I do not own Fushigi Yugi or any of the connected characters. Those belong to Yu Watase and not me. The only thing I own is Matthew so there you go. Enjoy the fic.
Fushigi Yugi: Dansei Tsure
By Ten-Faced Paladin
Chapter 10: Awakening Memories
Yui stood in stunned silence as the liabrary guard had the flashlight trained on her. She had come to the place looking for Yui and Matthew but all she really did find was this guard who had spotted her.
"The library's closed miss," the guard spoke as he stepped closer. "Go home!"
"My friends are in there!" Yui protested. "Let go!"
The guard didn't seem to hear her as he gripped her wrist. Yui tried to get out of his grip but it was proving to be too strong. The guard just continued to pull Yui down the stairs in attempts to get her off the premisis. Yui was just as determined to get away from the man so she could continue looking for her friends. Feeling her temper boiling up, Yui decided that just this once she would let it get the better of her. It was for a worthy cause after all.
"I said LET GO!" Yui shrieked as she landed a kick to the guard's jaw, sending him sprawling down the stairs and crashing to the ground.
Yui didn't hesitate to begin racing up the stairs towards the doors. With every step closer she took she was hoping more and more to find her friends. However, she suddenly felt a sudden jerk in her chest and a warmth spreading from it. Looking down, she saw a spreading red stain over her heart. She gasped in surprise on for the stain to spurt blodd slightly more before pain tore through her body which caused her to drop to her knees. The guard, who had already stood up at the point had gasped loudly at what he had seen.
"Whaaaagh!" he cried before turning tail and running like the wind. "I didn't do nuthin!"
As he was running, he didn't notice that he had dropped his keys. Fortunately, Yui did. Dragging herself over to the keys, she plucked them off the ground and struggled to her feet. Leaning on the rails, she managed to get herself over to the doors.
"Miaka..Matthew," she gasped, short of breath. "What's happening?"
------------------------------------------------------
Miaka gasped and wheezed inside her prison, clutching her wounded chest. She had stabbed herself with a shard of a plate in hopes that it would also hurt her mirror double which was attacking her friends. She had gotten the idea when Matthew had given the double a very hard headbutt which sent both of the into a daze. She had managed to glance at Matthew before his body had covered the only view she had. His eyes had a golden hue to them. How did that happen? Was he always able to do that? It didn't really matter at the moment though. Right now she just wanted that double of hers to vanish.
'Disappear!' she cried in her thoughts.
Outside the mirror, the double was recovering from the attack. Her face was etched in a furious frown. She gripped the edges of her mirror with a fierce determination.
"How dare you hit me-URK!" the double shrieked before she started gagging as a deep gash appeared on her chest while blood came our of her mouth. The shock of it happening caused her to drop the mirror, cracking it as it hit the ground.
The magic surrounding the double was no doubt connected to that mirror because when that crack touched it's surface, the double bagn to twist and deform, beginning to look like a black-skinned demonic version of Miaka. Blood was still spurting from her chest as she hissed and roared like a savage animal.
His golden eyes flashing, Matthew pressed his attack with a powerful haymaker to the creature's face. It shrieked in pain as it stumbled backwards, but Matthew didn't get away unscathed. The creatures teeth were as sharp as butcher knives and left several cuts along his right arm. He winced from the pain and dashed to the side. The double looked up with hazy vision only too see Tamahome, recovering from the energy draining attack, come flying at it with a flying kick to the gut. The blow knocked the wind out of the double and made it double over in pain. Tamahome then flipped away from his opponent, but not before the double retalliated by slashing Tamahome's arms, making a deep gouge. That is when Hotohori got his licks in with his sword in a flurry of strikes that were almost invisible to the naked eye. He came to a stop a short distance behind the double as slash marks appeared all over it's body.
The three fighters turned to face their opponent, in all her bleeding and hissing glory, before a large boulder seemingly fell from the sky and crushed her in a haze of black smoke.
"Woah!" Matthew gasped, his eyes fading back to their original blue color. "I guess the gods really do help out now and then."
"Actually, that was me," a familiar voice spoke from a small ledge above them.
"Nuriko!" Hotohori gasped as he and the others looked up to see the cross-dresser slapping his hands together to brush off the dust.
Taking a look over to his allies, Hotohori's eyes widened as he witnessed their injuries, "Tamahome! Matthew! Are you two alright?" Matthew was standing shakily on his feet while Tamahome was kneeling on the ground taking deep breaths.
"Nothing that I can't bounce back from," Matthew smiled, grimiacing slightly as he held his bleeding hand.
"I'm fine your majesty," Tamahome smiled. "You handle a sword well."
