Hey guys! But...Caspercatt22 and DevoTheMadCashCow...where are you! Well...hopefully if you get to read this chapter...could you review chapter 7? PLEASE! Looks sad at computer. Hopefully im not loosing readers...gasps. Oh gosh i hope not! Well...here's chapter 8 lol. Sorry for the wait. I was on vk with out internet connections so...yeah. lol
Chapter 8
A week or two had passed and just recently Hotohori announced that they finally had a lead on the where about of Chiriko. Although some other unfinished business was taking place first. The engaged couple had decided to be married before going to find Chiriko. It was more of the two just couldn't seem to wait any longer.
Chichiri stood in white formal clothes at the alter in the garden with Keiko beside him in a pure white kimono with some white lilies in her hair. They recited their vows and then the dinner party was held in the massive dinning hall. Needless to say Tasuki got completely drunk.
Tasuki started heading for the door leaning against it. Either because he was tired or couldn't stand straight…it was one of the two.
A gloved hand rested on his shoulder and the bride came to his side smiling. "Oni-chan…you're going to have such an awful hang over tomorrow." She giggled.
"N-no (hic up) I won't." Tasuki said grinning at his sister. He then waved a hand carelessly and rolled his eyes, "Okay…maybe (hic up)." He laughed. "But it was (hic up) worth it." He grinned down at his sister. "It's not (hic up) everyday your sister…(hic up) gets married."
"Thanks oni-chan," Keiko smiled hugging him then she went to go join her husband again.
Miaka came smiling up to Keiko before she got there though. "Thanks," She smiled holding the bouquet of trailing lilies.
"What do you mean? You caught them." Keiko smirked at her. "Now all we need is for you to summon Suzaku so that you and Tamahome can finally be together." She winked at the younger girl who blushed.
But she sighed happily, "I can't wait." Miaka said smiling. "But enough about the future. Tonight is a night for you and Chichiri." She grinned as she took Keiko's hand and went to the buffet table.
"I should have known." Keiko chuckled seeing the buffet table coming into sight.
"Can I steal her away for a dance?" Nuriko asked grinning approaching the two.
"Why not." Miaka said smiling and then began eating…if you can call it that. Although it was in a more clean matter seeing as this was a wedding.
Nuriko led Keiko onto the dance floor area and they began dancing. "So are you finally happy? It took you two long enough." Nuriko laughed.
"Oh why does everyone say that?" Keiko laughed.
"Because it did….it was sooo obvious." Nuriko laughed twirling her.
"Really?" Keiko asked biting her bottom lip and then laughing. "Okay maybe it was just a little bit."
"Geeze…you two were almost as bad as Tamahome and Miaka." Nuriko laughed at her.
"Yeah but…" Keiko said frowning slightly.
"Hey." Nuriko said more seriously. "You have to be happy," He said grinning at her but in the same serious note.
"I know." She smiled at him. "But I still feel bad that they can't be together yet." She sighed.
"They will soon enough don't worry." Nuriko smirked.
"Can I cut in?" Chichiri interrupted smiling.
"She's all yours." Nuriko smirked doing a slight bow for departure and Chichiri began dancing with Keiko. The party continued for most of the night and then everyone retired to their rooms.
The next morning almost everyone was gathered by the horses. Keiko sighed, "I'll go get him…" She laughed as she went to fetch Tasuki.
"Are you sure you want to do that? I could go get him for you!" Nuriko called out.
Keiko laughed, "I think I'm more afraid of what he would do to you then me Nuriko." She called back laughing heading back towards his room.
"Looks like you might become single again Chichiri," Nuriko said in a playful tone but acting depressed shaking his lowered head.
"Don't be silly no da." Chichiri laughed at Nuriko.
Keiko knocked lightly on the door and opened it slowly slipping in so that the light of the day didn't sneak in with her. "Oni-chan." She whispered approaching the bed.
Tasuki was knocked out sprawled across the bed. She giggled slightly. "You have to get up you know." She said in a regular voice.
