Part Two:

Back in the Yuki's apartment Keisuke and the others had moved into the living room to continue reading. Keisuke and Tetsuya were a bit concerned about their friend but shrugged it off. Instead to not alarm the mothers they remained calm and Keisuke resumed his reading.

"By the time the sun was in the afternoon sky, Tasuki noticed that they were getting closer to the mountains. He stopped his horse at a small lake, the others followed. It was time for a break anyway. Meanwhile the two priestesses as well as several of the warriors wondered what was up with Tamahome."

(Next Scene)

Yui joined Miaka at her side as they looked at Taka who was sitting on a rock near the lake. Tasuki stood close by with his arms crossed and a distinct frown on his face. Yui squeezed her best friends hand in encouragement, which Miaka smiled but suddenly gazed around her in confusion.

"Miaka what is it?" Yui asked.

"Do you feel that Yui?" Miaka said.

"Hmm? Feel what?"

"It's very faint. But I can sense the light of Suzaku nearby."

"Yea" Yui nodded, "Now that you mention it. I do feel something."

"Chichiri!" Miaka called.

"Hmm?" he looked up.

"Is this about the spot where we can find that place you were talking about?"

"I'm not sure you know. Do you feel something Miaka?" he replied holding onto his staff.

"I do" she nodded, "And it's coming from that direction" she pointed towards the woods.

"Funny I don't feel anything" he scratched his head.

"Well why don't we go check it out?" Nuriko suggested.

"Good idea" Miaka exclaimed taking Yui's hand, "Let's go Yui!" they took off running.

"Wait Lady Yui!" Suboshi called as he and the rest of them dashed after them.

(Next Scene)

Miaka and Yui ran till they came to a group of caves. It was here that Miaka stopped and looked around her.

"This is it" Miaka replied.

"Yea" Yui agreed, "You're right."

"Lady Yui" Suboshi appeared followed by the others, "What is this place?" he asked when he stopped.

"We don't know" Nuriko replied, "You tell us Tasuki."

"I've never seen these caves before" Tasuki said, "But I don't think that I have ever been to this part of Mt. Reikaku before either."

"Well whatever it is," Miaka replied as Taka joined her at her side, "This is where we are getting the sensation."

"You're right" Chichiri said, "I do feel something here you know."

"What is it Chichiri?" Chiriko asked.

"I don't know. I'm not sure. What do you think Miboshi?"

"I don't sense anything out of the ordinary" the little man replied.

"Well then perhaps we should go in and find out for ourselves" Miaka suggested taking a step forward.

"Miaka wait" Taka grabbed her arm, "Don't you feel that wind? That wind coming from the cave?"

"Wind?" she pondered but she didn't have time to think long for Taka had taken a step back from her and was holding his head tightly, "Taka what's wrong?"

"Get away from me Miaka!" he shouted.

"Huh?" she took a step back.

"Tamakins!" Nuriko rushed over, as did the others.

As they were all standing there the wind in the cave picked up and began to blow towards Yui and Miaka. Miaka took one step back again and found herself starting to fall down a hole that had been made by the wind.

"Miaka!" Yui dashed over to grab her hand; she caught her just in time.

"Yui chan! Don't let go!" Miaka screamed while the others not sure whether to help her or Taka who was screaming painfully.

"Miaka!" he yelled but with a strangled cry because he could feel the pain all over his body.

"Lady Yui!" Suboshi ran forward to help, as did his brother.

"Hang on Miaka!" Yui called down to her as the wind picked up even more.

"Don't let go Yui! Taka!" Miaka shouted.

"Miaka! No!" he screamed as Nuriko and Chichiri tried to hold him back.

"Lady Yui!" Suboshi tried to catch her but it was too late.

The two girls fell down the hole still holding onto each others hands.

"Lady Yui!" Suboshi shouted, "I'm coming after you!" he was just about to jump in but Amiboshi grabbed him.

"No brother don't" Amiboshi replied, "Wait. We'll go after them soon" he said quietly looking back at Taka who despite writhing in pain, was reaching out his hand toward the cave.

"Miaka!" he gasped before he collapsed.

(Next Scene)

"Miaka! Miaka!" Yui cried frantically.

They were at the bottom of the hole and Yui was leaning over her unconscious friend.

"Miaka please wake up!"

Miaka slowly opened her eyes and saw Yui's tearstained face before her. She sat up and Yui sighed in relief.

"Oh thank goodness. I was really worried about you."

"Where are we Yui?" Miaka asked looking around her.

"I don't know" Yui stood up, "We fell into that hole remember. Come on get up. We can't just sit here."

"You're right" Miaka stood, "We have to find the others again and find out what's wrong with Taka."

"Which way should we go?" Yui asked.

"Mmm? This way" Miaka pointed to the left.

(Next Scene)

Mitsukake looked Taka over and over. He felt his forehead and frowned.

"He does have a bit of a fever" Mitsukake replied, "I was afraid of this."

"What's wrong with him?" Tasuki asked.

