Hey guys! Here is chapter 2 Enjoy!
Silveryuki06: hey! You're my first reviewer! I'm glad that you took the time to read this, even though you are a TamaxMiaka fan.. (WHO ISN"T? lol ) I hope you like this chapter too! And thanks for putting it on your fav list! It means a lot!
Goldfish078: hey girl! I'm glad that you found the time to review this! (And for putting it on your fav list too!) Now you just have to promise to keep up with this one! Lol Of course Chichiri will show up… EVENTUALLY! lol this wouldn't be a very good FY fic without him, ya know? So just be patient and stick with me on this one! -.
Chapter 2: Finding an Old Friend
The star grew brighter in the sky and Miaka had to shield her eyes. The bench seemed to disappear from underneath her. Everything she knew was slipping away quickly as her surroundings seemed to dematerialize as she fell unconscious.
Tasuki saw white specs before his eyes after he opened them after the star grew bright. He rubbed his eyes to try to make the specs go away. He stood up and looked into the night sky, the star he had wished upon had vanished.
Great… now with the star gone, my wish will never come true and I'll never get the chance to see Miaka… Tasuki, while cursing under his breath, retreated back to his house to try to get some sleep.
Miaka woke up with a terrible headache. She picked herself up from the ground and rubbed her eyes. Wow… that star was really bright! Miaka looked around to see that she was no longer in the park. Where vendors had been selling hotdogs now lay dry patches of dirt. Trees were more abundant and you could see for miles. Where am I? Is this Konan? Miaka stood up and wiped the dirt from her skirt.
"Why aren't you at the movies with Yui?"
"I told her that I wasn't going because I wanted to spend some time with you!" The recent events rang through her head and only wanted to make her fall to the road once more.
She started to walk around aimlessly. After much walking she came across the same spot where she had first laid eyes on Tamahome. She stopped walking and stood there. Her heart sank as she remembered him, her knight in shining armor. Why Taka? Was I just not good enough for you anymore? Miaka quickly ran away from the spot that used to bring her joy, but now only sorrow.
Miaka walked into the town she thought she would never see again, Konan. The way of life for people didn't change, so it was like she never left. She didn't bring any money with her, so she couldn't even try to buy food. The last time she tried to buy food with her money she had been accused a thief! I mean c'mon now, a thief? What did these people take her for anyway?
She asked a young man for directions, to make sure that she was heading in the right direction, to the former emperor Hotohori's palace. As soon as she began to ask him a question the young boy was pulled away by his mother, leaving Miaka alone in a city where she had once known.
As she walked around the city she heard the whispers of the people around her.
"Did you see what she is wearing?" Came the voice of a man on the street.
"It's like she's not from around here!" The woman he was with replied.
"Hey… didn't the legendary priestess of Suzaku wear funny clothes too?"
"Yeah! She did! Do you think it's her?"
"The priestess of Suzaku? No way… didn't you hear the legend right? It says that the priestess left Konan for good! That Priestess of Seiryu banished her from ever coming back into this world!" The man replied hastily.
Miaka couldn't help but smile at the townspeople's gossip. She was the Priestess of Suzaku after all. Let them talk.
Tasuki woke up feeling a lot better. His head no longer hurt, but it was filled with a different kind if feeling. Like something or someone had filled up his body with their soul.
He jumped out of bed and took his tessen off of the table that stood near his bed. As he left the room he passed his mirror and caught a glimpse of the kanji on his arm. This meant that he was supposed to protect the priestess of Suzaku, but how could he when they were in two different worlds? He quickly took his view off of his mirror and left the room.
He set off for they city soon after he awoke. The sun had risen about an hour ago and the rays felt nice on his face.
He entered town about 30 minutes later. The people seemed to be acting differently today than most days. He walked past a couple talking quickly about something that didn't catch his attention. He just kept on walking past venders that sold a wide range of things. He finally bought some meat buns and continued on his way until he found a conversation that he was able to comprehend.
"Yeah! I heard she was wearing some strange clothing and she was alone!" Tasuki listened closer.