"Go away." He growled and threw a pillow at her.
"Eek!" She laughed as she was hit in the face with the pillow. She caught it before it fell from her face to the floor. "Oni-chan! Here I was being really nice about waking you up and you throw a pillow at me!" She said her free hand on her hip. "Well fine then...war is war my dear oni-chan." She said as the pillow came whacking down on him.
"Hey!" Tasuki yelled waking up angry and pissed off. "Damn my head hurts…" He growled with one hand holding his head.
"Well you shouldn't have drank so much." Keiko chastised teasingly enjoying her 'I told you so' moment.
"I didn't have that much." Tasuki complained getting up despite the head ache that said lay down NOW.
"Oni-chan it was my wedding and you had more to drink then me." She laughed dropping the pillow back onto the bed.
Tasuki grumbled something and then went to shoo her out of the room so he could change. "Hey…? Is that new? You never wore that out before." Tasuki questioned seeing Keiko in more loose fitting clothes. The colors were black and red very different from her usual tighter fitting maroon and white ensemble.
"This?" Keiko asked looking down. "Hm. I don't know it just felt more comfortable?" She said as if testing her theory and shrugging. "Oh well. See you out there oni-chan. And hurry up everyone else is ready to go!" She said as she slipped out the door.
"Sure, sure…" He said as the door shut. He changed and then saw his reflection and he ran a hand through his hair. "Whatever…they're just clothes." He told himself shrugging it off and going out of the room. He cursed about the sun being too damn bright and then went off to join everyone. Hotohori and his wife who you could tell now was pregnant stood near the horses talking with everyone. Miaka made them all take a picture together. They all got a copy and they all seemed impressed with how the little device worked so a few more pictures were taken before everyone began getting ready to go.
"Are you sure you'll be okay?" Houki asked looking at Miaka concerned playing the motherly role she did so well. "You could stay here with us you know."
"What! And miss all the fun? Never," Miaka laughed. Keiko laughed from the horse she sat on with Chichiri. The horse moved a little and she grabbed him tighter.
"What's wrong?" Miaka laughed as she got on a horse with Tamahome.
"She doesn't like horses." Tasuki grumbled mounting his own the first time missing and cursing up a storm as he had to remount.
Keiko stuck her tongue out at her oni-chan, "No I like horses…" She said defiantly. The horse took a few steps forward anxious to get going. "I just don't like being on one!" She yelled her eyes widening as she clung to her husband.
"It's alright no da. You're not going to fall off." He laughed.
"And if you do….you can always catch yourself with your wind." Nuriko laughed. Keiko looked a shade paler. Ayame whacked him lightly.
"Nuriko you're scaring her!" She chastised.
Nuriko laughed, "It's true though she can save herself." He shrugged. Ayame frowned disapprovingly. Nuriko sighed, "We'll be fine, don't worry." He laughed hugging Ayame who turned a tint pink from the affection even if they were supposedly a couple. No one but the two even knew when that happened but the others decided not to press it any further. Everyone was ready save the emperor, his wife, and Ayame who were staying behind. They waved as everyone took off in high spirits.
About two weeks had passed and the group traveled silently through another forest. "Okay…so the last two places people told us Chiriko were in were wrong." Miaka said shrugging. "It's okay we'll find him." She said more hopefully.
"Thanks for the pep talk…" Keiko said rolling her eyes and resting her head on Chichiri's shoulder sleepily. "Did it take this long to find everybody?" She asked with a yawn closing her amber colored eyes.
Miaka thought for a moment, "Maybe." She said with a shrug not really sure what to answer or if she wanted to answer the question at all to keep from discouraging them more. "I'm hungry." Miaka complained. Everyone rolled their eyes and sighed.
"Alright let's stop here and make camp for the night." Nuriko said jumping off his horse as he helped unravel the sleeping equipment and Keiko grabbed the cooking supplies. Miaka hung around Keiko getting to taste everything as it was made and Keiko shuddered when Miaka asked if she could help.
