The Way It Should Have Been

by Jeilynn

After failing as Priestess and losing her friends to the Sieryu warrioirs, Miaka is called into the book once more and given a second chance to put things right, but the world of the book to which she returns is not quite the way she remembered

6. Conflicted Spirit, Empty Heart

Okay kiddies, on with the story!!!! Sorry it's taken me forever to get this posted but here it is. For those who have reviewed and continue to review, THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU T THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU! Anyway, here's the next chapter. I REALLY hope you enjoy it.

For three days Miaka dozed in and out of unconsciousness once more. Every now and again she would catch bits and pieces of conversations, but she was never fully aware of what was going on around her. Every part of her body felt like a thousand tons of lead. When she finally was able to regain consciousness and hold on to it, it was not good news that greeted her.

"I see yer finally awake."

"Huh? Oh...Tasuki...it's you..."

"Yeah, it's me. What of it?"

Miaka was confused and caught off gaurd by the hostility in his voice. Why was he so angry with her? What had she done? Suddenly her mind flashed back to the scene that had taken place in a different room at a different time. She remembered fighting Nakago, her stitches tearing and a body....body?...No, that couldn't be it? The more she thought about it, the clearer it became...it wasn't just a body, it was...Korine. She was dead.

"Tasuki....I'm sorry...."

"It's a little late fer that Priestess."

Miaka looked into the fiery depths of Tasuki's eyes and was forced to look away first. It hurt to see the pain in his eyes. The total loss of sense of self. He was a different man than he had been three days ago. He was still in grieving for Korine. Not that she could blame him.

"Y'know, all I keep hearin' is how yer some sorta high n' mighty Priestess. That yer supposed to be the one that's gonna save the world and summon Suzaku. Well, tell me somethin' Priestess, how the hell are you gonna save the world when ya couldn't even save Korine from getting killed?!" Tasuki screamed, tears stinging at his eyes,"Well? Answer me? How are you gonna save any of us? All I've seen you do since you got here is get into trouble! You don' even know how to save yerself! Nakago was right, you are pathetic! It's no wonder you failed!"

"I'm sorry. I didn't mean to....I didn't mean for any of this to happen! I didn't..."

"DON'T! Don't you dare say you're sorry now! If you wanna apologise go to Korine's grave and apoligise to what's left of her! She's dead, and it's all your damn fault!" Tasuki said, slapping Miaka, hard across the face, leaving a large red imprint of his hand.

"Tasuki! That's enough!"

Miaka and Tasuki both looked to the doorway to find Tamahome standing there, anger eminating from his body. His anger was all for Tasuki. He had seen the whole thing. He could understand Tasuki's grief. He would feel the same way if it had been the other way around, but it wasn't, and he had no right to take it out on Miaka. She wasn't exactly perfect, but she tried. He knew that much.

"No...it's alright Tamahome....he's right....he's completely right...I am a failure....but I tried....I tried so hard....and I still failed...and I'm sorry....I know it doesn't make up for Korine's death or for failing all of you....but I am sorry....I'd change it if I could...but I just can't...I'm sorry...I never intended to hurt any of you...I'm sorry," Miaka sobbed uncontrollably.

"Get out Tasuki.Now."

Tasuki rose in a fit of anger, ready to argue against Tamahome, but the look in Tamahome's eyes stopped him cold in his tracks. With a quick backward glance he exited the room, leaving Tamahome and Miaka alone. Tamahome went to the sobbing Priestess and wrapped his arms around her.

"Don't let him get to you Miaka. He's still in grieving for Korine. He's just looking for someone to blame. It's not your fault. None of this is."

Miaka leaned into the warmth of Tamahome's arms around her and sobbed deep gutteral sobs. Despite his earlier behavior, she was glad to have him with her. She was more grateful than he could ever have known for this small comfort. This small piece of the love and comfort she had once shared with the other Tamahome. Taking a deep breath Miaka carefully wrapped her own arms around Tamahome, afraid that he would pull back from her, but when he didn't move, she relaxed against his body, trying to stop her own tears from falling. She was tired of crying. Of failing. Most of all she was tired of this world. And her own. She didn't really want to live in either world. Mostly, she just didn't want to live.

"Miaka...?"

"Hmm?"

Tamahome gently lifted Miaka's chin so she was looking into his eyes, both of them at a total loss of words. She had forgotten the beauty of his eyes. The look that lurked there now was so intense she wanted to look away but couldn't quite bring herself to do so. If this had been the Tamahome she had known, this would have been the moment they kissed, but this wasn't her Tamahome. This wasn't anything she remembered, and yet, the moment Tamahome's lips brushed lightly across her own, Miaka couldn't help but to kiss him back, just as gently.When they pulled back from the kiss, Miaka was surprised by the look of total tenderness on Tamahome's face. She had never seen it before. At least not on this man's face. At that moment she seemed to lose all sense of where she was and what she was doing. Suddenly Miaka found herself lying back in the pillows, her fingers wound in Tamahome's hair, kissing him passionately. She didn't care that this wasn't truly her Tamahome, she just wanted something real. Something she could take in her hands and hold onto. Too much of this world was different, too much had changed and it sent her mind whirling. Tamahome gently slid his hand inside the the upper half of Miaka's robe, carefully moving his hand upward, gently caressing her. He didn't want to do anything that might scare her and make her withdraw from him. He hesitated momentarily in his caresses, then slid his hand that last inch upward that would have him gently cupping her in his hand. Miaka gasped in surprise. She hadn't expected Tamahome to be so forward. He had never really gotten the chance to touch her like this. Not really. It was the one true time that she had gotten to feel the warmth of his hand on her body. The first true time that Tamahome had touched her. But then she remembered, this wasn't Tamahome. Not her Tamahome anyway. It unnerved her to know that this man was Tamahome, and yet not truly Tamahome. She knew for a fact that her Tamahome was gone. Dead. She had sat helplessly by and watched while he died. And there was nothing she could say or do that would ever bring him back. She still found it hard to deal with the knowledge that she had failed him, had failed everyone, and they had paid with their lives. It tore her apart inside to know she had lost so many people she had loved.

"Tamahome...we need to stop," she said, sitting up and pulling Tamahome's hand from her robe.

"Are you alright?"

"I'm fine I just...I just need to stop."

Her mind was too distracted to think of letting him touch her. A part of her even felt guilty for it. Her only thoughts at that moment were of the people she had lost. Even Yui still hated her. Yui. It was only Yui's insistance that kept Nakago from completely devastating their world. Miaka had only seen Yui once since that horrible battle. Yui and Nakago were expecting their second child, and Yui couldn't have been happier in the hands of that monster. How her beloved friend could have found happiness with that abomination still blew her mind. She could hardly believe the sight of her friend, one child of only a year old, and another on the way. It was too much to bear.