"I may be wrong. But I think he has some sort of virus inside of him."

"Virus? You mean like poison?" Nuriko replied, "Where on earth would he have gotten that?"

"I think he received it back in the other world. But I couldn't diagnose it then. Now I'm quite certain. Something is affecting his body."

"And it seems it only happens when Miaka is in close vicinity to him" Amiboshi added.

"How did you know that?" Mitsukake asked the boy.

"I noticed it back in Konan. He had a look of terror on his face when she tried to climb on his horse with him."

"I see."

"Miaka" Taka gasped in his fever.

"Well we can't just sit here" Nuriko replied, "We have to go after the girls."

"Right" Suboshi nodded, "I am going after Lady Yui" he stood up.

"I'll go with you brother" Amiboshi said.

"Probably only two more of us should go," Nuriko suggested, "Tasuki why don't you come with me? The rest of you stay here and keep Tamahome safe and comfortable."

"Will do" Chiriko answered.

"No problem you know" Chichiri nodded, "I'll assist Mitsukake."

"Ashitare, Miboshi" Amiboshi replied, "You'll protect them?"

"Of course" Miboshi said.

"Yep" Ashitare agreed.

"All right let's go" Nuriko stood up.

"But which way do we go?" Tasuki asked shouldering his fan.

"We're going to take the passage through the caves. It probably leads down below" the four of them took off running.

"Good luck you guys!" Chiriko called as Taka shook beneath him.

"Miaka" he gasped, "Miaka."

(Next Scene)

"Miaka look there" Yui pointed.

"Hmm?"

"Light."

"You're right it's coming from that doorway."

"Let's go find out where it leads. It's got to be better than this dark cave."

"Mhm" Miaka nodded, "Let's go."

They walked to the lighted doorway and gazed in. Inside they saw a small table and two chairs. The table was decorated with a fancy tablecloth, food, and two candlesticks. The ceiling was very high and had a bright chandelier that adorned the top of it.

"What's all this?" Miaka said as they approached the table.

"It looks like a set up to me. Miaka you're not hungry are you?" Yui asked.

"That's the funny thing, I'm not. Yui look!" she pointed to her left.

Across from where they stood they saw two small stones hovering in midair. One was red, the other blue. They were floating over a small piece of rock that was also hovering over the ground. From it were many small step stones that hovered over a large crevice.

"The stones" Yui replied, "Do you really think those are them?"

"There's only one way to find out. We'll have to go get them," Miaka said walking over to the edge of the crevice.

"It looks dangerous Miaka" Yui peered down and noticed water below the crevice.

"Don't worry we'll be all right. I'll go first to test it. Then you follow after. Okay."

"All right" Yui nodded.

Miaka took a small leap onto the first hovering step stone. She almost tripped but made it. She felt the rock with her foot.

"It's solid Yui. It's safe. C'mon" she jumped to the next stone.

"Okay" Yui agreed and hopped to the first step stone.

"Whatever you do don't look down" Miaka looked back and she saw Yui peering below her, "Look straight ahead."

"Right" Yui nodded jumping to the next stone after taking a breath.

Miaka and Yui crossed over four more stones till they reached the giant one and gazed at the small stones that floated.

"Let's do it on three" Yui replied reaching out her hands for the small blue stone.

"Okay" Miaka said with a nod as she reached out for the small red stone.

"One" Yui counted, "Two. Three" they both grabbed the stones and waited for any thing weird to happen.

"Nothing happened?" Miaka replied.

"Yea. But we have an even bigger problem Miaka" Yui said looking to her left.

"What's that?"

"How do we get back?"

"Huh?" Miaka looked and noticed that the floating step stones were gone, "You're right how do we get back? Huh?" she gasped, "Yui you're stone's glowing."

"So's yours" Yui replied.

The stones flashed in their hands and in the next instant they disappeared and reappeared on the other side. Miaka and Yui looked around them and saw the table close by.

"Yui" Miaka said, "We're on the other side."

"Yea" Yui nodded, "How did that happen?"

From a corner of the room a round of clapping could be heard. Yui and Miaka turned to look, and from out of the shadows stepped Ren Shigyou.

"You?" Yui exclaimed.

"Ren Shigyou" Miaka said as he smiled an evil grin.

(Next Scene)

"Which way are we supposed to go now?" Suboshi replied impatiently.

"What do you think Tasuki" Nuriko grinned out of breath, "You're a mountain critter after all."

"Well, in normal caves we should have found an opening by now" Tasuki answered looking around him in confusion.

"Perhaps we should keep going left?" Amiboshi suggested.

"I sure hope Lady Yui is all right," Suboshi said worriedly.

(Next Scene)

"What are you doing here?" Yui asked Ren as he crossed the room and stood ten feet in front of the two girls.

"I have to say that I am quite impressed that you two managed to get this far" he replied, "Very impressed."

"What do you mean by that?" Miaka said.

