My cat, Ryo-Ohki, is sitting here with me. She says hi. And then bit me.

Disclaimer!

"Where the heck did those two go?" Tamahome said crossly. "It's been way too long for a little stroll!"

"She looked like she got pretty shook up over our conversation, y'know. Around where we said they needed to find the Priestess of Suzaku," Chichiri said helpfully.

"Idiots!" Tamahome yelled, slamming his fist onto the table. "You guys look after my family!" With that, he ran out the door.

"What's going on?!" Nuriko asked in frustration.

"Gosh, looks like I'll have to check this out too, y'know," Chichiri said, putting on his magical hat.

"Kutou? It's this way, all right," the farmer told Miyoko and Hamatsu.

"Thank you, sir!" they said cheerfully, heading into the forest.

"You two! That forest is a death trap!" the farmer yelled after them, but they didn't hear.

"Come on," Miyoko said, pulling Hamatsu along. "We've got to get as far as we can before they find out where we've gone." They stopped to rest for a moment. Suddenly Miyoko heard a growling noise.

"I really, really hope that was your stomach," Ha-chan said, shrinking back.

Suddenly a tiger appeared in front of them, looking very hungry.

"OH MY GOD!" Miyoko yelled.

"Shut up! Play dead!" Ha-chan said. She flopped to the ground.

"That only works for bears!" Miyoko said, hitting Ha-chan on the back of her head.

"That hurt," the accomplice said, rubbing her head gingerly.

"Camouflage!" Miyoko said, picking up some branches and hiding behind them. "Nice tiger… I'm just a tree… Not a person…"

The tiger roared and leapt right at them. "We're gonna die," Ha-chan groaned.

The tiger stopped mid-leap. The two girls looked up to see that Tamahome had saved them–by punching right into the tiger's mouth. The 'oni' symbol glowed on his forehead. The tiger dropped dead.

"Will you stop?!" Miyoko yelled at him. "Stop risking your life for my sake!"

"Don't be ridiculous! I can't leave you alone; look what happens when I do! You were planning on going to Kutou without telling anyone, weren't you? And you!" he said, turning to Ha-chan. "Do you think Hotohori wants you in danger like you were?"

"I'll just be over here," Hamatsu said, shrinking back into the shadows.

"Will you just leave me alone?!" Miyoko said angrily. She had left to save him! This was defeating the point of everything… She turned away, not able to face him. He had to save her–again. Sheesh, her ninja reputation was going down the drain.

Suddenly, Tamahome hugged her. "Do you really not want me near you anymore?" he asked quietly. She was glad the day was falling, and it hid her furious blush. "You were gone for nearly three months. I missed you so much, I thought I would go crazy. That's when I realized how I felt about you. I can't imagine living in a world without you."

Hamatsu bit her fingers to keep from laughing. This was GOOD blackmail material!

"I'll always protect you, no matter what happens. Don't you ever run away from me!" he said.

Miyoko turned, so she could hug him back. 'I do wish I could be near you,' she thought. 'But you'll be in danger as long as I'm around you. You're family wouldn't be able to survive without you. And that's why…'

She fell to the ground. Hamatsu rushed from out of the shadows.

"Miyoko, what's the matter?" Tamahome asked.

"Don't worry. I can't run away, because I'm so hungry! You know how much I love to eat; and I haven't eaten anything since yesterday! Can you do me a favor? There's a bag of candy that I stashed in Nuriko's saddlebags. Can you get that for me?"

"Are you sure?" he asked suspiciously.

"Of course! I promise I'll wait right here. Hamatsu will be with me, so you don't have to worry!" Miyoko said, smiling.

"All right," he said reluctantly. "I'll go get it. But you'd better be right here waiting for me!" With a smile, he ran off.

As soon as he was out of sight and hearing range, Miyoko sighed.

"That was dumb!" Hamatsu yelled.

"What are you talking about?" Miyo asked wearily.

"Oh come on. You love him, he loves you–you run away form him, he rescues you from a friggin' tiger! And you run away again, even after he said all that to you! That is not the way to get a guy."

Miyoko stood up and began walking. She didn't want to argue right now, especially not about Tamahome. They reached the road, and saw a man driving a cart. In the back of the cart was a load of hay.

"Come on!" Miyoko whispered to Hamatsu. They jumped in the back of the cart silently, using their ninja skills. "I am sorry, Tamahome," she said under her breath.

Chichiri watched them with a worried expression.

The two girls had to be fairly quiet to keep their presence unknown from the farmer. Miyoko read a history book from her backpack. Finally, she put the book down. "I give up," she said quietly.

"I'm so hungry," Ha-chan said. "Do you have any Pocky left with you?"

"I left all the rest I have back in the capital," Miyoko said regretfully. "But we've got to go. I think Saissa might've come to this world, and she might be made into the Priestess of Seiryuu. If she does, we'll become enemies!"

Keisuke Yuki put 'The Universe of the Four Gods' down for a second. Miaka grabbed it away from him.

"Why did you stop reading?!" she demanded. "Is it true? Is Saissa in that world too?"

Keisuke stood and ran to call some people. He returned a few minutes later.

"No one knows where she is," he said grimly. "She was supposed to meet Hamatsu and Miyoko at the library to study."

"They were probably taken in to the book at the library. Saissa probably went to. But either before or after Miyo; she would've told us if Saissa had come with them," Miaka reasoned.

Suddenly, the cart stopped in front of a small house. The girls were thrown out of the back. "Ouchie," Hamatsu grumbled.

"Who the heck are you?!" the farmer asked.