Disclaimers: I don't own Fushigi Yuugi.

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Narrator's POV

The huge double doors opened, revealing the room inside. Well... Here we are... Our new home... said Tomite gloomily. Hikitsu nodded grimly.

"I suppose so..." There was a long pause in which neither of them said anything before Hikitsu looked up at Taiitsukun, who had come with them.

"...Taiitsukun, we don't have the shinzaho. How can we guard something that we don't have?" he asked.

"Don't worry. I will send someone with it."

"Send someone...?" This was Tomite.

"But won't that 'someone' not be able to see us, since we're spirits?" Hikitsu asked at the same time.

"Not in this cave," the creator said. "This cave is special. It has been enchanted so that humans can see spirits if they're inside of it."

The three of them walked further inside of it until they came to the huge doors at the end of the cavern. "This is where the Shinzaho will be kept," Taiitsukun said as she opened the door. "Once I leave, only your wills will open the door." They walked in and even Hikitsu's breath was taken away. The room was truly beautiful. Taiitsukun talked, explaining all of their duties, as the two seishi explored their new home. Finally, after what seemed like days, and probably was, for there was no way to know how much time passed in the cave, she left, giving them one last warning. "Remember, you can not leave this cave. If you do, you will never make it to Heaven once your duity is done. I will come to check up on you every few hundred years...." There was a long pause before she slowly added, "Good luck."

"We don't need luck," Tomite assured her.

"Nonsense. Everyone needs luck," Taiitsukun replied.

"Not us," Hikitsu answered grining much to everyone's surprise. Taiitsukun only smiled, and reluctantly closed the door, locking them in for who knew how long.

"So... What now..." Asked Tomite.

"I suggest that you work on that patience of yours, Tomite, for now we wait."

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Takiko's POV

She came to me in a dream, telling me of the Shinzaho. Taiitsukun. She told me that I could not go to where two people were to guard the treasure, but that I must send another to where they waited. That I must send someone else with the Shinzaho. She even told me where it was.

Mt. Black.

I woke up with a start. Immediately, the pain returned. It was always with me, eating away at me. Destroying me. An indescribable pain, worse than anything that I had ever imagined.

I had been thinking the last few days, and I had finally decided what my second wish would be. I no longer wanted to be in this world. I wanted to go home. I wanted to be where my father and so many of my friends were. I no longer wanted to be reminded of all the horrible things that had happened here. I was going to wish... To go home.

But I would not leave all of my friends in this world without one last goodbye. Weakly, I called for a servant.

"Please... Bring the remaining Genbu Seishi and the emperor here," I said, my voice raspy.

"Yes, Miko-sama," she said and hurried away. Soon, the seven people were gathered around my bed.

"What is it, Takiko-san?" Asked Uruki, looking concerned.

"I... I want to say goodbye to you all. And thank you. For everything." Namame, at least, took what I said the wrong way.

"No!" He yelled. "You can't die! You can't give up! You have to keep fighting!"

Despite the pain, I giggled. It was the first time that I had laughed since the summoning of Genbu.

"I... I'm not going to die, Namame. I'm going.... to go home."

"But... How...?"

"I'm going to use my second wish to Genbu."

"But you can't! You're too weak!"

"Face it, Hatsui-san. I'm not getting any better here. And I'm homesick. I miss my father, and all of my friends. I've been away too long. If I stay here, I'll never get any better. Maybe even if I go home I won't get better. But if I must die, I want to be home. In my world." Nobody said anything for a while. Strangely enough, it was Umiyame who finally spoke.

"I do not know of this other world that you speak of. I do not know what it is like, or where it is. But, I do know, that home is where you have friends and family. You and I have not known each other long, but we are family. We are all family. So no matter where you are, Takiko-sama, you will always be home."

"As much as I hate to admit it, the old hag's right," Iname, who had taken Tomite's place as the one Umiyame like to tease, said. Then, he added as an afterthought, "For once."

"Tut tut. You should learn to treat your elders with more respect," retorted
Umiyame, reverting from her serious mode back to her more normal mode of teasing everyone.

"Thank you, Umiyame," I said. "I'll keep that in mind. But... The home that I'm talking about is the one that I was born into. I have been here much to long. Besides, I think that the mikos are supposed to go back to their world once they have summoned the beast god."

"No!" Yelled Uruki. "You can't just... Just leave! We need you! Hokkan needs you!"

"No, Uruki-san. You needed me. Hokkan needed me. You don't need me anymore. Once I'm gone, you can go home. You can all go home."

"But--"

"I'm going. There's nothing that any of you can do to stop me. I don't belong in the world. Now," I pulled the necklace that Tomite had given me the day that I had first summoned Genbu out and handed to to Uruki. "Once I'm gone, I want you to take this to a mountain. It's called Mt. Black. There, you will find someone waiting for you. You must give it to him."

"But... Why? Tomite gave you this. It's a symbol of his love to you."

"I know, but I have to do this. The one at Mt. Black will explain everything to you. But now... I'm going home."

"Taki--"

"Kaijin."

The room was filled with green light and Genbu appeared before his servants a second time.

"What is your second wish, my miko?"

"Genbu, I wish for you to take me home. Take me back to my world!"

"Very well..." The green light that Genbu glowed in began to expand until it had engulfed me. I felt just like I had when I was first transported here. My body was filled with that same warmth.

"Thank you, everyone. Thank you for everything. I'll never forget you. And please... Don't forget me," I said as I disappeared.

"Of course we won't forget you! You're our miko!" Namame shouted after me.

"No... Not as the miko. Just... Just Takiko. That's all I want you to remember me as." And then, everything was gone, and all that I saw was a sea of green...

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~End of Chapter 45~

Well, Takiko's finally going home. It's really about time that I made this happen, isn't it? Geez. There's really not much to say about this chapter. Well, please review. More coming soon!