We Will Meet Again

Chapter Four

Yumiko Kaze

            After the two had established where exactly the lines lay for their tentative new friendship, Miaka and Andy had gathered the forgotten papers and headed down through the lobby. As they passed the receptionists desk, she spotted them and gave a small shriek before managing to call out to them, "Mr. Wong! Mr. Wong, hold it! I have some packages for you!"

            They stopped and waited while the receptionist dug around in the tangle of…stuff that was jumbled behind her desk. After a moment she shuffled out carrying a pile of boxes (mostly candy) stacked higher than her head and a batch of letters which even from this distance Miaka could tell had been dowsed in perfume.

            She nearly managed to hide her giggle, but Andy saw her anyway. When he looked at her she simply grinned and raised an eyebrow. "Your fan mail I presume Mr. Wong?"

            Andy threw her a dirty look and sighed, taking one of the letters and ripping it open. He quickly scanned the contents of the letter before dropping it in the nearest trash bin and muttering something along the lines of "oh the humanity" under his breath.

            Miaka cocked her head and asked, "Something wrong?"

            Andy sighed, "Do you want the chocolate?"

            "It's yours isn't it?" Miaka eyed the truffles greedily, but seeing as she had just eaten lunch, she wasn't all that hungry.

            "I don't want it!" He snapped, his eyes shifting from side to side.

            My goodness what did that letter say? Miaka glanced at the box, "Eh. No. I think I'll pass for once." She quickly followed Andy as he turned to leave, walking much more quickly than he had been a few moments before. "Andy, wait up! My legs aren't as long as yours!"

When he slowed down enough for her to catch up, he wasted no time in ushering her into her car and locking the doors. As they got their seat belts on, Miaka, still smirking with suppressed laughter, could stand it no more. "What was in that letter anyway? It sure made you act weird!"

Andy was looking around cautiously, as though he expected a monster to leap out of nowhere. Finally, as they were pulling out of the parking lot and heading onto the street, Andy leaned back in his seat and let out a relieved sounding sigh. "It was from one of my more, shall we say, "passionate" fans." He covered his eyes with his hand and leaned toward the window. "And this particular one has been sending me things for quite a while now. Every letter she sends gets more and more involved and obsessed sounding. Whoever she is is really starting to creep me out. She always knows where I am, and she's sent me so many gifts it's sickening. I replied once, to her first letter which was something along the lines of "I admire you; you're the best singer ever." And after that she somehow convinced herself that I'm in love with her! I've never even seen this girls face!" Poor Andy looked like he was about to suffer an aneurysm.

Miaka giggled, "Sounds like you've got a girlfriend out there." She paused and tapped a finger against her chin, "Actually…sounds more like a harem to me." She grinned at the unintentional pun about his past life in the Book, "So," her grin turned devilish, "Which one's gonna be the lucky wife?"

"Don't joke! It isn't funny!" Poor Andy looked absolutely horrified at the prospect. His hand was clenched over his heart and the other was gripping the door.

Miaka's giggles soon exploded into all out laughter and though Andy tried to look irritated, but with Miaka's laughter ringing in his ears, he just couldn't do it. On the way to Mr. Kimoto's office, they made small talk, eventually falling into a companionable silence.

Once they arrived at Mr. Kimoto's office, Miaka opted to stay in the car for fear that she would if she met him she would lose her temper and end up getting Andy in trouble. She had no desire to ruin his career, and she wasn't exactly sure how the music business worked anyway; Maybe this was the way it worked for all singers. But still… it didn't seem right that Andy wasn't allowed to use his own music.

After about twenty minutes or so, Andy reappeared, not looking at all happy with how things must have went, but upon seeing Miaka, his expression brightened greatly. As he slid back into the car, Miaka glanced at him out of the corner of her eye as she started the engine up once again. "So, how did it go?" She almost dreaded hearing the answer for fear that he had let Mr. Kimoto push him around once again.

"Same as always: I argued, they yelled, I eventually gave in." He sighed and hung his head slightly.

Miaka frowned before pulling over to the side of the street. I can't believe that I almost forgot about my threat! "Come on." She opened her door and pulled Andy's guitar out of the backseat.

"What?" Andy's eyes widened as he watched Miaka carry his guitar across the street to the opposite street corner, "Miaka where do you think you're going?" she didn't answer, "Hey!" Andy fumed when she ignored his protests and planted his feet firmly on the floor of the car. I don't care what she says. I'm not moving.

She kept going until she had reached the corner. When she got there, she set the guitar down on the ground and then turned to face where he was, still seated in the car. When she motioned for him to come over, he shook his head and tried to shrink down in the seat, hoping that he could pretend she wasn't talking to him.