"And you are a good fighter," Hotohori replied in kind as he helped Tamahome to his feet.
Nuriko shook his head as he turned to look at their priestess after coming off the ledge. His eyes widened significantly as he found her. She was sprawled out on the ground next to the broken mirror with her hands covered in blood and more spreading across the wound on her chest.
"Miaka!" Nuriko shrieked, catching the others' attention.
Seeing exactly what Nuriko was shouting about, Tamahome, Hotohori, and Matthew dashed over to Miaka's body. Tamahome clutched her closely while Hotohori kneeled in closer. Matthew dropped to his knees with his eyes widened as he peered at the wound on her chest and the shard of glass sticking out of it.
"The fake Miaka was bleeding from this spot!" Hotohori gasped.
"Don't tell me she did this to save us!?" Tamahome asked in growing dread..
"Miaka!" Matthew cried loudly.
----------------------------------------------------------------------
From within the darkened room, the one who startd this whole incident watched in amazement. The girl had actually been willing to sacrifice herself just to make sure that her friends were safe from the double that had taken her place.
"I have never seen anyone like this girl!" the person gasped in shock.
---------------------------------------------------------------------
Hotohori and Tamahome were both desperately trying to get Miaka to wake up. Matthew was unsure about what to do at this point andd he could only watch in helplessness. Nuriko then decided to take a hold of the situation as he stepped forward to help.
"All of you!" she barked. "Turn away now!"
"Huh?!" Matthew gaped. "Why?"
"I'm going to take her clothes off and tend to her wound!" Nuriko explained.
"But you're a man too!" Tamahome protested.
"True, but I have the soul of a woman!" Nuriko retorted with a spakle in his eyes.
The three normal men turned around as Nuriko set to do his job. He quickly opened Miaka's shirt to assess the damage while tearing up sections of his dress to use as bandages.
"These wounds are horrible!" he cried in shock. "You got yourself pretty good this time!"
"Is Miaka going to be alright?" asked Hotohori in worry as he kept his back turned.
"Fortunately, she missed her heart," Nuriko replied while wrapping up the wound. "It all depends on her will to live."
The three men sighed in relief. They knew Miaka to have a strong will so it would only be a matter of time really. That is, until Nuriko took notice of something and gasped in shock. It was something thatt the boys did not want to hear.
"The bleeding won't stop!" Nuriko cried, referring to the spreading red stain on the bandages he had placed over Miaka's wound. "At this rate she'll..."
"No!" Tamahome cried as he and the other two boys dashed over to their friend. "It can't be! Miaka!"
"Miaka don't leave us!" Hotohori cried loudly.
"If you die I swear I'll kill you!" Matthew added, earning him a confused look from Nuriko that lasted for a moment.
"This is my fault!" Tamahome cried in despair and grief. "If I hadn't been so cold then she wouldn't have run off and this wouldn't have happened."
"This is not the time for blaming yourself Tamahome!" Matthew snapped. "We need to keep a straight head right now!"
"Isn't there anything we can do?" asked Hotohori urgently.
"Blood!" Nuriko replied. "If we could get her some but we don't have any of the equipment or experience for such a thing!"
"Blood!?" the boys gasped.
-----------------------------------------------------
Miaka felt like she was a million miles away rom everything and she was feeling pretty low. All she could see was her mother telling her to stay away from home since she was an embarrassment. The kids from her cram school were telling her to just give up. It all seemed so hopeless to her. Looking out into the darkness she saw a beautiful garden that seemed so peaceful.
"That seems to be a place where I can take it easy," she commented to herself. "I won't get in anyone's way over there."
With that goal in mind, Miaka began taking steps closer to the garden. Before she even made it halfway though, something else had caught her attention.
'Miaka!' a voice that was remarkably similar to Yui's cried.
"Yui?" Miaka asked into the darkness.
---------------------------------------------------
"Yui?" asked a voice that sounded like Miaka.
Yui looked up from where she was draggng herself across the floor, "Miaka? Where are you?"
"Yui!" she heard Miaka cry again.
"Miaka! It is you!" Yui gasped. "Where are you? What are you doing? Is Matthew with you?"
"He is! We're inside of the book!" Miaka replied.
"The book?" asked Yui. "You don't mean-?"
"The Universe of the Four Gods!" Miaka finished. "It's closed and we can't get out!"
"I thought so," Yui replied, her breath getting shorter. "You're hurt pretty bad aren't you?"
"Huh? How did you know?" Miaka asked in confusion.
"I...I just do," Yui gasped in reply. "I'll be there in a second."