"Tamahome...why do you work for Tasuki?" Miaka asked suddenly. It was something she had been wondering since she had first seen the two working side by side and it would distract them from what they had previously been doing.

"I've worked with Tasuki since I was thirteen. After the Kutou army ransacked Konan for what I had hoped to be the final time, I was left with nothing, and no one. My home village was completely annihilated. The only other member of my family to survive was my youngest sister Yuiren. We didn't have anywhere to go. No one was going to hire me. Not when I still had to take care of Yuiren. I went around from village to village looking for a place to work, a place to live. Yuiren....she caught some sort of illness that was rumored to be going around. I didn't know much about raising a kid. I didn't know how to take care of her. Not long after she got sick, I met Tasuki. He offered to give me a job as a member of the Mt. Riekaku Bandits. He said there would be someone here who could help me to take better care of Yuiren. It was good work, and at least Yuiren and I had a place we could call home again. Not long after that Yuiren took a turn for the worse. For a little while there, we thought she would make it. We really did. She appeared to be getting better by the day, but...one morning I went to see how she was doing....and she was dead...she had died sometime during the night," he finished quietly.

Miaka saw the haunted look in his eyes, and wanted nothing more at that moment than to chase it away and replace it with some bit of the joy that had lived within the Tamahome she had known. But something told her the look in his eyes was a deep wound that all the medicine in the world could not cure.

"I'm sorry...I'm so sorry...I wish things could have been different...I wish I could have saved you....saved all of you...but it still wouldn't have made much difference would it? They'd still be dead...everyone would still be gone...even if I had succeeded...people still would have suffered. Lives would have been lost."

"Miaka...I can't even begin to pretend to understand the pain that you've felt, or the things you've experienced, but not all of it was your fault. There are some things in life that you cannot change. No matter how hard you try. I only know that you've seen a world different from this one. A world that I can't even imagine."

"I keep finding myself wondering which world was better. If maybe this one was less harsh than the one that I had known."

"And is it?" Tamahome asked, looking intently at Miaka.

"I used to think so at first. Everyone had been experienceing such joy, but then...every bit of joy that I was told of always ended up being torn away by pain and devastation. I don't know what to think you you leave me alone for a little while?"

"Sure."

Tamahome stood and reluctantly left Miaka alone with her own thoughts, despite the gnawing feeling that leaving her alone wasn't exactly the best idea in the world at that particular moment. Quietly he walked down the hall of the bandits hideaway. He needed to have a little talk with Tasuki. He wasn't sure of what all had been said, but some of what Tasuki had said to the Priestess had definitely gotten to her. He climbed the short set of stone steps that led to the top floor of the bandits hideaway, and to Tasuki's room. Tamahome stood just outside the bandit leader's bedroom, and raised his hand to knock when suddenly he could hear low muffled sobs coming from within the room. He knew that Tasuki still grieved for his lost love, but what was done was done, and he couldn't go on like this. It would tear him apart.

Inside the room Tasuki had practically turned the entire room upside down around himself. The pain and rage that filled him was more than he could stand. His rage was almost consuming. He never should have brought the Priestess here. But Tamahome had insisted on bringing her. The rotten little bitch had gotten Korine killed. If they'd have just left her in that sad excuse of a palace, Korine would still be alive. Pain and anguish overrid his rage tearing apart what was left of his heart. Tasuki grabbed the empty clay jug from the only table that hadn't been knocked over and threw it across the room to shatter against the far wall. Taskuki fell to his knees in the middle of the floor, deep, gutteral sobs, wracking his body.

"Korine...," he sobbed," KORINE!!!!"

Tamahome stepped back from the door. Maybe it was beter to give Tasuki time alone. The bandit leader needed time to calm his emotions and clear his head. He understood Tasuki's pain all too well. He had felt the same type of grief when he had lost his family. It was the kind of grief that threatened to devour your soul and leave you as nothing more than an empty, hollow shell. Just a husk, a mere shadow of your former self. It was something Tasuki had to deal with on his own. No one else could fight this battle for him.

Meanwhile, Miaka sat huddled in the large bed, a million thoughts running through her head. So much had happened. It was all starting again. Already people she cared about were dying. Everything was so different...and Tasuki...now he hated her. Not that she could blame him. She shouldn't have let Korine take over and face Nakago on her own. She should have done something to help. Something to distract Nakago long enough for Korine to land a single blow. Instead she had stood there like a mindless puppet, watching while Nakago snuffed out another flame of life. He was right. She was pathetic. Why she had been left alive was beyond her, but she didn't care anymore. It's not like she had much going for her anymore. Everyone she loved was dead. Her home reality was a mess. Everything had changed since that battle when Nakago had somehow managed to destroy the Suzaku Seven. After that her mother had died of a strange illness that seemed to have gone around, and Kiesuke...poor Kiesuke. He and Tetsuya had been taken hostage by Nakago when they came to try and rescue her from him. Nakago had already finished in torturing and breaking her by the time they came. They were dead by the next morning. How Yui could have let it happen she didn't know. Did her former best friend really hate her so much? So much that she would let innocent people suffer and die? It boggled her mind. Then again...Yui had let Nakago have his way with Miaka, even though he and Yui were married.

Stepping out of bed Miaka got dressed in her washed and mended clothing that had been place at the bottom end of the bed and headed for the bedroom door. She needed time. Time to clear her head and figure out what she was going to do next. She didn't want to go on like this. Somehow, she had had to find a way to fix things. She had to, because right at that moment, the alternative was too painful to even consider. Quietly she walked down the long corridor from the bedroom. She knew she would be safe to walk along these halls because the other bandits had been told to leave her alone. Although whether or not that order still stood was questionable. Especially with the way that Tasuki was acting toward her at that moment. If he was angrier than he appeared, then she doubted the other bandits would leave her alone for long. Not when their boss hated her the way he did at the moment.

"What are you doin' wanderin' around here Priestess?"

Miaka looked up to find Kouji standing in front of her. He looked down at her with pitying eyes, as if he knew something she didn't, or maybe he was just pretending to really be nice to her and was planning something cruel behind her back.

"Nothing. Just walking around."

"If yer looking for the Emperor and his gaurd they're upstairs. That gaurd o' his is standin' in front of his highness's room. You should probably go see him," Kouji said, his eyes looking somewhere beyond Miaka.

She didn't bother to look back and see what he was looking at. She could take a hint. Someone was coming down that hall that Kouji didn't want getting near her.

"Thanks Kouji."

"No problem Priestess."