"Some people are saying that she could possibly be the priestess of Suzaku!"
"The priestess of Suzaku? Miaka…is… here?" Tasuki quietly said to himself. He listened again to the conversation that the two men were having.
"Do you believe she is the priestess?"
"Could be… who knows! I haven't seen her yet."
"Well I think it's her." The younger of the two men said.
"Believe whatever you want… I can't even say for sure that she is even here!" Tasuki walked up to the two men.
"Where did you hear that the priestess of Suzaku is here in Konan?" Tasuki asked.
"I heard it on the street from some old woman."
"I see." Tasuki said, a little disappointed, "Did you happen to hear what she looked like?"
"No."
"Fine." Tasuki left the two men and went in search for this girl with strange clothes. He just prayed to Suzaku that Miaka had finally come to save him from a life of loneliness.
Miaka sat down at the less-crowded end of the city, watching as people walked by her. The sun was getting warmer by the second. She wiped some sweat off of her forehead and leaned against the building.
Jeez… I thought I would have run into Tasuki or Chichiri by now… when I first came into the book, Tamahome found me right away. The image of Tamahome crossed her mind and brought a tear to her eye. She thought she would get over him easily, considering the way they broke up. But even back then, before Tamahome was brought to her world, she had found it impossible to free her heart from Tamahome.
There was a never-ending rumor that she was the priestess from long ago, that she had finally returned to Konan that people couldn't seem to stop talking about. She tried to ignore them, but it was all around her.
Tasuki was getting tired of searching for this 'priestess'. He had been searching for a full hour but no one seemed to know anything about her. He was getting overheated and decided to give up. He walked toward the other side of town that no one ever goes to; it's like they had abandoned it. There was a human sitting against a building using its shade to block the sunlight. As he approached he began to realize that it wasn't just a human, it was a girl. She was wearing a short forest green colored skirt and was wearing a white blouse.
Could it be?… Miaka? Tasuki found himself sweating even more as he approached the hunched-over girl. Her auburn hair laid beautifully down her back. If it was Miaka then her hair had gotten longer since he'd last seen her. She looked as if she was crying, and he hesitated to touch her. He reached out his hand and realized that he was shaking. He rested his hand on her shoulder very gently. She jumped and he felt her body freeze.
"Leave me alone!" Miaka said at the stranger that stood behind her.
"Miaka?" Tasuki asked. Miaka could recognize that voice anywhere. She turned around to face her tessen-bearing seishi standing behind her, with his hand resting on her shoulder. She had tear marks that made a path down her cheek.
"T…Tasuki?" Miaka's voice cracked as she tried to say his name.
"Miaka… why are you crying? Is everything okay?" Tasuki asked, concern flooding over his face.
"Oh Tasuki!" Miaka said before she captured him in a hug. If this had been what happened when Tasuki first took Miaka when he met her with his mountain bandits, then he probably would've thought she was insane. But this time however, he gladly returned the hug.
Thank Suzaku she's safe! Tasuki found himself praying as they hugged each other on the outskirts of the city. Miaka finally let him go after what seemed like hours, but was really 5 minutes.
When she looked up into his eyes she saw the gentleness that still rested inside of him. His gorgeous amber eyes catching the sun made her want to melt into his arms.
"Is everything okay?" He finally asked after awhile.
"I guess." Was all that Miaka said.
"You look tired."
"I'm not… I'm okay, really." Miaka tried to be herself, but it was no use. Tasuki could tell already that something was wrong. He decided against forcing it out of her, she'd tell him when she felt it was the right time.
"We should get you out of here." Tasuki said.
"I'm fine!" Miaka said. But jeez… the sun was getting hot. Miaka felt herself sweating like crazy.
"I'll take you back to my village… it's only about-… Miaka?" Tasuki watched as his precious Miaka close her eyes and fall unconscious.
Tasuki approached his village with Miaka in his arms bridal style. She was motionless in his arms, and she was surprisingly light… for a glutton. He laid her down on his bed and watched her and her chest rose up and down in rhythm of her steady breathing.