"Uh…you know what? I think Nuriko needs some help unloading that stuff." Keiko said quickly.
"Keiko! You cook so good I just want you to teach me!" Miaka whined seeing through her false excuse.
Keiko sighed, "Alright…" It took all night for dinner to be made because things kept having to be remade either because Miaka ate it, Keiko's cooking, or something was burned beyond the point of being edible, Miaka's cooking.
That night the air was crisp and they all stared up at the stars lost in their own thoughts. Miaka kept thinking about Yui wondering what had become of their friendship. She was also wondering what was going on over there. They hadn't heard anything from them lately. It was almost unnerving. Well you could say that Miaka probably jinxed them because out of no where arrows began falling quickly from no where. Keiko was up the quickest her hands up as she used the wind to block the arrows from coming near any of them. Then Kuto soldiers emerged from the woods charging at them. Everyone began preparing to fight.
The field became a mess of clashing swords and fire being thrown with occasional gusts of wind blowing through the field. Keiko jumped up in the air to avoid being hit from a slash made out towards her. She saw Miaka being shoved through some bushes. She gasped and she felt iron slice lightly on the skin of her arm. She was about to fall but Nuriko jumped in and caught her. They were farther away from the battle at the moment. He released his arms from around her waist quickly and stared at her shocked.
"Keiko!" He yelled at her almost angry. Keiko looked at him pleadingly to stay quiet. "What the hell?" He yelled at her on a lower note. "Why did you come with us?" He hissed at her.
"Nuriko shut up! Can we just talk about this later!" Keiko said back trying to keep his and her voice lowered for anyone that might over hear them.
"Keiko! You knew! And you came anyway!" Nuriko said back almost shocked. "Keiko you're pregnant!" He told her in disbelief that she would come anyway.
"Quiet!" Keiko pleaded with him. "Please…please." She begged. "Just yell at me later…and don't say anything else!" She asked.
"He doesn't even know does he? He never would have let you come." Nuriko asked continuing his argument with her as he became more and more shocked as he figured more of it out. "That's why you have the new outfit!" He said to her.
Keiko gave one last pleading look and a spear came whizzing at the two. They both jumped back opposite directions. Keiko took this time to go get Miaka. She pushed her way through the bushes and saw a blue glow encasing her priestess. About three of the Sieryu warriors were there chanting and all concentrating. The Sieryu priestess was there too. "Go home Miaka!" She yelled at her.
"What!" Keiko yelled and ran to Miaka. Keiko grabbed her hand. "Miaka!" Keiko yelled as she felt the burning ice sensation fill her body and she too became covered in the blue light.
"Keiko!" Miaka yelled grabbing her hand too and darkness over took them. Nuriko ran after Keiko to watch as both girls vanished from thin air right at that moment.
Miaka awoke a few minutes later on a table in her classroom. "I'm home!" Miaka yelled shocked. A small groan came from the floor as she looked down shocked to see Keiko there.
"You came out of the book!" Miaka gasped silently covering her mouth. "Keiko!" Miaka said louder coming to the floor with the young girl. She helped her sit up and looked her over carefully. She was still unconscious. She gently laid the girl back down and ran to the phone inside the classroom. She dialed her brother's number.
"Yeah Keisuke!" Miaka asked alarmed.
-"Miaka! How are you calling me!"-
"I just need you to get down here immediately! I'm at the school! And Keiko came out of the book!" Miaka yelled in a whisper voice to her brother.
-"You know you should probably know that…"-
"Just tell me later!" Miaka said hurriedly. "I need you to get here and help me take her out of the school!" Miaka said back.
-"Alright…I'll be right there."-
"Thanks…" Miaka answered hanging up the phone. A few minutes later her brother showed up and carried Keiko. He had brought a blanket with him to cover her strange clothing. He also bandaged the cut on her arm. They all then went out to the car he borrowed from his mother. After they got back her laid her down in Miaka's bed. "What do we do?" Miaka asked alarmed pacing back and forth. "We have three hours before mom gets home to figure something out…" She told her brother.