Without another word Miaka headed up the stone stair case behind Kouji who took up his gaurd position directly in front of it. She had a feeling that whoever was coming down that hall wouldn't be getting past Kouji. Not tonight anyway. He was Tasuki's second in comand after all, and when Tasuki isn't present, what Kouji says, goes. Miaka stood at the top of the stairs and looked down both sides of the expansive hallway that she now stood in. To her right there was no one as far as she could see. On the left however, near the far end of the hallway stood Nuriko, ever vigilant outside Hotohori's chamber. Some things never changed. Nuriko was still sticking close to Hotohori's side.

"Nuriko!" Miaka called from her end of the hall.

"Miaka?," Nuriko answered, he couldn't believe his eyes," Miaka!"

Miaka took off at a dead run down the hallway, eager to see her friend again. When she reached the spot where Nuriko stood, she found herself being lifted high into the air and then being held tightly against Nuriko. She wrapped her arms around her friend, glad to see a familiar face and to know that Nuriko didnt' hate her the way that Tasuki did.

"I'm so glad you're alright. You had me really scared for awhile there Miaka."

"Nuriko...then...you don't hate me?"

"Why would I hate you?" Nuriko asked.

"Because Tasuki does," she replied casting her gaze downward.

"Listen to me Miaka, I know that what happened to Korine wasn't your fault," Nuriko said, lifting Miaka's head," She was a warrior, born and raised. She knew what she was risking by taking on Nakago. Yeah, I miss her more than anything, but...still, I'm proud of her. She died a warriors death. You know, when we first entered the Emperor's gaurd, Korine always had to work so much harder than the rest of us, just so she could have the respect of the other soldiers. She earned her place as an imperial gaurd, me, I may have what it takes, but I know I only got the job because of my strength. Korine always said that if she had it her way, her spirit would leave this world the same way it had lived, fighting. She wanted her life to mean something, and it did. Of the two of us, she really was the stronger one. I don't think I ever told her that."

"Nuriko....I'm sorry..."

The two friends embraced warmly outside the bedchamber doors, crying silently. In the other world, it had always been Nuriko who had listened to everyone's hurts and toruble. Nuriko who was trying to be strong even when he was hurting. Miaka was glad to be able to return the favor for once. Suddenly the doors behind them opened,and the pair turned to find Hotohori standing in the doorway.

"Miaka!"

Hotohori swept Miaka up in his arms, holding her tightly. His heart raced at the sight of her standing alive and well. He knew that she had been injured, but he was overjoyed to find that she was well enough to walk again. He had missed the sight of her, and the sound of her sweet voice. The days had been lonely despite the company of Nuriko.

"Hotohori!"

"Come, you should not be up and about, you should be resting," Hotohori said, guiding Miaka into his bedchamber and shutting the door.

Nuriko who stood outside the door could only shake his head at his beloved Emperor. Some things definitely did not change. Inside the room was proof of that. Hotohori sat Miaka beside him on the bed, a small smile on his face.

"How are you feeling?"

"I'm alright," Miaka replied, looking into his eyes," A little sore but otherwise I'm okay."

She was lying and Hotohori knew it, but he would not press the matter. Whatever it was that haunted her was none of his business, though he desperately wished that she would open up to him and share the pain that seemed to be eating away at her.

"I am glad to see that you are safe, but...what happened to your cheek? I do not recall seeing that mark before," Hotohori said, reaching up to gently touch the purple-ish bruise that was now spread across Miaka's face.

"It's nothing, really," she replied, taking his hand in hers.

"You must know I was deeply concerned for your safety...I do not think I could bear to lose the one I love."

"The one you-"

Miaka looked up into the hazel depths of Hotohori's eyes and saw the answer to her own question. What she saw shining back at her from those beautiful eyes was complete unyeilding love. Hotohori did love her. She shouldn't have been surprised. The Hotohori of the other world had loved her as well, but there was something more intense about this man. Something more than love in his eyes. It was an expression that led to an overwhelming feeling deep inside, but had no real name.

"Hotohoi I-"

"Shh. I know what you are going to say Miaka, but know this. Of all the women I have come to know after my wife died...there is only one who has ever made me feel as I do now...who has ever made my heart stir...and that is you...if you do not believe me...then let me prove it...let me prove the love that I feel for you."

"How?"

The answer she got was more than she had epected. Hotohori kissed her with an intensity that she had never known, and the feel of his soft lips against hers sent shivers down her spine. She carefully fell back against the bed, unsure of what to do. She wanted to keep kissing him. To let him prove his love in any way he wanted, but it was for all the wrong reasons. With her true love dead, and only painful reminders as her companions, she wanted to give in to Hotohori. She share the night with him like he wanted.

"I love you Miaka," Hotohori whispered as he slowly unbuttoned her blouse.

Miaka watched as Hotohori's nimble fingers found each tiny button and unfastened it, slowly pulling open her blouse in the process. Her breath caught in her throat when the last button was unfastened, her blouse untucked from her skirt, and Hotohori began to lay gently kisses upon her stomach, being careful to avoid the area where she had been wounded, which was still quite raw and badly bruised. His kisses were soft and gentle and he began to work his way up from the line where her body disappeared beneath her skirt up to the thin layer of cloth that still covered her chest. Finally his kisses came up her throat and ended at her mouth in a long, slow, passionate kiss. His hands followed in the same path as his mouth, gently caressing and massaging her delicate skin. Hotohori slid his hands behind Miaka, half holding her in his arms while he managed to unsnap her bra. He pulled back from the kiss and helped Miaka out of her blouse which was then followed by her bra. The two pieces of clothing lay on the floor in a small heap. Miaka lay back in the pillows once more, her hands hesitantly slipping inside the upper half of Hotohori's losely belted robe, her hands covering the entire expanse of his chest, feeling the heavy beat of his heart beneath her hand while she explored the fine muscles of his chest.

"Miaka, I have loved you for so long," Hotohori said as he lowered his head to kiss her once more.

Their hands grew more explorative. Now that he was sure that he wouldn't cause her injury any pain, Hotohori took his time to fully explore the upper half of Miaka's body, causing her to tremble with pleasure. His hands gently massaged, and caressed her body, he only wanted to please her. But Miaka's mind, like before with Tamahome, was not fully focused. Tamahome. Tears began to fill the Priestess's eyes as she thought of her dead beloved, of the man who had offered to give her back what she had lost. She almost wished she had taken that offer of lost happiness, but instead, here she was in Hotohori's arms, the one place her heart kept telling her that she shouldn't be.

"Hotohori, please....stop....please...I-I can't do this. I'm sorry," Miaka said pulling away from the Emperor.

She gathered her clothes from the floor and got dressed as quickly as she was able to without tearing any stitches out. She had already torn them once. She didn't need to do it a second time.

