Chapter One - Cruising for Disaster

Time, as it had been since the very beginning, had a way of slipping by. The spring turned to a warm summer, which slowly melted into a cool autumn. And then winter came. She reveled in the winter. It seemed to agree with her in spirit, its cold deadness matching the way she felt for a good long time. That year, Miaka grew to love the symbolism of winter.

However, as seasons tended to do, winter passed, and with its passing brought a new life. Flowers began to bloom and the world became light again, and although she did not feel the new life that the spring brought in her soul, she accepted it and began to move on with her life. Taka, her love, had died almost a year before.

The brunette, a little older, and a lot wiser, sat under a full, blooming tree on her old school's grounds. She and Taka had met up there every day after school since she'd began there. She was now two years out, working part time at, ironically, a book store, as well as attending classes at Tokyo University. She had yet to pick a major, and that was fine with her, or rather, it had been. Before, she had been planning on going to school long enough so that if it was needed she could get a decent job and then marry Taka, at which point he would care for her.

She never even imagined she would be facing a future alone, unsecured financially or any other way. The last year had been spent wandering in a sort of daze, but she was slowly realizing that whether she liked it or not, people were moving on, and so should she. She knew he would have wanted her to live her life to it's fullest and not waste it being sad for him. A few tears trickled down her face. She half expected him to appear behind her and hug her.

"Miaka," a voice snapped her from her musings.

"Taka?" she gasped momentarily, turning around. "Oh, hello Nifei." Though she failed miserably, she made an honest effort to hide her disappointment.

"Hello, Yuuki-sempai," the young woman sat down beside her. Her long, raven locks fell around her gracefully. Amber-brown eyes turned and fell on her. While Miaka was a year ahead of the girl named Sui Nifei was quite a bit taller than herself. Miaka puffed up a little in an attempt to look older and not so forlorn, but only succeeded in looking bloated.

"Are you feeling all right, Yuuki-sempai? Do you have indigestion?"

Miaka deflated. "I'm fine, just thinking."

"About what?"

"High school," she smiled wistfully. "Junior High especially. I had an adventure in Junior High that I'll never forget, though sometimes... I wish I could..." her eyes began to tear.

"Well, maybe I can cheer you up a little. I have a room reserved on the International Cruise Line ship Okugi. I was going to take my boyfriend, but we broke up and I'd already gotten the tickets, so I was wondering if you wanted to go with me, seeing how we're in similar circumstances."

Miaka wanted to shout and say that this was nothing like breaking up. It wasn't like they could still be friends, he was gone. He was never coming back, but she held her tongue. It seemed like she was genuine, just had a poor choice of words.

"I'm not sure... when is it?"

"The day after summer vacation begins, all the way through the end. It's going to be a blast, please come!" the young woman pleaded.

"I'll think about it. Can I let you know tomorrow?" Miaka stood up, gathering her things slowly. "I would need to ask my mother if it's okay. You remember how she is, right? And I should check my schedule..."

"Tell me whenever you want," the taller girl stood up as well, smiling benevolently. "I'm looking forward to hearing your answer!" Nifei bounced off cheerfully, leaving Miaka alone once again. The college student sighed deeply. She didn't really want to go anywhere alone, especially not on a romantic cruise where she would be constantly reminded that she was without her love. But, loathe as she was to do so, she decided it would be best if she asked Yui. Yui was always full of wise advice, and Miaka knew that as of late, she hadn't exactly been rational - not that she was usually, but now even less so.

Sure this was the best course of action for the moment, the young woman finished packing up her things and headed off for Yui's house.

Mrs. Hongo was a generally kind woman. She loved her daughter, and her daughter's friends, and even trusted her daughter more than most parents to make good decisions. As of late, though, she had had a few maternal instincts jump on her at random. There was a reason for this, of course. She wasn't so illogical that urges such as this attacked her completely irrationally, but now she had a reason.

The man named Ryo Chin. Yui had been spending quite a lot of time with the lanky, long-haired man as of late, and that bothered her. Of course she knew it was natural for her daughter to be interested in boys, but this man seemed far too old for her innocent young daughter. She was only twenty and this man was six years older than her. The age wouldn't have even bothered her so much had he not seemed so strange, and had Yui not repeatedly denied that they were seeing each other even though they had been out nearly every night for weeks.

When Yui had started high school, she had been different. She had stopped telling her mother things that she used to. She had seemingly become and adult in days, and Mrs. Hongo for one did not like that. The young woman vacuumed her floor more furiously, becoming more annoyed at the turn of events concerning her daughter's apparent love life, but her raging vacuuming was interrupted by a knock that she would recognize anywhere.

