can remember is protecting Miaka. Everything else is pretty much a blur."

"It's okay Taka" Miaka smiled, "It's not important that you can't remember. At least not now."

"But what does it mean?" Tetsuya said, "Who would take the book out of the library? Who else knows about the Universe of the Four Gods?"

"Good question?" Yui replied, "I don't know of anybody."

"And the other question is, why would they want the book? What would be the reason?" Keisuke added brushing a hand through his short dirty blond hair.

"I'm home!" Miaka's mom called out as she entered the apartment.

"Oh Mom's home" Miaka replied.

"I guess we'll have to discuss this later" Tetsuya said.

"You mean your mom doesn't know?" Taka asked.

"Are you kidding?" Miaka replied with an eyebrows raised, "She wouldn't understand this."

"Yea, mom would probably freak" Keisuke said with a smile as he stood up, "I'll walk you guys to the door."

"I'm going to stay a little longer with Miaka" Yui replied, "Goodbye Tetsuya."

"See you later Yui," he grinned under his sunglasses.

"Bye Taka" Miaka said.

"I'll see you later Miaka" he replied with a smile.

"C'mon" Miaka turned to Yui, "Let's go to my room.

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Yui left about an hour later saying she had to prepare for the election the next day. Miaka got ready for bed and climbed under the covers.

"I wonder if I will have another dream?" she thought as she closed her eyes.

After she drifted into another dream. This time she was on a hill. Yui was standing next to her. Next to them were two other girls their age. She couldn't see their faces. The four of them stared into the sky, which was pitch black once more. The wind was blowing heavily. Suzaku once again appeared next to Byakko, Seiryuu, and Genbu.

"Priestess! Save us!" he called.

Miaka woke up once again. She sat up dripping with more sweat then the first time.

"What is this?" she asked herself, "What is going on Suzaku?"

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In a small house in Morioka another girl sat up in bed. Her long light brown hair glistened with sweat. She gazed out her window and saw the wind pick up outside.

"Grandmother" she said, "Why am I seeing these things? Why are you showing these things to me?"

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The phone rang at Miaka's apartment the next morning. Keisuke answered it.

"Miaka!" he called.

"What is it?" she called back.

"Mrs. Hongo just called to say that Yui is ill and that she won't be in school today."

"Yui's sick?" Miaka came into the hall, one shoe on, one shoe off.

"That's what she said."

"Hmm? But today is the election. Yui is going to lose."

"Well. Maybe she's better off" Keisuke replied as he went back into his room, "Being in a position like that can be so demanding sometimes."

"I suppose. Still I wonder" Miaka thought as she slid the other shoe on, "What caused her to be sick? Maybe I'll find out this afternoon."

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In the gym at break time the election was going on. Ren made a very dramatic speech. When the time for the Vice- president's speech came no one came up. Ren stood back up and spoke.

"Since no other people volunteered to be Vice-president, and despite Miss Hongo's absence, I vote that she'd be my vice president. All those in favor?"

The entire student body raised their hands. Miaka looked around her in confusion as she raised her hand.

"Everyone looks the same" she thought, "They have the same placid expressions."

"There you have it" the original president replied into the microphone, "Yui Hongo will be the Vice president, and according to the votes Ren Shigyou is our new President!"

Everyone stood up at once and applauded him. Miaka stood with the rest and eyed Ren. He noticed her look and gazed right at her as he spoke.

"Thank you. I will do my best to be a good president. Long gone are the days when you will have to follow someone who is incompetent."

Miaka gasped and looked at the former president on the stage. He was beaming away as if he hadn't even been insulted.

"We will start a brand new future. One where you will be free to live your lives as you see fit. No more adults telling you what is right and what is wrong."

Miaka looked around her stunned.

"Doesn't anyone notice?" she replied to herself, "What he's saying? Something's not right."

"Let's grab the future with both hands!" he shouted into the mike.

Everyone clapped loudly. Miaka continued looking at Ren in awe. He looked her way as she dashed out of the gym. He smiled then bowed his head to the audience. Now even the teachers had placid looks on their faces as they clapped.

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Authors Note: Okay it ended being longer than I had first anticipated. Any way hope you enjoyed it. Just a few more chapters then we can see the rest of the characters in Konan.

Next Chapter: True Intentions

Miaka and Taka meet on the roof of the school to discuss Ren's speech. Yui becomes better and has her own encounter with Ren Shigyou!