Chapter 22

Everyone was in there rooms mourning the loss of more friends and comrades. Miaka and Aoi were definitely taking it the worse. Miaka had locked herself in her room and never stopped crying. She never came out of her room either. Not even to eat.

Aoi on the other hand didn't lock her door but someone always brought her food even though she barely ate any of it. Aoi wouldn't talk. Even Chichiri couldn't get her to say anything. Whenever he would come in her room and ask if she was all right she would either break down crying or cling to him and not let go until she eventually fell asleep. Of course the others were a little concerned. It went on for days like this after all.

"What should we do?" Chiriko asked.

"I don't know, this is only expected. Miaka lost both Tamahome and Taka. What else can she do but mourn. I don't blame her." Nuriko replied.

"Well we have to do something. It isn't good for them to stay in there all day everyday! They'll lose they're muscles and grow weaker and weaker!" Nuriko looked at Chiriko.

"You know, sometimes, you're too smart for your own good."

"I wish I had the power to heal people's minds and mental states as well." Mitsukake butted in.

"But you don't so don't keep wishing. We have to do something." Hotohori looked around.

"Where is Chichiri?"

"Oh, Jen had another outburst and so he's comforting her right now."

"Is that right?" Nuriko nodded.

"Okay. I will go try to cheer Miaka up again." Hotohori said walking off.

"Of course..."

"I-It really.... doesn't hap-pen huh?" Aoi managed to say between sobs. Chichiri looked at her.

"What doesn't happen?" He asked.

"Happy endings... They are just a fairytale. I was stupid to think otherwise..."

"No you weren't, I believe that everything is for a reason...There must be some reason that everyone is dying."

"What possible reason could there be for everyone dying?! All my friends and teammates! Its not fair!" Aoi sobbed.

At that moment the door to Aoi's room slammed open, startling both Chichiri and Aoi.

"Aoi please read this! I can't understand it, it's in your world language!" Hotohori ran in saying. He handed her a note and it read.

'Dear everyone,

I am going to kill myself. I can't stand being alone anymore. Thank you for all of your kindness and confidence in me, but I just can't stay here. Please don't come after me. I can't take the pain anymore, let me die in peace. Then I can be with the man I love.

I will miss you all,

Miaka Yuki'

Aoi gasped and jumped from her bed. She immediately ran out the door.

"Aoi! What's wrong?!" Hotohori yelled. He and Chichiri ran after her. She ran out the palace and to the lake near the palace. She looked over the surface of the water and saw one of Miaka's shoes drifting on the surface.

"No! Damn you Miaka!" Aoi jumped in the lake and looked around for her.

"No, not again, why is she trying to kill herself again?!" Hotohori asked.

"I don't know, it probably explains it in the note, but I can't read this either."

'Where is she?' Aoi thought to herself. She looked left to right and back again. She scanned the bottom of the lake floor but didn't see anything but seaweed. She came up for a breath of air and immediately went under again. She swam farther and farther out in the lake and didn't see her until she had to go back up for air. She pulled out her stone and had a rock that was under her bring Miaka up. Aoi then started rising to the surface herself. She was going to pass out, she needed air. Fast! She used her stone again to send rocks up behind her lifting her out of the water with Miaka. She was too tired to swim all the way back so she had the rocks take them over to Hotohori and Chichiri. It would take a while and she needed to rest so afterwards, she passed out.

Everyone was in Aoi's room standing around her on her bed. She was still out from outside.

"Jen? Jen?" Chichiri tapped her cheek a couple of times and she finally came to.

"Ugh..."

"Good, she's alright!" He celebrated.

"Where's Miaka?" She asked.

Miaka appeared from behind Hotohori.

"Why did you come after me? I asked you not to!"

Aoi slapped Miaka hard across the face. Miaka's hand went straight to her face.

"I have lost as much as you, maybe even more and you have the nerve to just go ahead and kill yourself?!" Aoi coughed. "I saved you knowing that you wouldn't make it to Tamahome, Taka and the others. If you kill yourself, you go to the fiery underworld! Do you really think Taka and Tamahome wanted that for you?!" She coughed again.

Miaka stood there with eyes wide. Tears formed in her eyes and she gave in to her sadness. She broke down right next to Aoi. Aoi held her.

"I'm exactly like you. If you had died, I wouldn't have anyone to understand me perfectly like you do. Yeah Chichiri understands but I need a girl to talk to, ya know?"

Miaka nodded her head sobbing. Aoi rubbed her back, comforting her. "I know, it's hard. But we got to make it through, for our friends. Otherwise, their deaths would've been for nothing, and I'm not letting that happen." Aoi added. "We only have one more Seriyu warrior, then we can do whatever. We can go home or we can stay and enjoy the peace." Aoi finished.

'I will not let everyone's death be for nothing! I will not! That is the promise I make to my friends. Thank you for protecting me, thank you for everything and I'm sorry I couldn't protect you guys.' Chichiri placed his hand on her shoulder, to reassure her. 'I will join you soon. This is the final battle and if I die, I will take that bastard with me!'

TO BE CONTINUED