"Miaka...I must apologise for my forwardness....I should not have taken it so far....I deeply apologise for my actions," Hotohori said, tightening the belt on the pale blue robe he wore.

"It's not you who should be apologising Hotohori....I am....I know you may not understand why I'm apologising just now but....I'm sorry."

Without a second look back Miaka left the confused Emperor alone with his thoughts. When she stepped out into the hall, Nuriko was looking out one of the windows just a few feet down the hall. He had known what was likely to happen. He had been giving them as much privacy as he could without being too far away should something unexpected occur. Somewhere nearby crickets were chirping heavily. It was getting late. If she was going to do this she needed to do it now.

After much wandering, Miaka found her way back down to the room she had first awoken to. On the far side of that room was a wooden desk with stationary and and writing utensils. Miaka sat in front of the desk and began to write as tears rolled down her cheeks. Folding the letter miaka placed it on the small table in the middle of the room, where it was most likely to be seen and walked out.

There are several ways out of the Mt. Riekaku hideout. Most of which are gaurded at night. But the one way that was hardly ever gaurded was also the most dangerous. It took Miaka three hours of searching before she was finally able to find it. Deep in the bandits hideout is a large opening, just the size of a grown person that leads down the back side of the mountain. Unlike the front side of the mountain, there are no paths and trails to make the climb easier. The back was all narrow stones and jagged ledges, but it was also the only way down the mountain that wouldn't result in Miaka being caught by any gaurds. Carefully, Miaka stepped out onto the narrow ledge, keeping her body as close to the face of the mountain as humanly possible. The last thing she needed was to fall straight down the side of the mountain. It was still too dark to see, but she was more than sure that there were some pretty sharp rocks that would meet her fall at the base of the mountain. Miaka slowly turned her body to face the mountain, it may not have been light enough to see everything below her, but it was light enough for her to see where she was taking hold and stepping. Less than half a foot below was a rock large enough for her to step down onto, now all she had to do was find a couple of good hand holds along the way. Slowly she made her way down the mountain, finding hand holds and jamming her fists into them to get a better hold as she worked her way to the bottom. Unfortunately, her luck was running out. The sun was already starting to rise in the distance. If she had known the mountain side better she would have been able to get down the mountain hours ago and use the darkness as her cover. Unfortuantely, she had been spotted, and she was still five feet up from the bottom.

"Get the boss! Someone's climbing down the mountain! Hurry!"

There were more angry shouts from above and somewhere above her she could hear the movement of someone coming down the mountain after her. Damn it. Miaka took a quick look down below her. She could probably make it into the grass out of reach if she jumped, but that might result in tearing her stitches again. Choices, choices. She hadn't climbed this far down only to be caught and taken back in.

"Oh, screw it," Miaka said to herself.

Taking a deep breath, Miaka shoved herself away from the mountain, curling her body inward, preparing for the impact as the ground came rushing up to meet her. She hit the ground and rolled, her arms and legs tucked tightly to her chest. The familiar pain to tearing stitches ran through her, but that could be dealt with later. She needed to get out of here. Standing, Miaka took off at a dead run through the surrounding woods, and didn't stop until her legs ached and her lungs burned with the need for air. She fell to the ground, dirty and bleeding, trying to catch her breath. How long had she been runnning? Where had she run to?

Meanwhile, Tamahome rushed to Miaka's bedchamber only to find that she was gone. The very second he had heard that someone was climbing the mountain side he immediately rushed to her chambers. All he could think of was her safety. There, in the middle of the table he saw it. A carefully placed letter. He tore open the letter, desperate to see what it said. It read:

Tamahome, by the time you read this, I will be gone. There is something I need to do. I know you may not understand now, but I must go for the sake of everyone here. Please know that for the short time I was here, you made me happy. You gave me one last glimpse of the life I used to have...of the man I loved....Before leaving I did something you may never forgive me for...ask Hotohori what happened...he'll tell you....I'm so sorry Tamahome....Tell Tasuki I'm sorry for what happened to Korine....if I could change it I would...but as things stand there is only one thing that I can do for any of us. I must face the one who did this to me. To us. I'm sorry....For what it's worth...I love you....be happy.... - Miaka.

"That idiot!"

Throwing down the letter Tamahome ran from Mt. Riekaku with all speed. He had to find her before it was too late. What the hell had she been thinking? Going off on her own had to be the stupidest thing she could have done. Especially when she was wounded as badly as she was. Miaka hadn't been told the true severity of her wound. When she had been stabbed by that blade, one of her major organs had been nicked. It hadn't been hit too badly, but the cut was so well done that the damage was undoable. She was slowly bleeding to death from the inside and she had no idea what was happening to her. Only Tamahome, Tasuki, Nuriko, Hotohori, and Chichiri knew the severity of the wound. They had all been present when the healer had come to care for Miaka's injury. Then she tore the stitches which hadn't really helped. If Tamahome didn't find her soon, it was very likely that she would be helpless to defend herself once the wound started to reach the peak of its destruction. And despite all of his horrible behavior, she had still shown him such kindness. No one had ever been that kind to him, never made him want to do better, to help another person like she did. And most of all, no one made him feel the way she did. Somehow she had managed to rescue the remaining pieces of his heart. If he didn't find her soon, he knew he would lose what little bit of a heart he had left, and he couldn't let that happen. There had to be a way to save her. There just had to be a way to save her from the wound that threatened to undo her.

"Whadda ya mean she's gone?" Tasuki demanded angrily to the young bandit before him.

"We got a report that the Priestess was seen climbing down the back of the mountain and then we lost sight of her as she disappeared into the woods. Two of our men have gone after her and will report back as soon as possible."

"What could she have been thinking? She going to get herself killed!"

"But where would she have gone?" Chichiri asked, from where he was perched on a small wooden crate.

"Nakago."

"What?"

All eyes in the room turned to Nuriko who now stood, eyes wide with the sudden realization of where he had no doubt that the Priestess had gone. If he was right, and she had gone to face Nakago, then not only was she the bravest person he had met, but she was also the biggest fool. No one could defeat Nakago. He was one of the most powerful people the Konan armies had ever faced, and time and again they had lost to him. They could hold him back from completely destroying their cities, but the casualty rate was so high that it could hardly be called a victory. So many lives had been lost in a senseless and useless battle. Right now, Miaka was hurt and slowly dying, and she didn't even know it. In the state she was in, Nakago would most definitely kill her. It was almost a certainty.

"She's going after Nakago."

"Why would she be goin' after him?" Tasuki asked, feeling somewhat confused.

"Think about it. We've all heard her story. The one person who had been the cause of all the destruction and pain has always been one person, Nakago. He's the one she's after. You heard what she said when they fought, Nakago was the cause of all of this. If I were Miaka, that's who I would go after."