The heat must've gotten to her. Tasuki mused. He went to the kitchen and got a cold cloth to put on her forehead.
1 day later
Tasuki watched as Miaka stirred in his bed. She had been out cold for a solid 24 hours. She opened her eyes to find Tasuki waiting beside her.
"Where am I?" Miaka asked.
"You are at my house in Konan… you've been sleeping for the past day… are you feeling any better?"
"I think so."
"Say, why isn't Tama with you?" Tasuki asked. Miaka's eyes became glassy looking and rolled over so she wasn't facing Tasuki anymore.
"I…We… I don't know." Tasuki didn't believe her, but he wasn't going to say anymore about it.
"Oh…" Miaka rolled back over so she was now facing Tasuki. He looked worried about her, so she decided to try to act like everything was fine.
"I'm hungry! Let's eat!" Miaka said, trying to lighten the mood.
"I see that you haven't changed." Tasuki said with a laugh. He got up and started to walk away but he stopped when he heard Miaka speak.
"Thank-you Tasuki."
Miaka ate happily as she sat with Tasuki. He had barely touched his food, so Miaka took the liberty of eating his share too.
"Thanks Tasuki! The food was great!" Miaka said as she finally filled her stomach. Tasuki smiled at her and nodded his head in gratitude.
"Where is Chichiri?" Miaka asked.
"Chichiri is…um… well after you left he went off alone again. He said something about needing to get away for a while-" He stopped when he saw Miaka's expression turn from content to sadness.
"What's wrong?" Tasuki asked.
"Why? Why would you split up? The only two remaining seishi… I just don't get it… I came back here because I knew that I could be wit the two of you and be happy…"
"Are you not happy, Miaka?" Tasuki asked.
"What are you talking about?"
"Why would you need to come here to be happy? What is wrong with your world?" Miaka looked at him, not knowing what to say.
"Chichiri also said that if I needed him, he'd know. He'd come back to Konan if something were wrong. If he still is the same old Chichiri, then he probably sensed your chi by now and is already on his way back." This seemed to brighten Miaka's mood. Although Chichiri never said any of those things, he knew Chichiri would come back as soon as Miaka arrived in Konan.
Miaka searched her mind for ways to keep the topic of conversation off of Taka for a while. Tasuki knew something was up, he wasn't stupid. She just wanted to delay the news for a little bit, at least until Chichiri showed up… if he ever did.
"I have an idea!" Miaka exclaimed after a long period of silence.
"What?"
"We can go and look for him!"
"Who?"
"Chichiri!"
"Have you lost it? I don't know where he is, and who is to say that he still is in Konan anymore?"
"Oh." Miaka knew that her idea was dumb…but at least it kept Tasuki's mind away from Taka.
Tasuki stared across the table over into Miaka's hazel eyes. They were just like he remembered. Maybe this time he'd have that second chance with Miaka, now that Tama wasn't here… physically in Konan. He wanted to reach across the table and touch her cheek with his fingertips, he wanted to hold her as the sun set beneath the horizon, how he wanted her to be his.
"I think I'm going to go to bed now… I think I just need one more good night's rest and by tomorrow I will be okay." Tasuki nodded his head and helped Miaka back to his room.
Miaka got into bed while a yawn escaped her mouth.
"Thanks again Tasuki."
"No problem."
"Is this your room?" Miaka said, looking around.
"Yep… this is it."
"Then were are you going to sleep?"
"Don't worry about it… just get some sleep." Tasuki watched as Miaka nodded off into a peaceful sleep. He reached out his hand and slid it gently across Miaka's cheek. He couldn't believe it; she was actually back in Konan! But where did that leave Tama? Tasuki discarded that last question… Suzaku had answered his prayers. Tasuki lowered himself so that his face was just above Miaka's. He placed a gentle kiss on her forehead and left the sleeping priestess alone.
A/N: Aww.. Tasuki is in love with Miaka! Let me know what you think, or what you want to have happen! Now, if you've taken the time to read this far, then just please leave a review! I'll take you a few seconds but will make me a very happy writer!
Bubbles078 xoxox