From her spot, Miaka glowered at what she could see of Andy's head. The man had managed to squish himself down into the seat so that she could just barely see his hair and eyes. Her eyebrow gave an irritated twitch at her Seishi's lack of response. Hotohori… "Andy!" She growled, fisting her hands on her hips and scowling. "Get over here!"

From his hiding place, Andy simply shook his head, crossing his arms in a childlike pout. Make me.

Half an hour and at least three threats of bodily harm later…

"I can't believe I let you talk me into this." Andy muttered as he strapped on his guitar, all the while glaring at Miaka out of the corner of his eye.

"Believe it." She chirped, laying the guitar case next to him.

"So what am I supposed to do now?" he looked around at some of the passerby; most of them giving the pair strange looks before moving on and continuing whatever they were doing beforehand.

"You sing, silly."

"Sing what?"

"Whatever you want! If it makes you feel better, start with something easy; a song that everybody knows." Miaka crossed her arms and circled him, thinking.

Andy eyed the girl, he still didn't quite know how she had managed to get him to agree to this. He looked to the sky, a song that everybody knew? Like what? As he thought, his fingers began to move on their own, plucking away to the tune of a familiar folk song. When he realized what he was doing, he began to hum along to the tune, still not quite comfortable with the idea of singing in a public place. He knew that that likely sounded pretty stupid, but this wasn't a concert where people had paid to see him, and there wasn't that nice line of bodyguards between him and the crowd… Oh dear.

As he played melody after melody, Miaka stayed by his side, tapping her feet and swaying slightly to the music. Andy felt something warm begin to build in his heart as he watched her body move to the sounds he was creating. They hadn't said much since he had started playing, but they didn't really need to. She genuinely cared about him and what he wanted to do and in her own (rather direct and somewhat unorthodox) way had tried to help him accomplish his goals. He knew few people in the world like her, and he doubted that very many existed in the first place.

A slightly jingling made Andy look up and he smiled charmingly at the couple that had passed by. A few people that had stopped to listen to him play had even dropped some money into his open guitar case. Miaka had seen this and suggested that they go out for ice-cream later if it continued. Wanting any excuse to stay in her company for just a while longer, Andy had agreed wholeheartedly to the idea.

He was just about ready to attempt singing when a group of men, possibly in their late-thirties or early forties, strolled on over to the corner he and Miaka were occupying. Andy noticed some rather large objects in their hands and he had the wild notion that they were weapons of some kind. Before Andy had a chance to say anything, or to even attempt to get Miaka out of the way, the men began to sing along to the song that he was currently playing.

It was when several other instruments joined in, that Andy realized that what the men had been carrying weren't weapons, but instruments. Miaka laughed in delight at the spectacle the group made and she felt a flash of regret that she didn't have her camera with her. Really, the sight of a rock star and a group of middle aged men reliving their younger years as a band was really a Kodak moment.

It wasn't long before the little group began to pull in a crowd. As the sidewalk began to fill up with people wanting to watch the make-shift band play, Miaka had to fight for her position at the front of the crowd. As more people started stopping, Miaka sidled up to one of the older men and handed him some of the sheet music and had "borrowed" from Andy's briefcase.

"Can you play that?" she felt like she was yelling, but in middle of the din that they were creating, she knew her voice was likely no louder than a whisper.

The man continued playing his violin as he glanced over the paper. Not once missing a chord, the man nodded. "Yeah missy we can play that."

"Great!" she handed him the paper and then repeated the process with the other four before stopping at Andy.

They had just finished playing one song and Andy was about to start another folk tune when he heard a very familiar sounding melody begin to build on the chords of the violin. Casting a glance at the girl next to him, Andy blinked. Could she have? When Miaka winked at him and gave him a light nudge in the ribs with her elbow Andy sighed. She did…

Resigning himself to his fate, Andy too began to plug away at the familiar tune on his guitar, when it came time for the vocals; Andy closed his eyes, imagining that he was back in his hotel room where the only ones that could hear him were the rug mites. He could do this! He could! Because, like Miaka had said, this was his life. He couldn't spend the rest of it doing what other people told him to do.

Miaka gasped slightly as Andy began to sing. She had thought he was wonderful at the concert, yes. But she had been so far up in the seats that she had been unable to get a decent look at Andy's face while he was singing. As she gazed upon him now, she was astounded to see just how deep into the song he was getting, how much from the heart the lyrics had to be. He had his eyes closed and head bowed, but the expression conveyed by the line of his mouth and the tilt of his eyebrows, even how tightly clenched his eyes were, told Miaka how much this song and others he had written had to mean to him. How much he had to love what he was doing.

Her brow drew together in a frown, And Mr. Kimoto thinks he can just rip it all apart does he?

The man had to be insane. This was so much better than any of the songs Andy had sung at the concert.