Quickly, the middle aged woman flipped off the vacuum and opened the door. "Miaka-chan, how are you?!"

"I'm fine, thank you. Is Yui around?"

"No," she huffed, making Miaka step back a little. "She's out with the man again, that Chuin character. I tell you, there's something strange about him. Miaka," her eyes suddenly grew large and Miaka knew she was about to be questioned until she could speak no more. "What do you know about this fellow?"

"Tomo?" she murmured. "Well, I know they met in Junior High," she said, telling herself that she wasn't really lying, just not disclosing all she knew. "Do you know where they went?"

"That Chinese Restaurant... what's it called. Ryuen's, I think."

"Oh! That's convenient," Miaka edged her way out. "Thank you, Hongo-san!"

"Goodbye, Miaka-chan!" the woman called and resumed her vacuuming, and her musing. It made her feel better that Miaka knew this person. Miaka was a wonderful young woman and she loved her like a daughter.

Miaka walked into the busy Chinese restaurant. It was a hot spot in town, and it happened to be owned by her former Seishi Nuriko. The greeter asked her for her name and she said responded with her surname.

"You're not on the list, sorry," the greeter told her.

"I know the owner, Ryuen, let me see him please?"

"The owner is busy tonight," she said. "I'm sorry, but please leave."

"Look, I have a friend that's eating in here, and I need to talk to her. If you don't let me in, I'm going to call Nuriko and tell him that you wouldn't let me in, and you'll be fired five minutes after I make that call."

"What did you call him?"

"Nuriko," she frowned.

"You're one of those friends... that call him that... I'm terribly sorry," the woman stepped aside.

Miaka walked in and passed the bar, doing a double-take as she went by. "Nuriko?" she asked. "They said you were busy."

"I am," he grinned. The person at his side turned around and immediately smiled.

"Hotohori!" she leaped over and hugged him, then Nuriko. "Are you two on a date?!"

"No," they both said, a little too quickly.

"Well," she forced a bright smile on her face. "Where's Yui? Her mother said she was here."

"Back table, to the left," Nuriko pointed. Miaka nodded, thanked him, and headed back. Since the incident with Miboshi and all hell literally being loosed on earth, she and her Seishi had been reunited and spent a fair amount of time together, though not as much as they would have liked.

Likewise, Yui had tried to repair the relationships with her Seishi, especially Tomo, who she thought had died most unfortunately at the hands of his fellow Seishi. They were actually quite contrasting in personality, much like she and Miaka were, which was always an interesting mix.

Yui enjoyed his company greatly. He was so animated, maybe even more so than Miaka. In fact, Yui had gotten better acquainted with all her Seishi. All but Nakago, whom neither had seen before or since Taka's funeral, as well as Miboshi who had been returned to hell.

"Yui-chan," Miaka waved. Yui looked up, surprised.

"Miaka," she blinked. "What are you doing here."

"I'm sorry to bother you, but I needed to talk to you. Oh, hello, Tomo," Miaka greeted. Tomo nodded politely and smiled.

"Have a seat, won't you?" he asked. Though he hadn't known her for very long, he liked the Suzaku no Miko, especially since she hadn't help any grudge against him after the unfortunate incident in his Shin.

"Thank you," she did so. "Yui, do you remember Sui Nifei?"

"That strange girl that went as an assistant on that overseas trip Tamahome's class took?"

"Yes, that's her," she nodded. "She asked me to go on a cruise with her."

"A cruise?" she blinked.

"The International Cruise Line ship called Okugi, I think. It's a nice cruise ship, but I don't know... we don't know each other that well, and she only invited me because her boyfriend broke up with her..."

"She had a boyfriend?" Tomo asked, slightly surprised.

"Apparently so," Yui responded. "Well, what do you think, Miaka?"

"I don't really want to go," she confessed. Things had been difficult since Taka died. She had been depressed and antisocial. "I'd rather stay with my friends."

"I think you should go," the blonde told her friend. "You haven't done anything exciting in a year. You haven't bothered with school, you're slacking off at work. I think you need to get away from the routine and have a little fun, to prove to you that there is life A.T."

"A.T.?"

"After Taka," Tomo said helpfully.

Her eyes darkened for a moment, but then she seemed to seriously consider. She couldn't live the rest of her life in a daze. He was gone, and he wasn't coming back. There was no Suzaku to bring him back, there was no reincarnation, this was it. She knew she needed to acknowledge that this was the way things turned out and this was how they had been fated to be. With that in mind, she decided that she would go. Yui was right, as usual. She needed a change of pace.