"You have a good point, no da. It's the most likely possibility. Where else would she go? But if that's the case, Kutou is miles from here. At the rate she's going, she could be dead before she even reaches Kutou. We need to find her. And soon."

It was long after that conversation that the Suzaku warriors discovered the note crumbled on the floor of Miaka's bed chamber, and that Tamahome was also missing, having gone after the Priestess. Despite all the differences between this world and the other, Tamahome's love for Miaka had never changed. Even if he didn't always understand the way he felt for her. His heart still cried out in desperation for hers.

Miaka looked about her surroundings. She was deep in a forest in between Mt. Riekaku and an unknown place. If anyone was coming after her, it would take them awhile to catch up with her. She had gotten nearly a full day's start over them. She decided to check on her torn stitches and find out how bad the damage really was. The bandaging had very little blood on it, and when she had removed enough of the layers, she could see that only three stitches had torn. It wasn't bleeding too badly. Hopefully she would be alright without getting those last three stitches fixed. She didn't have time to waste on it. She had to get to Kutou and find Nakago. She would make him pay for everything that he had done to her and her friends. Whatever power had allowed him to recreate this horrible world had to be destroyed. No one had the right to play God with other people's lives.

Carefully, Miaka stood from the ground and began to walk along the old dirt trail that had long ago begun to fade. It hadn't been traveled down in a long time. There were no tracks to be seen and grass had begun to grow over the pathway. She could only hope that this pathway led to the village. She was weak enough as it was, and it had been days since the last time she had eaten. She needed her strength if she was going to be going up against Nakago. Besides, if he was here then maybe...No, Miaka quickly brushed the thought aside as soon as it popped into her head. There was no way that could be possible! And yet, Miaka couldn't ignore the plauging fear in the back of her head that if Nakago was in this world that Yui might be here as well. But that couldn't be. Yui would never sink to Nakago's level. Even if she was married to him. The forest before her seemed to stretch on forever. Just when she thought that she might be reaching the end of it, there would only be more forest to walk through. Her legs ached from walking and her body was lacking in energy. While she had slept on and off over the last few days, she still hadn't fully recovered, which made things a little more than difficult. Scratches and scrapes decorated her face and hands from where she had fallen and gotten scratched by a few briar bushes here and there. Suddenly the path before her widened and the forest ended. Miaka stepped out from the darkness of the forest into the bright sunlight that cascaded over a large expanse of fields. It was nearly nightfall, and the field was empty of workers. A few wicker baskets were still lying here and there in the field and people still wandered about the small village at the edge of the field. Miaka walked tiredly toward the small village, hoping that someone might be willing to give her shelter for the night. As she walked through the dirt pathways that were the smal villages roads people glanced up and watched her with gaurded expressions.

"Miss, are you alright?"

Miaka blinked, dumbfounded at the faces in front of her. She would recognize that short blonde-ish brown hair and blue eyes anywhere.

"A-Amiboshi?"

"You must have me confused with someone else. My name is Kieka."

Keika? That's right, Amiboshi had been taken in by a husband and wife who lost their son. So that's where she had ended up. Somehow she hadn't thought that she had traveled that far. Though she had been traveling for quite sometime. She must not have realized it.

"Kieka, what are you doing?"

Miaka's eyes went wide with shock. Suboshi? So he was here to.

"Oh, Sieka, I was just talking to ....um..."

"Miaka. Miaka Yuki."

The twins regaurded her with a warm gaze. Neither one of them had any idea who she was. Had the couple also taken in Suboshi as well? At least that was one thing she could give Nakago credit for. He had given the twins exactly what they had wanted. A peaceful life with a loving family. If she hadn't known what a monster he really was, she would have said he was almost kind. But she knew better. Doing one good deed didn't change who and what he was. That much she was sure of. No matter what way you looked at it, Nakago was still a monster. Once a villain, always a villain. At least in Nakago's case anyway.

"Mother sent me to find you. Dinner is ready. Perhaps Ms. Yuki would like to join us?"

"Me?"

"Yes you. You look like you could use a healer. You don't look very well."

She really could use a place to sleep and she hadn't eaten in quite awhile. But if this was a trap...No...it couldn't be. Suddenly her body felt very tired and heavy. She was in desperate need of rest and she knew it. But was it worth the risk of possibly being drawn into a trap? At that moment, a voice in her head told her that it didn't matter if it was a trap or not. If it was a trap, it would take her directly to Nakago. If it wasn't, she will have gotten the rest and healing she needed.

"Thank you. I'd love to join you."

Together the trio walked down the dirt streets of the village that were just wide enough for the three of them to walk abreast. At last they came to the largest house in the village. It was big without being overly simplified. The sweet scent of home cooking filtered out the open front window, filling the air with a mouth watering aroma. Suboshi/Sieka opened the front door and walked in first.

"Mother! Father! We're home! And we brought a guest."

The couple that were now the parents of the twins greeted them warmly. The woman was on the short side with dark hair pulled back in a bun and small hazel eyes and slightly on the pudgy side. The man that was setting the table was tall and wiry with thick dark hair that disappeared under a white hat.

"Nice to meet you Miaka. My, what happened dear? Were you attacked by bandits?"

"N-no, nothing like that. I had a small accident when I was traveling. It's nothing really."

"Let me take a look at your wound dear. It's too bad that nice doctor and his son aren't still around, may they rest in peace."

"What doctor?"

"There was a young doctor who lived here with his son.His wife, Shoka, I believe the name was, had passed on about three years before, and about two years ago their home was attacked. Both father and son were killed in their sleep."

"What was the name of the doctor and his son?"

"Oh, let me think now...I believe the name was Mitsukake and the boy was....oh dear...what was his name....?"

"Chiriko."

"Yes! That's the name. It was quite tragic really."

Miaka could feel her eyes beginning to fill with tears. So they were already dead...gone for two years already. Her heart ached for her friends. Nakago had proably killed them. He was the only one that would be so heartless to attack innocent people while they slept. Who else could it have been? Tears began to well up in Miaka's eyes and slowly running down her cheeks in scalding lines.

"Miaka are you alright? What's wrong?"

"I-I knew the doctor and his son...but I-I had no idea....this is the first I've heard...."

"Oh, my dear, I'm so sorry."

That night Miaka's dreams were haunted by phantoms of her past. Of faces and places that she would probably never see again. Over and over her restless sleep plagued her with images of Mitsukake and Chiriko's faces, from the days that they had first met to their final stand in battle together. It broke her heart to know that they were already dead. Somewhere in the night, as everyone lay sleeping a shrill scream cut through the silent air, piercing the air. Miaka awoke to someone roughly shaking her.