It was when Andy was somewhere in the middle of the song that the real and true meaning of the pieced struck Miaka. The song was about her.

Well, not her precisely. The song never mentioned any names. But it had to be! The song was describing all the pain and heartache that Hotohori must have went through in the ShinJinTenChiSho. It relived the details of a love triangle and the broken heart of the narrator, it even included the death of the narrator and how much he loved the girl even then. Miaka's hand involuntarily leaped to her mouth and pressed against them in order to keep them from trembling as she felt the tears threatening to spill over. All this time and I never knew…I knew he cared for me and I knew he did love me… but I never knew how much! I never knew how much he loved me.

As the last strains of the song died away, Andy opened his eyes, his golden orbs capturing Miaka's teary green gaze. As his face drew into an expression of concern, Miaka reached out, almost involuntarily, and wrapped her arms around Andy's waist. (how she got around the guitar she would never know) Burying her face in the folds on Andy's t-shirt and jacket, she let the tears overcome her and cried. "Andy that was so beautiful… I didn't know anyone could write anything that wonderful…"

As she cried, Andy wrapped his arms around her slim form, resting his chin on her head, wishing that that moment could last forever. Looking around at the huge crowd that had formed, Andy smiled to himself as he allowed himself to indulge in the feel of Miaka letting herself be held so willingly in his arms. Today had to have been one of the best days of his life. He had found the girl of his dreams, he had stolen a kiss from her on their first unofficial date, and she had helped him out with his music. Getting him to sing on the street corner and make a fool of himself in public. When Mr. Kimoto heard about this, he wasn't going to be happy at all. But frankly, at the moment Andy didn't much care. He had just enjoyed himself more in one day than he could ever remember doing in his entire life. Today he had actually enjoyed himself and what he was doing; something that he hadn't done in a very long time. He sighed happily as the other guys began to pack up their instruments and the crowd began to dissipate. Looking down he tightened his arms protectively around the girl in his arms, And I owe it all to you, Miaka.

Miaka stood silently, hands coming up to cover her face as she closed her eyes in an attempt to erase the horrible images that would forevermore be burned into her minds eye. The sun beat down on the battlefield, mercilessly baking the unmoving bodies of fallen men. Rider less horses roamed freely amid the surge of battle. Miaka felt a silent scream tearing at her throat, fighting to be set loose. As she scanned the sea of dead bodies and bloodstained grass, Miaka felt her heart constrict with a certain knowledge. This wasn't what she was meant to see, there was someone out there, calling to her. Someone that she needed to reach.

Hotohori.

Miaka turned wildly, trying with all her might to locate her Seishi. But try as she might all she could see were the soldiers of Konan and Kutou, each side mindlessly hacking away at the other. Everywhere she turned all her eyes met was blood and death and destruction…

However; atop one hill, it appeared the battle had come to a halt. Miaka suddenly found herself there, standing on the outskirts of a small regiment of soldiers, Tasuki and Kouji included, who were crowded around a handsome young man with long oak and ash colored hair. The strands were strewn about him as he lay there, still adorned in what was left of his armor with his sword at his side. As Miaka crept closer, she could see that the young man was none other than Hotohori.

Tears leapt to her eyes and Miaka fell to her knees at his side. Tasuki and Kouji apparently couldn't see her, because neither made any movements to keep her from seeing what she knew she had to see. Tears spilling down her cheeks, Miaka reached out a hand to brush against Hotohori's cheek and gasped when her hand went straight through him. She had assumed that he was dead already, but she was proved wrong as his amaz9ing golden eyes fluttered open and he turned them unto the heavens.

"Miaka…" he whispered softly.

"Hotohori!" Miaka sobbed, once again trying to touch her Seishi, to give him some small piece of comfort in his last moments of life. Once again her hand went straight through.

Seeming not to know that she was there, Hotohori continued staring into the sky as his men worried over him, telling him to just hang on a little longer until a medic could be called. Hotohori ignored them, seeming to be answering something that only he could hear. "Miaka… Miaka's voice is coming from the sky…"

Miaka felt her chest nearly explode with the painful memories that came flooding back to her. This had happened before…When she and Tamahome had come out of the Book. Keisuke had come to her and told her of Mitsukake's death and then had urged her to read as Hotohori's own death had come on swift wings. Miaka wrapped her arms around herself and cried harder than she could ever remember having cried in her life.

So this was what he had went through? This was how Hotohori had died? She had read what had happened of course, but the Book had never been very descriptive in the first place, and she had had no idea what had really been happening to her beloved Seishi.