"You're right," she sighed. "You're always right. Thank you, have fun, I'll see you at school tomorrow."

"Goodnight, Miaka-san," Tomo said. Yui hugged her friend as she departed, worried for her, but confident that this cruise would be a good thing. She just had that feeling, but this time, it was a good one.

The next day, Miaka told Nifei that she would go on the cruise. Nifei was thrilled, and told her what she should bring. There were only three more weeks of the semester. Miaka put in a bit of extra effort for her finals and the days seemed to breeze by quickly. She had decided that she didn't want to feel guilty all summer for not studying as hard as she could.

After finals, which she was confident she didn't fail, at least, Miaka packed her bags and met the strange girl Nifei at the docks. She was excited, and yet worried. Yui had really been there for her after Taka had died, and so had her brother, and all her Seishi. This would be the first time she would really be away from them since the unfortunate event, and with the one year anniversary of his passing in just three days, she didn't know how she could handle it. Still, she had been assured that there was wireless Internet and free long distance calling, so she thought she might be all right. Maybe...

"Yuuki-sempai," the taller girl grabbed her arm, pulling an enormous suitcase behind her and nearly dropping the tickets from her teeth as she spoke. Miaka took the somewhat slobbery tickets and pulled her own bag onto the boarding ramp.

"I thought you might not make it."

"I'm always late," she said with a small laugh. "It's just my luck that something always happen, no matter how early I am, to make me a half an hour late."

"That sounds like me..." she said distractedly. "Well, shall we board?" Truthfully, she just wanted to get on and put her things away so she could get something to eat. She had done a little research (actually, she asked Chiriko to do so) and had learned that there was a world class buffet on the ship. Despite the bad things that happened to her, she never lost her appetite.

The two handed the man in front of the door their tickets and stepped inside. Both were immediately bombarded with wonderful scents of gourmet food, sounds of people chattering and having fun, as well as sights of all things extravagant.

"It's beautiful," the former Suzaku no Miko, not being very well off since her mother worked to support all three of them herself, had never been on a cruise. Nor had she, in fact, ever been anywhere this lavish and expensive looking, aside from maybe the Konan palace. The walls were decorate with ornate tapestries and original artwork. The floors were marble, and great stone pillars supported the high ceiling.

Miaka couldn't help wondering how the ship didn't sink with such weighty things in it.

"Isn't it, though? I've been on it a bunch of times before, but the first time I was here it just amazed me. It's the finest cruise ship ever built. It's even nicer than our house's ballroom!"

"You have a ballroom?" the girl turned suddenly.

"Oh yeah, ballroom, exercise room, theater, tennis courts, indoor and outdoor pools... That's why I live in the dorms at the school. My house is in the country. Actually, my dad does have a little five bedroom house in Tokyo, but that's just so he doesn't have to take the helicopter to the office every day..." she had absolutely no idea that she was rich and privileged. This all seemed so ordinary to her. For Miaka, it was like being dropped into another world all over again. "What kind of house do you live in?"

"Oh, we just live in an apartment. I'd stay in the dorms, but... you know, it's too expensive."

"Oh..." she said softly, realizing for the first time how much of a brat she must have appeared to be. "I've always wanted to live in an apartment. I think it'd be cozy. Our house is really much too big anyhow."

"You don't have to feel bad for being rich," Miaka said cheerfully, throwing off her wonder and beginning to walk again. "Let's find our room, ne?"

Nifei seemed relieved and nodded. "It's on the top of the quarters floors. The suites..."

"Suites? Really?" Miaka's eyes widened.

The dark haired girl nodded and directed her to the elevator. Miaka's eyes continued to scan around in amazement. When she caught sight of their room number, she rushed forward excitedly, pawing at the door like an excited kitten as Nifei came up behind her to unlock it. The two went inside their room.

"Wow..." she breathed. It was bigger than her entire house. The front room had a big screen television with a couch and three plush armchairs. Antique end tables and a coffee table she was sure was worth more than her college tuition rested about, and beautiful artwork hung on the walls and rested in various areas around the room. Everything had a very European feel to it, which felt so exotic to her that it was almost unbearable. She felt like she might explode from excitement.

She dragged her bag into the nearest bedroom (there were actually three) and lugged it onto the old oak chest, throwing her clothes into the drawers and running out to explore some more. She walked into a full sized kitchen and then found Nifei in her own room, unpacking her things and neatly putting everything away.

"Shouldn't we have left port by now?" Miaka asked.

"I got a call. Somebody important, he's a member of my father's firm, actually, though I've never met him, is running a little late. He's a VIP, though, so it's being delayed a few minutes."