"We need to find a way for you two to go back in the book." He said.
"Yeah…" Miaka said. "How exactly do we do that?" She asked pausing in her pacing.
Keiko stirred quietly unnoticed by the two. She opened her eyes to be staring at the ceiling. She looked around her and screamed sitting up in bed.
"Hey calm down!" Keisuke yelled at her.
"Oh my god!" Keiko yelled covering her mouth. She was definitely going into shock. She had no idea where she was or who the man screaming at her was.
"Keisuke knock it off!" Miaka snapped. "You're scaring her more!" Miaka added going to Keiko. "Keiko it's okay calm down." She said much calmer. "You're in my world…and we're going to get you back okay?" She said smiling.
Keiko just looked dumbfounded. "Where is everybody! Nuriko…and Chichiri and damn even Yui!" Keiko yelled back not being able to calm down as easily.
"I told you…we're in my world…they're still in…yours." Miaka added quickly deciding know would not be the time to tell her she existed in a book.
"But what about them! They need us!" Keiko yelled.
"Keiko you have to calm down! We're going back!" Miaka said as calmly as she could with out panicking herself. She looked up at Keisuke, "Where's the book?" Miaka asked.
"Book!" Keiko asked.
"It's what I used to get into your world." Miaka said.
"You mean…I live in a book!" Keiko asked shock written out all over her face.
"I didn't say that!" Miaka said back. "It's just what I use to GET to your world. It doesn't mean your world exists only inside." She said quickly trying to reassure herself as well. Keisuke grabbed the book for her and handed it over. Keisuke went over while Miaka was skimming and turned on the radio for Keiko to jump.
"Where's that noise coming from?" She asked curiously alert.
"This…" Keisuke said pointing to the small radio. A man came on singing.
"Oh my god! Some one's in there!" She yelled pointing at the box. She took another hand and started shaking Miaka's shoulder, "Miaka that box eats people!" She yelled.
Miaka paused where she was not paying attention to what Keiko had said. "You're pregnant?" Miaka yelled at her in sheer disbelief.
"What! How did you know that!" Keiko asked afraid retracting her hand and holding it closer to her.
"The book tells me what's going on so that I don't miss anything," Miaka said back hurriedly. "I can't believe you're pregnant!" Miaka said smiling.
"Well thanks and all…but I really just want to go home! Wait…you said it tells you what's going on?" Keiko asked blinking. "Is everyone okay!" Keiko asked more alarmed as she looked at Miaka.
"I don't know I haven't gotten that far! I'm not that fast of a reader! Especially in ancient Chinese!" Miaka complained trying to look back at the book.
"Just…just get us back!" Keiko pleaded trying to look at the book too.
"Let's see…we can try…" Miaka said but then they heard a door open. Both of the other two jumped startling Keiko.
"What's wrong!" Keiko asked standing up now too and in front of Miaka thinking they were about to be attacked.
"No you have to hide! It's my mom! She's home early!" Miaka said hastily. She took Keiko's hand and pulled her over to the closet. "Hide in here and don't come out! No matter what! Got it!" Miaka asked.
Keiko nodded a little dizzy as the door was shut in her face. She blinked in the dark as she heard Miaka's mother yelling at the two children. Especially Miaka. It made her fists clench but she could do nothing. She sat for about an hour in the closet then heard a door near by slam shut as her door was opened and Miaka stood there. She wiped at her face. Obviously she was crying, "I'm sorry you had to sit there…" She whispered to her apologetically.
"Miaka…" Keiko said sadly as she took Miaka's hand and sat on the bed with her holding her. "Sh…it's okay." She said cradling the younger girl comfortingly.
Miaka wiped the last of her tears, "Thanks Keiko…" She whispered smiling after she had calmed down. "You're going to make a great mom…" She smiled at the older girl.
"You think so?" Keiko asked.