"What? What's going on?" she said groggily.

"Shh. You have to be quiet. We need to get you out of here Miaka."

Miaka looked into the earnest face of Amiboshi. His face was covered in soot and ashes. Something was most definitely wrong. Miaka turned her gaze to Suboshi who had kept glancing back at the door, a long spear in his hand.

"What's happened? What's going on?"

"The whole village is on fire. That damn general from Kutou is back with his men and their looking for you. We have to get you out of here before he finds you. Come on!"

The brothers pulled Miaka to her feet and guided her toward the bback door of their home. The back half of their house was the only place not consumed by thick black smoke. Their parents were out front, putting out the fire. They told the twins to find Miaka and get her out of there. It was the only real choice that they had. They couldn't go back inside.

"Where are we going?" Miaka asked, trying not to choke on the thick stench of burning houses and other unmentionable things.

"Up ahead is a pathway that cuts through the woods and wraps around to the docks. There's a man there named Shosen. Tell him we sent you and he'll take you anywhere you want. Tell him you need a place to hide."

The trio ran like the wind toward the path in the woods but a strangled cry of pain delayed them.

"Kieka!"

Miaka and Amiboshi both turned to find Suboshi lying on the ground, three arrows sticking out of his back. The Kutou army wasn't far behind them.

"Sieka!"

Amiboshi spared a quick glance to the Priestess of Suzaku. He didn't really want to have to send her off on her own. Not when she didn't know her way around the woods. There was so much risk in sending her off on her own, but still, he couldn't just leave his brother to die. He had to stay.

"Miaka, you have to go now. Run. Just keep heading for the path in the woods. Once you're there it'll take the Kutou army quite awhile to figure out where you've gone. But one thing, there will be a fork in the path. Take the path to the left. It's the longer path but it will throw them off your trail."

"But I can't just leave you here!"

"Go! We'll be fine! We'll catch up with you later, now go. Run!"

Without a second look back Amiboshi ran to his wounded brother. There was a flash of blue light and suddenly Amiboshi's flute appeared in his hands. He put the flute to his lips and began to play. Miaka knew the tune. It was the same one he had used once before. It would drive the soldiers mad. She quickly turned and ran towards the woods, while behind her the village burned. Little did Miaka know that as she ran through those darkened woods, she wasn't alone. Just as she neared the large fork in the pathway strong arms gripped her from behind and pulled her off of the pathway and into the darkness of the woods. Miaka struggled against the arms that held her. She bit down hard on the hand that went across her mouth and soon found herself on the ground.

"What was that for? You didn't have to bite me you know," a familiar voice said angrily.

"Tamahome?"

"Who else did you think it was?"

"But-the village...I thought...."

"I know what you thought. But I'm not Nakago and I'm not here to kill you. That was some stunt you pulled back at the hideout. What the hell were you thinking sneaking off like that? Do you have any idea how worried everyone's been about you? I don't know if I should yell at you or hug you."

"No one was worried about me," Miaka replied," The only thing anyone cares about here is summoning Suzaku. I know you only came after me so I could summon the beast god....but it doesn't look like I'll be able to anyway."

"That's not true and you know it! Everyone was going nuts trying to come up with a plan to find you! You've got everyone worried sick! Besides, what makes you think you can't summon Suzaku? Don't tell me one of these country bumpkins managed to seduce you?"

"No, it was nothing like that!" Miaka said embarrassedly," The other two Suzaku warriors, Mitsukake, and Chiriko....they're already dead. We can't summon Suzaku without them."

"I guess that does pose a problem. But we'll gihure that out later. Come on, the others are waiting for us at the docks. We'll figure out something when we meet up with them. Let's just worry about getting out of these woods for right now."

Miaka and Tamahome walked on in silence for a great amount of time. But it was a comfortable silence. Miaka knew that if Tamahome had come after then he had read the letter, and if he had then he must have known about what had happened, and yet, he didn't seem all that mad about it. Somehow it struck her as odd. Little did she know that the only reason he didn't hate her was because in her letter she had said the one thing niether one of them had been able to say out loud. She had told him she loved him, and those three words made all the difference. it had been so long since he had heard those words, that just reading them had sent his heart soaring with a feeling he had not known in a very long time. Joy.

"Miaka....did you mean what you said in your letter?"

"Which part?" Miaka asked, although she was sure that she already knew the answer to the question.

"The part where you said you loved me?"

"Every word...For a long time I tried to convince myself that you weren't really Tamahome, because the Tamahome I had known before was dead....but....even if that's true, something tells me that you really are Tamahome....not just another version of Tamahome, but that you truly are my Tamahome...and I....I love you..." she said.

Suddenly Miaka was swept up in Tamahome's arms in a tight embrace and he was kissing her. She could feel both their hearts pounding in unison as he kissed her until they were both breathless.

"I love you Miaka."

Miaka couldn't help but smile. She had greatly missed the gentle sound of his voice as he spoke those words to her. Whether she wanted to admit it or not, this man really was her beloved Tamahome. He had finally returned to her.

"Are you two going to stand there all day or are you going to get to the docks?"

Miaka and Tamahome both looked up in surprise, and Miaka smiled at the sound of the familiar voice, thought Tamahome's reaction was quite different.

"Aaahh!! Sand witch!"

"Tai Itsukun!" Miaka cried joyfully, but winced at the sudden sharp pain in her side.

Ever since she had left Mt. Riekaku she had been having the strangest pains in her side and she didn't know why. It was different from the pain from her injury. This pain left her feeling dizzy and somewhat weak.

"At least someone remembers me around here," Tai Itsukun replied.

"Remembers? You mean, you know who I am?"

"Of course I know you. You're the Priestess of Suzaku and that bumbling idiot over there is your celstial warrior Tamahome."

"Tai Itsukun, what's happened here? What did Nakago do?"

"I was hoping you could help me figure that out Miaka. Come, I've already taken the others to Mt. Taikioku."

In a sudden flash, Miaka and Tamahome found themselves standing once more in the beauty of Mt. Taikioku. It had been so long since Miaka had last seen it. It was just as she remembered. Which left her wondering one thing.

"Tai Itsukun, why is it that the rest of the world has been changed, but Mt. Taikioku looks the same as it always did?"

"Because Mt. Taikioku is a holy ground of sorts. Because of the immense evil in Nakago he was unable to see the true Mt. Taikioku and therefore unable to change its appearence. Now tell me Miaka, what has happened since the last time you were here."

Miaka poured out her heart to Tai Itsukun, telling her of everything that had come to pass since the last time she had seen the old woman over a year ago. She told sadly of her own failure as Priestess and of all the pain and suffering that had occured in her own world. Tai Itsukun listened intently to Miaka's words and nodded ocasionally at what she said, a look of great disturbance on her face.

