Chapter 3

"Priestess? Are you in here?"

Of course Yume was. She was lying awake in her bed, crying tears of sorrow.

'It wasn't supposed to be this way.' She thought. 'I was supposed to be the priestess of Suzaku! Why is this happening? Why is Usagi the priestess of Suzaku? Why not me?! Why does she always get him...'

"Tasuki..." She whispered, sniffling. A warm hand touched her forehead from behind.

"Your fever seems to be down. Who is Tasuki that you speak of?" Amiboshi asked sitting down on her bed.

Yume wiped her tears and turned around in the bed to face him. "What are you talking about? I didn't say anything! You worry too much." She said laughing but inside herself, her heart was crying out for attention. Amiboshi gave her a worried look.

"Eminence..."

"See! There you go again!" Yume's eyes started to tear up again and she couldn't blink them back, for sure one would fall if she tried. "I'm fine! Stop worrying about-" Amiboshi lifted his hand to her eyes, stopping her in mid sentence. He showed her a tear that had landed on his finger. "Putting fake tears up there? I'm fine, really, I am." She wiped away her tears and turned back around in her bed.

Amiboshi wasn't so convinced but Yume just lay there, trying hard to fall asleep so she wouldn't just spill her situation. She remembered what happened to Tamahome when Suboshi found out about lady Yui and she wasn't going to let that happen to Tasuki.

Amiboshi raised himself off the bed, walked to the door and opened it. He looked back at Yume, hearing her sniffle many times.

"Yume, your eminence, I'm always here for you." He said.

Yume was flustered. She didn't move until she heard the door close. After she heard that comforting sound, she let out a long sigh. She heard a noise behind her and sat straight up looking through the room. Amiboshi was still at her side sitting in a chair he pulled up to her bed.

"Amiboshi..."

"Your eminence. Allow me to stay here and watch over you tonight."

Yume blushed and nodded. "Alright."

"Priestess Usagi? Could that really be you? You haven't aged a day! Are you here to save us once again?" Boushin asked. Usagi placed her hand at the back of her head.

"Actually, your highness, I'm not quite sure why I'm here. I was in my world and then all of a sudden I was here."

"Then the Gods must have sent you. We have been praying for your return for so long. This is truly a miracle sent by the heavens."

"Heh heh.." Usagi was thinking, 'Maybe for you... I have a game to go to! Gotta go see all the hot guys! Wait for me!'

"Yes, this truly is a blessing to have you back." Houki said happily. She looked so young for her age.

"Thank you." Usagi looked around. "Excuse me for being rude your King Boushin, but where is your wife?" She asked. The little Houki burst into tears, running into another room and the older Houki just closed her eyes and turned her head.

Boushin made a kind but painful face. He tried his hardest to smile but Usagi could see it was difficult for him.

"I'm sorry I asked. Its alright you don't have to-"

"No. It's just a question out of curiosity." He looked down at her. "My wife...she was...she was murdered along with Chiriko." He said.

Usagi's eyes widened. "Mur..." She couldn't finish. Boushin nodded his head. Usagi's hands flew to her mouth and she slumped to the ground. Tears came running out of her eyes.

"Well now you know..." Boushin gazed at her. "I'm so sorry! Boushin, Houki, please forgive me! I'm so sorry!" With that, Usagi jumped up and ran out of the palace.

"Priestess Usagi! Wait!" Boushin yelled after her.

"I think that really upset her." Houki said.

"I think so as well. I hope she is alright." Boushin prayed.

Usagi was running through forest and brush crying. She felt so helpless.

'I need someone, I can't do this! I just can't! I don't care who it is, I need someone here to help me! I mean how could I ask such a question like that?! If you don't see the queen, she isn't out running errands somewhere, of course she would be...' Usagi tripped over a rock and fell to the ground. 'Why am I the only one here? How did I get back in this book in the first place? I can't do this alone! I need you guys. Help me! Help me...' Usagi pleaded over and over. 'Help me... Help me... I need my friends! Aoi, Izumi, Emi, Yume! Help!'

In the other world Izumi was just about to walk out her bedroom door when she started feeling weird. She collapsed on the floor next to Tasuki creating a loud thumping sound. She held her head. 'What's going on? It's Usagi! What's wrong? Is she in danger?!' Tamahome burst into her room and found her on the floor. (A/N he was also living in her second room with Tasuki.)

"Izumi! Are you alright?!" He said out of breath. He had run all the way to her house from the activity bus and in her room. At that moment, the light grew and swallowed the three of them.

Aoi was running towards the library with Chichiri and Nuriko looking for some sign of the book. Aoi was out of breath but she kept running.

"Aoi! Are you sure you're alright?" Nuriko asked.

"I'm fi-" Aoi tripped and fell to the ground. She grabbed her stomach and started breathing rapidly and hard.

"Aoi!" Chichiri and Nuriko exclaimed.

"Crap. It's her." (A/N not in a mean way. As in 'she's in trouble...' or somethin...)

"Who?" Chichiri asked. A light unleashed itself from Aoi's body sucking the three into a whirlpool of light.

Miaka was currently sleeping and Emi had crept into her room. She had a knife in her hand, ready to stab. Taka came flying in.

"What are you doing now?!" He exclaimed.

"Uh, peeling apples?" She answered flustered.

"Where's the apple?" Taka asked. Emi looked down in her hand to find nothing but wood.

"I mean I was carving wood!"

"In the dark and in Miaka's room?"

"I was lonely so I went into Miaka's room and... and I work better in the dark!" She creatively made up an excuse.

"Stop trying to kill her in her sleep, Emi!" Taka exclaimed. He swapped the knife from her hands.

"But I really do believe that she is some spy out to get us! Why don't you believe me?!"

"She's not out to get us. She's sleeping!"

"For now..." Emi said raising a hand to her chin stroking it. Her eyes went blank and she fell to her knees.

"Emi?" Taka asked.

"Taka...help..." She said falling to her hands. Taka placed the knife on a nightstand nearby and went to her aid. Miaka started groaning. She and Emi glowed with an eerie light.

"What's going on?" Taka asked. There was no time to answer the question. The rest of Emi's body fell to the ground lifelessly and she was absorbed through the light in the floor. A light in Miaka's bed consumed her and Taka grabbed her hand trying to save her but was sucked in as well.

Mitsukake, Hotohori, and Yui were all coming back from a store. They were all laughing but Yui got dizzy.

"Yui? Are you alright?" Mitsukake asked. Hotohori was off in his own little world thinking about Nuriko. Yui took a sharp breath in and passed out. Mitsukake caught her and Hotohori still hadn't noticed. "Yui! Yui!" Mitsukake tapped her cheek a few times. A bright light came out of her body and consumed Mitsukake and the still love struck Hotohori.

A sound came from behind Usagi. She was startled. She didn't look behind her. She simply got up and started running in the opposite direction. Footsteps followed her. She knew it. Someone was after her. She ran as fast as she could, trying to escape her stalker. As clumsy as she is, she tripped over her foot and fell hands first. The footsteps stopped at the base of her feet. She turned around, face to face with a mysterious stranger.

TO BE CONTINUED