Disclaimer: The Fushigi Yuugi characters do not belong to me. They belong to Yuu Watase. Though I wish I did
Chapter 2: Thoughts and Feelings
Ayume walked out of the classroom with an expression unreadable in deep thoughts. Miyako soon joined her, bombarding her with questions
"What did he say!" Miyako asked excitedly, "what did he do? He's cute right? Hello? Ayume? Come back down to earth Ayume!" waving her hands infront of Ayume frantically.
"Huh?" Ayume was startled.
"Honestly Ayume," Miyako said, putting her hands on her hips and staring at Ayume, "you've been spacing out today a lot of times already. Are you alright? What did Mr Hoshiwa say?"
"He just asked me not to sleep in class," Ayume lied to her best friend. 'How can I tell Miyako?', Ayume thought, 'she will certainly not believe me. Now I'm the new Priestess. I wonder how did the previous priestess did?'
"I can't believe the minister would keep you back so long just to tell you not to sleep in class," Miyako huffed, "is he really that long winded? But on the other hand, he's so beautiful! I wonder how old is he, should be twenty plus."
Ayume recalled Haruki's face. She had a strange feeling that she had met him before somewhere. Frowning slightly, she tried to recall, but to no avail. "Have we met Haruki before?" Ayume asked Miyako, "I have this strange feeling that I have met him before."
"Duh," Miyako said with a laugh, "on television. He always talk about wanting to change the education system."
"Not that," Ayume said with a sigh, casting a faraway look outside at the window, "as though I have actually met him, talked to him."
"In your dreams dear," Miyako said, "I told you. You are really acting strange this few days."
That night, Ayume tossed and turned in her bed, thinking about what Haruki told her. "I will pick you up tomorrow morning at 8 to set off to find the rest of the Suzaku warriors," he had said, "it will be a long trip. Pack what ever you need for this whole trip. I will call your parents, telling them that you are involved in a school trip. Be ready."
Her parents were delighted when they heard that Ayume was going on a school trip and raised no questions when Haruki called them. Gazing at the backpack which stood on her desk, she fell into a slumber.
The phoenix appeared again in front of her in her dreams, the wings folded neatly at the side. "Ayume Nakazaki," it spoke to her, "I have come to wish you luck on your journey to find the rest of the constellations, and to tell you more about your past."
"My past?" Ayume was thoroughly confused.
"Your past life Ayume," the phoenix told her, "you are the reincarnation of Miaka Yuuki, the former priestess of Suzaku. She appeared in my world 100 years ago and became the Priestess. Fulfilling her duties as Priestess, she found all the warriors and summoned me. I can only tell you this much right now. More will be revealed to you as you start on your journey. I am passing to you something which was once possessed by Miaka and Tamahome. They may be useful to you when you are finding the warriors. Goodbye, Priestess Of Suzaku." And the phoenix disappeared in a flash of red light.
Ayume woke up with a start. Suddenly, she noticed two objects on her lap. She picked up one of them and realized that it was a very ancient photo. There were eight people smiling in the photo. Upon closer inspection, she was shocked to see a girl looking very much like her in the photo. Beside her was- "the guy I have dreaming of!" Ayume cried out loudly, "that is Tamahome?" Ayume looked at the other person beside her. "Haruki?" she asked strangely. The man looked like Haruki, everthing about him was the same, his hair and warm look on his face. There was another woman in the photo with purple hair and a mole on her left cheek, a guy with striking orange hair and two fangs sticking out of his teeth. There was also a man with blue hair tied up in a pony tail and three strands of hair sticking out in the front. On Haruki's left was a small male child and in the middle was a man with yellow and purple cloths tied round his hair. "Are these the Suzaku warriors?" Ayume asked.
She looked at the other object again. It was a ring. Curiously, she picked it up and stone in the middle sparkled. She placed it on her fourth finger, and as if by magic, images started appearing in her mind, images from her past life, of Miaka during her journey as a priestess. "So the guy I was dreaming of was Tamahome," Ayume said softly, staring at her ring, "and this is Miaka's wedding ring. Somehow it seems as though I am already in love with Tamahome, a person I have never met before. And yet it seems as though we are already connected."
She stood up and saw the sketch of Tamahome which she drew on her table. Ayume was a very talented artist, being able to capture any picture or emotion on paper easily. With peaceful thoughts of Tamahome, she fell asleep.
The next morning, sunlight filtered through the windows and the birds sung in the sky. "Ayume!" her sister called, rapping on her door, "there's someone here to meet you. The person says that he is Hotohori. Is he your boyfriend?"
Groaning sleepily, she looked at the clock and leapt into the air in horror. It was already 8 in the morning. "Tell him I'll be down as soon as I can," Ayume called, dashing into the bathroom to bathe, "and that I'm sorry for being late!"
10 minutes later, she went into the living room and saw Haruki with his hair down and tied up loosely at the end. "You look very different sir," Ayume commented, "lets go now. Before we're too late." She ran out of the door, nearly tripping on a small tabby cat.
"Be careful Ayume!" her mother called as they left the house. When Ayume and Haruki left the house, her mother's eyes flashed red. "Priestess Of Suzaku," she hissed with a voice not like her own, " Soon, you'll be mine. Soon, you shall die at the hands of Kyoshin." Her mother let out manical laugh before slumping onto the floor, unconscious.
Author's Notes: Bit funny, this chapter… Looks like there's a new evil coming right up. Please review
Next chapter: Miaka find meet one of the seven warriors