"I see. So Nakago managed to defeat the Suzaku Seven, but something tells me that he did not do it alone. Something was helping him. Or someone. You are right about one thing though. Nakago is the one that is behind all of this."

"When he discovered that Chiriko and I had begun to regain our old memories he saw to it that we were taken care of."

Miaka turned in surprise at the sound of theat familiar monotone voice.

"Mitsukake! Chiriko!"

She ran to hug the spirits but fell right through them. She was so overjoyed at seeing them that she forget for a moment that they were already dead. That definitely hadn't changed.

"Are you alright Miaka?" Chiriko aske, sqatting down next to her.

"Yeah, I'm okay," she replied," But Tai Itsukun, isn't there anything we can do to change what's happened? There has to be a way to fix this!"

"What makes you think so? What makes you think you can change what has already been done?"

Miaka looked up at Tai Itsukun with fresh tears in her eyes and a string aura of immense strength about her. Her next words surprised Tai Itsukun.

"Because I have to believe there's a better world than this. One that isn't devastated by war, and the Suzaku Seven are still alive. one where real peace has been brought to this land."

"Very well said Miaka. There is one way to change what has happened here, but it will be a trial of great difficulty."

"What exactly is it that she has to do?" Nuriko asked suddenly.

Miaka glanced quickly to the side. She had almost forgotten that Tai Itsukun had brought the others here as well.

"She must gather the other Priestesses and together they must summon the four gods to banish the evil that Nakago has set lose upon the world."

"The other Priestesses? But Suzuno and Takieko are dead, and Yui's on Nakago's side."

"Not all is what it seems Miaka, but first tell me what has happened with Yui."

"After the last battle Yui and Nakago were married. They have two kids. She won't even speak to me anymore. She hates me."

"Miaka,you must find a way to get through to Yui. Somehow, when Nakago recreated this world he managed to revive the other Priestesses and draw them back into the book. You must find them, and find a way to reunite with Yui. Only when the four Priestesses are gathered together can true evil be destroyed. You must not fail in this task Priestess of Suzaku. For should you fail, great doom will not only befall your own reality, but this world will cease to exist."

Miaka could feel her heart hammering wildily in her chest like some wild caged beast. She wasn't even sure where to begin looking, but somehow, she knew she could not fail. The idea of losing both realities and all the people in them was too much. The closest land to Konan was the Northern Kingdom of Hokan. They had no other choice but to start there. Just like before. She only hoped that the result would be different.

"We'll start with Hokkan like before and go from there. Hopefully we'll be able to find Takieko there."

"It shouldn't be too hard," Tasuki siad," All we gotta do is look for the chick surrounded by a bunch of spirits."

"Those spirits are celestial warriors like yourself, I would not make light of it if I were you Tasuki."

"Sorry."

I will be sending Mitsukake and Chiriko with you. I will lend them the use of Nyan-Nyan bodies which will make it virtually impossible for them to die since they are already dead. I wish you great luck Priestess of Suzaku. Do not fail."

Very suddenly, the Suzaku Seven found themselves standing on the docks, looking rather puzzled and bewildered. No one had even noticed their sudden appearence on the docks.

"Hey, if yer not here to sell somethin' or to hitch a ride on the boats, get outta here," a gruff voice said.

MIaka looked up at the man who had spoken. He stood at at least 7"1' and his entire body was made of pure muscle. His eyes were deep brown and his long black hung in a tight braid down to his waist. He wore only a leather vest open over his impressive chest, and black pants that fit like a second skin.

"Excuse me, but do you know a man named Shosen?"

"Yeah I know Shosen, what do you want with him?"

"Kieka and Sieka sent us. We were told that he would help us."

"Kieka and Sieka eh? Well any friend of theirs is a friend of mine. I'm Shosen, nice ta meet ya. What can I do for ya?"

"We need to get to Hokkan in the North," Miaka replied.

"Hokkan eh? Well, I wasn't planning on going there till I was on my way back but I suppose my ship could make a stop there first. My ship's over there," Shosen pointing to the largest ship in the harbor.

"That's your ship?"

"No, mine's the one next to it. The ship next to it was almost as large but still in good shape. It was your average cargo ship that had recently had a new paint job and had a few repairs made. It was just as amazing as the ship next to it, only this ship ran better. The Suzaku Seven made their way on board, with a hesitant Tasuki in tow. He was a mountain critter,which meant he wasn't exactly fond of water. But right now that was the least of their worries. Their main concern was getting to Hokkan without any problems from the crew. After all, Miaka, thus far, seemed to be the only female on the whole ship, not that any of them had actually expected to see a female on a cargo ship. But having one female amongst an all male crew, especially one that was in a fragile condition like Miaka's . What Tai Itsukun had failed to mention to Miaka was that if she failed in her mission to find the other priestesses she would indeed die. It wasn't the wound to her internal organs that would kill her, but the evil that Nakago had placed within the wound. Through a dark sorcery of his own Nakago had placed a poison evil inside Miaka when he had wounded her. One that if she were to fail, would consume her slowly from the inside out, and then kill her. He had planted it inside her, with some dark hope that she would fail once more.

"Alright you lousy sea dogs, all hands on deck. The captain's got a few words for ya," bellowed Shoshen.

"The Captain? But I thought Shoshen was the Captain." Tasuki said, to whoever was listening.

"So did I," Nuriko replied.

Suddenly, up on the top deck, a beautiful woman with long flowing black hair appeared. She wore what amounted to a bandana in her hair to keep it out of her eyes, and a sleeveless shirt that was cut off at the waist and hung off her shoulders. The paonts she wore were a deep, almost sparkling black that sort of billowed around her legs.

"That's the captain?" Chichiri said in surprise.

"Listen up," the woman commanded," We've had a change of plan. We're headed for Hokkan first. We have with us very special guests and they are to be treated with respect so don't give em' any trouble. You got a problem with them then you got a problem with me. You got that?"

The woman was answered with a chorus of "aye-aye". The Suzaku Seven looked completely stunned that the Captain had been a woman. She seemed too young to be the captain, but the entire crew seemed to fear and respect her. Miaka's gaze followed the Captain who stopped long enough to stare down directly at Miaka. She didn't know why, but for some reason that young woman looked awfully familiar. She just couldn't manage to place the face.

"Are you okay Miaka? What's with the wierd look?"

"It's nothing but...I could swear I've seen her somewhere before."

"Who? The Captain?"

"Yeah. She looks so familiar but for the life of me, I just can't figure out where I've seen her before. I think I'm going to see if I can get a better look at her,"Miaka said.