"They're delaying everything for one guy? He must be really important."

"Well, it's my father's firm that keeps things that way, I think. He is the president and founder of the largest law firm in Japan. They have over fifty lawyers at their disposal and handle all the most high paying jobs... you know, celebrities, politicians."

"Wow. I wonder what he's doing here, then."

"Entertaining a possible client, I'd imagine. His name is Ai... or Gi... something like that."

"I see," for some reason that struck her as familiar. "Say, Nifei, do you mind if I go explore the ship a little while you finish unpacking?" she was bouncing up and down on her toes, feeling like a fifteen year old again.

"Not at all, here, take a key," the woman handed her a shiny golden key (even the key was ornate!) and continued to slowly put her things in their right places. "The dinner starts soon, so we may as well just meet up there. There's a reserved section, just show them your key and they'll let you to the real buffet."

"Oh, okay," she said happily, dashing out of the room. As she left, she made a mental note to give Nifei a big hug for taking her here. She still missed Taka, of course, she still worried about missing her friends, but she was determined to enjoy this. As she dashed down the hallway, she noticed another resident in the suite section entering his or her room, a flash of golden hair catching her eye before the door closed. A few minutes later, the ship began to move.

Miaka wandered down the hall until she found a map and decided she would find the longest route to the dining hall, so as to see as much as possible while still getting some delicious food fairly soon. She went down to the main level and peeked into various rooms - there were swimming pools, game rooms, an exercise room, a dancing hall, not to mention business centers and a full sized roller skating rink.

"We're heading south toward the tropics, sir," she heard somebody saying over a phone. "It'll be about three days and then we'll land in the Bahamas on an island where our guests will be free to explore the islands, staying at one of our many hotels or remaining on the ship. We'll take off in time for your daughter to be back for the first day of university, don't worry. What? Yes, he did make it on board. We waited until he boarded as per your request and have left port as of about ten minutes ago. No, thank YOU. For choosing the International Cruise Line Okugi. Yes, thank you sir, goodbye."

Miaka was pretty certain that that was Mr. Sui, Nifei's father. She asked the person after he hung up the phone, and was glad to discover that her powers of deduction had increased a bit since her last adventure.

"Yes, it was him. How did you know?"

"Well, Nifei told me that her father sent a guy from her father's company and he hadn't arrived..."

"Nifei?"

"His daughter."

"You know her?" he asked, eyes wide.

"Yeah, she's my friend." Miaka had never been one to be intimidated by people in positions of power, as proved by her casual relationship with Hotohori, both as emperor of Konan and as the would-have-been emperor of Japan, now a powerful politician. "She actually brought me. I'd never be able to afford a cruise like this otherwise," she laughed.

"Neither would I, if I didn't work here. Do you think... maybe you could introduce me to her?" the young man, who looked about her age, smiled hopefully. Miaka did admit that he was pretty cute. His brown hair was scruffy and messed up like... like Tamahome's always was, she thought sadly. His amber eyes were wide and happy; hopeful even.

"Sure, she could use a cute boyfriend! Come to think of it, I never met the boyfriend she just broke up with... I never even knew she had one before."

"She's single?"

"Yep, single as can be. I have an idea, you're a waiter, right?" she looked at his clothes to verify. He nodded. "Okay, you tell me your name and I'll order room service later. When you come up, I'll not be able to find any money for the tip and ask her if she can handle it and you can introduce yourself."

"That's a good plan, but she'll probably blow me off... I'm just a glorified busboy."

"No, she's really nice. I'm of your basic working class too - I live at home, work at a bookstore and try to afford college, and she approached me in the library because she said I looked sad... She's a really nice girl, so you should try to get to know her."

"You're nice too, miss...?"

"Yuuki. Yuuki Miaka. What's your name?"

"Tsu Muji," he told her. "It's nice to meet you."

"It was nice to meet you too, Tsu-kun. Um... do you think you could direct me toward the dining hall. I was supposed to meet Nifei, but I can't remember how to get there, now that I've gotten off my route."

"It's right over there, the third door on the right," he smiled. "I'll see you later."

"Bye!" she waved and dashed off towards the dining hall. Miaka was glad she was as outgoing as she was, or else she never would have met that nice guy. It would be good to know somebody besides Nifei on the ship. She was fun, but Miaka sometimes liked to have a larger group around her, and besides, the billionaire woman could be somewhat abrasive after a while, and they were going to be together for a long, long summer. It was always good to have a place to go to hide out, and the kitchen was a wonderful place to do just that. Having an inside connection would be a very good thing.