"Nope. I know so." Miaka giggled. Then Keiko winced slightly a hand on her stomach.
"Sorry…the baby kicked…" She laughed quietly.
"Really!" Miaka said excitedly.
"Do you want to feel?" Keiko asked. Miaka nodded so Keiko took Miaka's hand in hers and rested it against her stomach when they both felt the kick of the baby again. They talked for a little while longer then Miaka yawned. "Maybe…we should sleep here tonight…and go back in the morning." Keiko suggested feeling exhausted and seeing the young priestess tired as well.
"Thanks…" Miaka whispered. She went to her closet pulling out blankets and took an extra pillow to sleep on the floor but Keiko waved a hand and took them from her curling up on the floor. Miaka began to protest.
"Miaka…I'm pregnant not terminally ill." She laughed as she rested her head on the pillow. The next morning Keiko awoke and noticed that she was actually slightly larger. She was confused and Miaka had to explain that time passed differently in both worlds and that because Keiko was from the other world she was still on the other worlds time. This actually meant that quite a bit of time had passed. Miaka heard her mother leave for work. Now on a normal day Miaka would have needed to get ready for school but this day she grabbed the book and opened it. She held Keiko's hand.
"Concentrate on going home." Miaka told her. Keiko nodded. This time they were both covered in a red light that was warm. It became unbearably bright to completely dark to red light then to a sky with grey clouds. They looked at each other laying on the green grass and realized they were in a meadow of some kind. They heard shouting nearby then footsteps.
"What was that red light!" Came Nuriko's voice as he entered the clearing stunned to see the two girls there. He was quickly followed by the rest of the group. They took of running towards the two girls and they were embraced tightly.
"What happened no da! Where did you go for about two months!" Chichiri sounded worried as he held his wife.
"We were gone for two months…?" Keiko sounded shocked remembering only being in Miaka's world for a few hours. She then remembered how Miaka told her that time passed differently in the two worlds.
After a few minutes of explaining and being told that Sieryu's people left after they did everyone was doing their own little things around the small camp site. Chichiri and Keiko were sitting on one of the beds made out of blankets and such. They were actually a little bit of distance away from everyone.
"Chichiri…I have to tell you that I'm-" Keiko began to be cut off.
"Pregnant?" Chichiri finished for her. Keiko blinked.
"I guess you can tell…" She blushed lightly seeing the swell of her stomach through the looser clothes. She was already about three to four months along after all. Even if most of it happened in a few hours in Miaka's world.
"Well that…and I knew before…" Chichiri said trailing off. He was smiling at her but then frowned slightly, "Why didn't you tell me?"
"Because you wouldn't have let me come with you." She said hanging her head for her hair to fall in her face.
"You're right I wouldn't have." He said taking a hand to raise her chin so that her hair fell back and she looked up at him. "But don't you think you should have told me?" He asked sadly.
"I was going to tell you…after we left but I got sucked into Miaka's world before I got the chance to tell you…" She said sadly. He hugged her and moved so that he was sitting behind her with her leaning against his chest. He had his arms wrapped around her swelled abdomen. "But…if you knew…why did you let me come?" She asked looking up at him.
"I didn't figure it out until after we left. I noticed that you had more life chi's with you." He smiled and kissed her forehead.
"You can do that?" She asked blinking.
"Yes…yes I can." He chuckled kissing her again.
Then Keiko asked her other question, "Wait…more life chi's with me?" She questioned.
He chuckled lightly again smiling since she had figured it out now, "Yes chi's…" He smiled. "We're having twins Keiko." He kissed her again as she smiled too. Both sat together happily just enjoying each other's company.
Well I hope you guys enjoyed it! Looks back up at chapter. I realized a ton of stuff happened in this chapter...sweatdrops. Sorry didnt realize that until afterwards lol. Well let me know what you guys think!
Reviews:
Kristall: Well I hope this was romantic enough for you...sweatdrops...i dont think its very romantic...i guess it could be...maybe lol. You'll have to let me know what you think!