Before Tamahome or any of the others could so much as blink Miaka had already disappeared to go find out what she could about their mysterious captain. It struck Miaka as odd that the Captain should seem so familiar to her when it was only the first time that she had ever seen the woman. Or was it? Maybe they had met before. If she could only get close enough for a second look at the woman. While the Suzaku Seven and the rest of the crew busied themselves about the ship, Miaka snuck up the woodn stairs and knelt down just outside the Captain's cabin. There was a small keyhole in the door that was just large enough for her to see through. She had only caught the last half of a sentence that sounded like it was coming from another familiar voice.

"You really shouldn't exhaust yourself like this. You have more important things to do with your time than parade around like some lowely pirate," a male voice was saying.

"Like what? There is nothing left for me to do. I have already accomplished my task. I did everything that was asked of me, and it resulted in great suffering and agony on my part. What else do you expect me to do? Besides, I'm starting to like being Captain of this ship. At least here I have some freedom." the captain replied.

"You still have your freedom my lady, but we worry that someone will discover you here. If anyone should find the truth it could be disasterous not only for yourself but for the crew of this ship as well."

"I know...when we deliver the Priestess and Suzaku Seven to the shores of Hokkan we too will depart from the vessel. It's our only hope."

At that moment, Miaka chose the worst time to sneeze loudly. there was movement inside the cabin. Quickly Miaka slipped out of sight just as the door to the cabin opened. Two young men stepped out of the cabin. At first glance Miaka didn't recognize them. They were both about the same height. One of them had long waist-length silver hair and wore a patch over his right eye. His left eye was a pierce grey. the other had short dark hair and bangs and eyes that were a light hazel. It took her a moment to figure it out, but that's when she realized who she was staring at. Hikitsu and Tomite. What were they doing in the captain's cabin? If they were here then that could only mean...Miaka shook her head as if to ward off the foolish thought. There was no way that could be possible. They were dead....had been dead for over two hundred years. It wasn't possible, and yet there they were. The only reason that Miaka could come up with for them to be here was that the captain was...Takieko? No. That was impossible. Why would the Priestess of Genbu be Captaining a measly cargo ship? She wouldn't....would she? She just needed to get a closer look. It would make what she had overheard make alot more sense of it was true, but she needed to know for sure before she told the others. No reason to tell them and then turn out to be wrong. But somehow, Miaka had a growing hunch that their captain really was the Priestess of Genbu.

Meanwhile, Chichiri sat in the middle of the deck, his finely tuned skill tracking for any possible attack from sea or land. Just because they had managed to get away didn't mean that they couldn't be followed. With both of his eyes gone it made his senses even more attuned than before. Despite his lack of sight he could still sense the boy, Chiriko and the cat Tama sitting beside him, mimicking his actions, both of them attempting to figure out what he was doing without breaking his concentration.

"Having fun?" Chichiri asked.

"Sorry. I just didn't want to interrupt you," Chriko replied.

Despite the somewhat odd look of him, Chiriko liked the monk. He may have been blind but he was still quite wise and kinder than most of the people he had met. Besides, the crew of the ship tended to scare Chiriko and at least sticking close to the monk would keep him safe. He would have liked to stay closer to Tasuki, he was a fun person to be around, but at the moment, their brave bandit leader was busy tossing his cookies over the side of the boat. Not a pleasant sight.

"Has Miaka returned yet?"

"She came wandering around our cabins and she was acting kind of strangely."

"She always acts strangly no da. But I have a feeling she may have found something that she doesn't want any of us to know yet."

"Like what?" Chiriko asked, thuming through the pages of the large book he had brought with him.

"I don't know, but she'll tell us when she's ready."

Meanwhile Tamahome sat in the cabin he and Miaka shared waiting for her to come back. He had seen her earlier in the hall, but all she had done was mutter a quick "hello" before disappearing again. What the hell was she up to? And why couldn't she tell him? It couldn't be something that bad? Could it? No. Miaka would never sink to doing something devious or underhanded. She just wasn't that type of person. It was Nuriko who would find Miaka slinking about the deck of the ship.

"Hiiiiiii Miaka! Whatcha doin' ?"

"Shh. Keep it down Nuriko! I'm trying to get a better look at the captain!"

"The captain?"

Nuriko leaned in close to Miaka and the two leaned as close to the wall as they could to listen in on what others thought was a private conversation. Of course, no one knew that Miaka and Nuriko were listening in the first place.

"We have to come up with a way to get you off the ship without the men suspecting anything," Tomite was saying.

"I could just wander away from the ship, come up with some excuse to leave and just get lost."

"I don't think that would work. If we say that you got lost somewhere in the woods, the men would want to come looking for you and we can't have that. We need something better than that. Something to leave you and us behind," Hikitsu replied.

The captain of the ship paced back and forth in front of the two Genbu warriors, her brow furrowed in deep thought. There had to be a way for them to leave the ship without getting caught. There just had to be. The last thing she needed was for the crew to come looking for her once they were away from the ship. It was only a matter of how it would all go down. The young captain stepped closer to where Miaka and Nuriko hid in the shadows and Miaka was able to get a clear look at the captain. She silently drew in a sharp breath. The resemblence was too uncanny to be a lie. Carefully she stepped back, motioning Nuriko to do the same until they were within safety of the cabins.

"What was that all about?" Nuriko asked.

"I don't know...look, I've got to go do something so I'll talk to you later."

And with that Miaka disappeared back down into the cabins. She ran into the cabin she and Tamahome shared and pulled out an aged and crumbnled photo from the pocket of her jacket. The photo was that of Takieko before she died. There was no doubt about it. The captain of this ship was in fact the Priestess of Genbu. It was almost unnerving that they had managed to find her so easily. And it was all because of Amiboshi and Suboshi. She briefly thought back to the twins who had saved her life. Had they known that the Takieko was here? Was that why they told her to come here? No...of course they hadn't known. Niether one of them even had a clue about who Takieko was. How could they have known that she was the captain of this ship? They couldn't...they were just trying to help her. Now if only Miaka could get the Priestess of Genbu alone and talk to her. There was so much she wanted to ask her. So much that she wanted to say. She needed to tell Takieko what Tai Itsukun had told her.

Later that night Miaka got her chance. Takieko stood, leaning against the ship's railing, her hair billowing lightly in the breeze.

"What are you doing up so late?" Takieko asked, her eyes never leaving the water.

"Actually, I was looking for you, Priestess of Genbu."

Okay, so what did you think? I know that technically Miaka didn't meet up with Suboshi again until they had already sailed to Hokkan but I decided to change things up a bit. Anyway please review, all criticisms are welcome. I hope everyone enjoyed and I promise the next chapter will be up alot quicker than this one! Ja ne!