Hotohori… So this is what you went through? And I wasn't here to help you. I'm sorry… As Hotohori spoke, Miaka felt like just curling up and dying right there on the spot. She had caused this man such pain. I don't deserve to live, she thought bitterly to herself, I'm a horrible, horrible person to have survived while people like him lost their lives…

But Hotohori was still speaking, "We will all meet again. Beyond worlds and beyond time, surely…"

Hotohori pulled out a tattered square of paper and Miaka immediately recognized it as the photograph she had taken earlier of all of them together before leaving for Hokkan. I don't believe it… All this time and he still kept that? As he fingered the faces in the picture, Miaka could suddenly hear his thoughts. Her eyes widened as his fingers ran over her face in the photograph.

"Knowing you has taught me to live…"

She couldn't stand it any longer, "Hotohori you can't die! We need you! Houki needs you!" she screamed at what felt like the top of her lungs, but the soldiers and Hotohori were oblivious.

As the hand holding the photograph fell onto his chest and his breathing slowed to a stop, Miaka screamed, throwing herself at his prone figure, forgetting that she couldn't touch him. "I need you."

No response.

The young leader of the Konan Empire, Fourth Emperor Saihitei, the Suzaku SichiSeishi Hotohori, had fallen.

Miaka woke up in tears. She sat up quickly with a startled gasp. What a nightmare… Placing a hand to her forehead and wiping her eyes, she tossed aside the covers with a small grunt and then headed out to the kitchen, hoping to find a clean glass and get herself a drink of water. As she sat at the kitchen table and sipped her water, noticing faintly that it was still the middle of the night, Miaka tried to recall exactly what her dream had been about. When flashes of it raced to the forefront of her mind, she shook her head and attempted to think of something happier. She recalled earlier that day when she had made Andy sing on the street corner. He had looked so incredibly happy to finally be singing something that he had written and have people be enjoying it that Miaka had felt almost as proud as if it had been her doing the singing and song writing.

And that reminded her.

Just how did she feel about Andy?

Miaka pursed her lips and eyed her water. She loved Taka of course! So she couldn't feel anything other than friendship for Andy. It just… couldn't be allowed. After all she and Tamahome/Taka had gone through in the past in order to be together, it would seem utterly foolish to throw that all away for the reincarnation of someone she had rejected in the past! They had moved Heaven and Earth for their love and until recently had been very happy together. In fact, they were still happy together. The only problem was that Taka was attending an overseas college and was able to find very little time to come back and see her.

She frowned, but when Taka was here they always got along great! It was as if he'd never left in the first place! She and Taka loved each other so much that nothing had been able to keep them apart. Not the advances of an Emperor, not a vengeful best friend, and certainly not the fact that Tamahome had existed only inside the Universe of the Four Gods.

He had promised her when he'd been pulled back inside that he would find her again; even if it took thousands and thousands of years to do it. And he had kept his promise!

Beyond worlds and beyond time…We will all meet again. The words seemed to have been whispered, either that or some distant part of Miaka's brains was still attempting to sort out that dream.

Miaka jerked. Managing to knock her glass of water over and bang her knee on the underside of the table.

The dream…

Hotohori…

Yes. Tamahome had indeed sworn his love to her and promised that he would find her again.

But he hadn't been the only one.

To Be Continued…

AN: Ha! I DID it! I punched out another chapter before I had to leave! Hopefully this one is up to par with the rest of them since I was kind of rushed… *cough* You can thank Hayai for that *cough* Anywho. The next chapter should be out shortly after I return from Missouri. That'll be the seventh. Once again I'd like to say thank you to anyone who took the time to review because getting reviews really just makes my day. That's really the only way I know people like my stuff, so… Yeah. It's a happy little cycle! I make you happy with my story, and you make me happy by reviewing! *grins* And it's all just so much fun! *cough* Okay that's enough cherry juice for me… Oh! And I have a rant of injustice to proclaim! My mom got me the fifth Harry Potter book today, but she won't give it to me until tomorrow morning! *sniffle* It's not fair I tell ya! Even though I kind of guessed who dies, (being as I'm cursed) I still wanna read it! *grumble* And why did it have to be him of all people? Of anyone JK could have killed off it had to be my favorite character! I'm cursed I tell ya! All of my favorite characters die/dissapear and/or get their hearts broken! Every single time! After the Order of the Phoenix thing, my friends decided that now I am forbidden from picking anymore favorite characters. Seriously… It's just uncanny. Hotohori, Nuriko, Zechs, Nightcrawler, Vegeta, Trunks, Legolas, Spike (well, he's a vampire, he's dead already), Allen, Kouga, Miroku (he gets rejected many a time) and now him! And there's a lot of others I can't think of right now! Does anyone else see a pattern here? They all have pitiful family lives, broken hearts, and they die! *sniff* I think this says something about what's going to happen to my first husband… I'm going to go to bed and cry myself to sleep now… I'm depressed.