The Next Priestess

Chapter 3

With a gleam of white sunlight reopening her eyes, Hikari slowly sat up noticing that she was on top of a rocky surface.

What just happened.

As she shifted her legs, they rubbed against the little rocks that lay under her. Her black vest had at least two dirt spots while her short brown school skirt had little tares on the ends. Her black stockings had small holes in them yet they were fixable.

She pushed herself up onto her feet turning her head everywhere. The surroundings around her were certainly not what she had come to known.

"Wh- where am I?" She asked out loud.

"You're in Konan my dear." Replied the voice of an old woman.

Hikari turned to the old woman removing her blue bangs from her eyes. "Konan?"

She suddenly noticed two guards walking among the street. One was at the age of 20 and the other about 50. As they approached closer to her, she ran up to them stopping them in their path.

"Um excuse me, can you tell me where I may find the person who runs this town?" She asked.

Holding their spears at their sides the guards turned from her facing toward the little city.

"Please follow us, We will take you to his highness." Said the elderly one. While they walked through the city people stopped their actions to watch her walk past them.

Man what am I doing? Where am I? The last thing I remember is…opening the book and…oh my god…could I be inside that storybook!?

The young and old soldier brought her to a room filled with courtmen and ladies of the royal Hiram. Each glance and raised eyebrow made Hikari sweat. She stopped walking when their guards bent on their knees holding their heads down.

"Majesty, this girl has asked to see you. She wears foreign clothes, perhaps she could be the one."

"Step forward child." A gentle voice requested. Hikari stepped forward into the emperor's sight and a small gasp escaped his lips.

"Tell me young lady, what is your name?"

She gave a hard swallow gripping her skirt within her hands making her palms sweat.

"Hikari, Sir. Hikari Sukunami."

"And what of your heritage?"

Heritage? Why would that matter?

"Um well, my mother and father are Miaka and Taka Sukunami."

All soft voices broke loose around the room. Hikari turned toward the court pondering their voices filled with shock and excitement.

"Your mother is Miaka.?" Asked the emperor.

She quickly turned back to him. "Well uh, yes sir."

"And your father is Taka."

"Yes." She said growing anxious with each answer.

"You are the daughter of Miaka Yuuki." He spoke in almost a whisper.

"That was her maiden name. But how did you know that Sire?"

With great silence the emperor approached from the curtain covering his throne. As he stepped into the light, the entire court shrunk down their knees in gracious bows. Hikari's mouth opened wide as she gazed at the emperor. He looked no older than 35. His chestnut brown hair held under his crown, and his imperial clothes symbolized his crest.

"He- Hey! You're Hotohori. Aren't you?! You're the character Hotohori! The emperor of Konan!"

And elderly man walked up to Hikari's speaking to her quietly. "Young lady, you should address him as "your highness".

Hikari's head fell down to her cheeks becoming red. "Sorry."

Hotohori chuckled softly smiling down upon her. "No need Prime Minister. Hikari is the daughter of Miaka and Tamahome. She has every right to do whatever she desires. Besides she might be our new priestess."

Her head bolted upward at the word priestess. "P- priestess?! Ohh no! With all do respect Sire. I don't know what it means to be a priestess! I'm only in ninth grade! I-"

" I am certain that if you are your mother's daughter, than you have more than enough to be a priestess. Along with being the new priestess of Suzaku, you will have 3 wishes to be granted."

"Wishes.? But I-"

"The decision is up to you Hikari. As Miaka's daughter you have the blood of a priestess and the purity."

Hikari stepped back in shock accidentally slipping onto her knees. "I- I don't know what to-"

The Prime Minister bent down helping her onto her feet. "It is indeed a very big decision. It was hard for Lady Miaka as well."

A big decision was an understatement. Being the priestess of Suzaku? The responsibility of having to keep u her grades was hard enough. But being a priestess? Hotohori broke the silence as he slowly approached the young girl.

"Dear child, the choice is yours. No one will force you to make a decision."

Hikari looked down with such confusion, her eyes filled with small tears.

"This is all happening so fast…I- don't know-" With exhaustion and not knowing what to say, she suddenly fell to the ground slipping into a distant consciousness.

At the sound of the doorbell, Taka bolted toward the door opening it within a second. Yui and Tetsuya stood there with expression of concern.

"Taka we're here. What happened? Your call sounded urgent." Said Yui.

Taka escorted them in, taking them straight to the kitchen. As he sat down he dug his hands through his hair squeezing his strands in his fists.

"It's Hikari.." He choked dryly.

Tatsuya sat himself down beside Taka, looking to Yui for support. Knowing that she was needed, Yui brought her hands to Taka's.

"What about Hikari, Taka?" She asked carefully.

His head suddenly slanted upward toward the ceiling.

"She- she was transferred into the book." He muttered.

As two gasps escaped from his company's mouths, his soft blank eyes flinched.

Tatsuya's hand trembled to the edge of the table in disbelief. "No way. How can that be? Taka, How can that be?!" He demanded.

"I DONT KNOW!" He cried suddenly standing up in Tatsuya's face.

With a quick breath, Yui gently held Taka back gesturing her head toward Miaka's room. Tatsuya obediently backed away to their room. He gave a slight knock on the door. "Miaka? It's me Tatsuya. Can I come in?"

Yui turned Taka around to face her. "Taka. What exactly happened. How do you know she was taken into the book?"

Taka's eyes looked straight ahead. His pale eyes dabbing with sadness. "Miaka and I had just returned from dinner. We decided to check on Hikari, but when we looked in her room, she wasn't there."

"So you assumed that she was transferred into the story, because she wasn't in her room?"

He suddenly slammed his fist onto the table feeling the vibration of the wood.

"The book was on top of her desk! With a red light glowing around it! Don't you understand Yui?! Hikari somehow found the book and she read it! Suzaku must've taken her after she had finished."

Yui's eyes slowly softened for his concern. "Taka."

"But why…what does my little girl have to with this? Why would Suzaku want her." he choked.

"Because she's the next priestess." Entered Miaka's voice as she walked in beside Tatsuya. Yui and Taka turned to her with surprise.

"M-Miaka?: How do you know that?" Her eyes traveled down to Miaka's side. The Universe of the Four Gods was held tightly within her hand.

"She is the new priestess of Suzaku. Since I was priestess before, Hikari has that blood within her." She held the book in front of her handing it to Yui.

"Yui, we have to read the book to know what's going on. She has just met Hotohori."

A great sigh of relief was released from everyone. "Thank goodness." Said Tatsuya.

Taka walked himself over to his wife pulling her close to him. Miaka brought her hand over his with a sign of comfort.

"All right…let's start.." Yui suggested sitting down at the table. For the many years she had known Miaka, Yui had never been this anxious to help her best friend. As everyone gathered around her, she opened the book again seeing the same Chinese symbols that had brought them so much.

Yui began to read the new journey.