"I mean the ruse you pulled on me up on the clock tower. Nice. You really had me convinced that the Priestess of Seiryuu was helpless. I commend you for that. Pushing me back inside the book was very clever indeed, however you may find that I am more of an obstacle in this world."

"We're not afraid of you Ren" Yui replied angrily.

"That's right" Miaka added, "Anything you throw at us we can stop."

"Oh really" he sat down in one of the chairs at the table, "You think so" he snapped his fingers and the stone in Miaka's hands began to glow brighter.

"Ahh!" Miaka screamed as a searing pain coursed through her body and she was lifted in the air, in an unconscious state.

"Miaka!" Yui called to her, "Ren stop it! What are you doing to her?"

"Nothing too serious" he replied, "You see it was by accident that she arrived here. She wasn't even supposed to know about this place, she was supposed to be dealing with Tamahome right now. You were the one who was supposed to be falling in that hole."

"What?" Yui looked at him with an eyebrow raised and her medium length blonde hair standing on end, "What do you mean?"

"What I mean is, Miaka wasn't supposed to fall into this trap. You were."

"And what do you want with me?"

"It's not what I want Yui Hongo. It's what my Master wants."

(Next Scene)

Meanwhile back in the real world Tetsuya had fallen asleep and Keisuke was now reading alone. The two mothers had gone off shopping so Keisuke was stuck with the duty of telling everyone what happened while they were gone.

"Oh man. Not this kid again" he thought as he continued to read.

(Next Scene)

"And what does your master want with me?" Yui asked firmly.

"He has a proposition for you Priestess of Seiryuu."

"And if I refuse."

"I'm sure you won't" he indicated to Miaka, "I know how much you care about each other" he snapped his fingers a little and Miaka grimaced with the pain.

"No stop it! What are you doing?" Yui shouted in fear as she watched her friend struggle.

"Do you agree or don't you?"

"I. What does he want?" Yui replied.

"Here's the thing. My master is quite set on getting Nakago back on his side."

"Nakago? But what does that have to do with me?"

"Well that's easy. He's in love with you."

"No he's not. Nakago tricked me back then, to get the power. He didn't mean what he said."

"That's not true. I know deep down he did feel that way about you."

"But he's in love with Takiko Okuda."

"That's true he was. In one of his lives. But in the other he was in love with you. He loves you both equally. Unfortunately for me Takiko Okuda is no easy catch, but you on the other hand are perfect."

"I don't understand."

"It's really quite simple. My master wants you to drain Nakago of his life force so he would be more susceptible to him."

"And how am I supposed to do that?"

"By sleeping with him."

"What?"

"It's a well known fact that having sexual intercourse with someone can drain them of their life force. In fact Soi of the Seiryuu seven is quite skilled in the art."

"He would never fall for it."

"Sure he would. If one of the women who he loved so much were to offer herself to him, he would crack."

"You act as if you know him so well?" she frowned.

"I do know him. You might even say so well as blood related."

"What are you talking about?"

"Nakago was born three times. In his first life he was friends with the prince of Hokkan. He came from a tribe, my tribe to be exact which was shunned and tormented by the Kutou Empire. In fact you might even say, I was a victim of that whole war" he grimaced a bit then continued,"I lost Nakago then. And met him once more when he joined Tenkou. Of course now he denies who I am completely. So sad. First shunned by society, and then shunned by your own brother."

"Brother?"

"At least in one of his lives. So will you comply or won't you? Will you do as my master has commanded?"

"Have sex? With Nakago?" Yui thought as she looked down, "I despise and understand him. But could I really do that?" then she looked up at Miaka, "But if I don't do this Miaka will suffer. I can't let that happen. No" she shook her head, "This time I will sacrifice myself for her. I will do this for this her, because she would do this for me. Miaka forgive me."

Yui turned to Ren once more.

"All right" she nodded, "I will do as Tenkou has commanded. But you have to promise to let Miaka go."

"In order for you really to comply though. You must return to Kutou and I will place a spell on Miaka that will affect her if you do not fall through. Do I make myself clear?" he added firmly.

"I understand" she agreed with a nod, "I will do as you ask, as long as you keep your bargain."

"Agreed" he smiled but then he looked to his left, "Hmm? It looks like we are about to have visitors. Farewell Priestess of Seiryuu, I look forward to our next encounter" he snapped his fingers and the earth began to shake as he disappeared.

Yui watched as Miaka began to tumble from the sky heading towards the water.

"Miaka!" she called.

"Lady Yui!" Suboshi yelled out, as he and the others rushed over to her, "Are you all right."

"I'm fine but look," she pointed as Miaka fell.

"Miaka!" Nuriko called.

"I got her!" Tasuki yelled diving into the crevice.

"Tasuki you can't swim you moron!" Nuriko shouted but was too late.

"Miaka" Yui thought as he disappeared under the water.

(Till Next Time)

Authors Note: Well there's part two! I hope you enjoyed it!

Next Chapter: Tasuki's True Feelings

Not telling! You probably already know anyway! Wink!