"Okay...but I don't think I can get out anymore," Miaka spoke solemnly. "Just make sure that Matthew gets out okay?"
"What are you talking about?" Yui frowned."Don't you dare give up! I AM going to get you BOTH out of there so hang on!"
"Yui..." Miaka said quietly.
----------------------------------------------------
Back with the boys, no one knew really what to do. Before their very eyes, Miaka was growing pale as her wound continued to bleed. Matthew had brought some medical supplies from home but they weren't the type of thing that were used for deep wounds like this. She needed a doctor and a blood transfusion. Nuriko was the one who from the looks of things knew at least something about medicine but they didn't have anything that he could use. Tamahome and Hotohori were looking solemn at Miaka's form as a tear dropped onto her face. From who was yet to be seen.
"You can't die!" Tamahome suddenly cried out.
He reached over to the bloody shard that Miaka had used to stab herself with and gripped it tightly. Hotohori aslo got a similar deetermined look in his eyes as he drew his sword and held the blade over his arm, preparing himself to cut the skin.
"If yoou need blood then I'll give you everything I have!" Hotohori shouted in determination.
"If it will save you then I'll trade my life for yours!" Tamahome agreed as he pointed the bloody shard at his shoulder.
'Tamahome? Hotohori?' Miaka asked, hearing their voices as clear as day. Hearing their voices so determined to save her caused tears to come to her eyes. They really did care! "I...I..."
"Miaka!" Yui's voice rang out in the darkness.
Tamahome plunged the shard into his body deeply, allowing his blood to flow out of the wound. Hotohori also slashed his arm with his sword, his blood also greeting the light of day. They were determined to rescue Miaka at all costs. Even if they were the ones who would give up their own lives. Nuriko watched as they commited this act with equal determination in his eyes alongside Matthew. All four of them were committed in helping protect the young woman's life.
"I WON'T GIVE UP!" Miaka cried out into the darkness with all her might.
Droplets of blood landed on Miaka's hands and skirt from it suddenly leaving Tamahome and Hootohori. Nuriko looked down to check the wound before gasping in shock yet again. Not sure if they could handle another surprise, the three men followed his gaze to the wound.
"It's stopped bleeding!" Nuriko cried. "Her wound has stopped bleeding!"
The young men all heaved sighs of relief at this. If Miaka's wound really had stopped bleeding then the chances of her survival had just risen significantly. They all looked to her face and were slightly taken back as her eyes opened as if she had been asleep. Tamahome and Hotohori, who were cluthcing theirwounds, seemed the most delighted in seeing her wake up.
"Miaka!" all four men cried in delight as they got closer to the young priestess.
"Tamahome? Nuriko? Hotohori? Matthew?" Miaka asked slowly. "Am I...still alive?"
Glancing over to where Tamahome was looking down on her, she suddenly reached up and stretched the sides of his face. She just had to make sure that she was looking at the real thing and not another copy. After dealing with a magic mirror, it was just a good idea to be on the side of caution. Letting her hands fall to her sides again, she broke out into a smile.
"It really is you Tamahome," Miaka laughed weakly.
"You little jerk! We were worried about you!" Tamahome cried as he and Hotohori gathered Miaka into a hug.
"I am overjoyed," Hotohori sighed in relief.
Miaka glanced over to hwere Nuriko was sitting and became slightly miffed to find that he was making faces at her, "I knew that a stupid, overoptimistic, food-monger like you wouldn't die from that!"
"Oh shrivel up and die, Nuriko," Miaka hissed,
"Ha ha ha!" Matthew laughed. "You must be feeling better if you can trade insults with Nuriko already."
"Hmm," Miaka smiled. "It was really dark when I was out. I didn't know where to go and then this beautiful garden showed up. At first I was going to go there but then everyone started calling for me. So I came back."
Everyone smiled in happiness to see that their friend was okay. Of course, with the luck that the band of adventurers had been having thus far, something had to come in and interrupt the moment.
"Thank You," a voice echoed throughout the misty area.
"What was that?" asked Miaka.
"You got me," Matthew replied.
The mist around them had begun to lift to reveal an entirely new view rather than the forest that they had been travelling through. This view involved a majestic looking mountain with several structures placed on it. The mist was still around but it was very thin. A lake was at the bottom of the mountain and orbs of some kind were floating in the air without any kind of direction or purpose.
"You have arrived at the land of my home," the voice continued.
"No way! This is heaven?" Miaka gasped in surprise.
"Miaka, you have to be dead to get into heaven," Matthew commentad through half-lidded eyes.
"Wait!" Hotohori spoke up, recognising the scenery. "This is...Daichi-San Mountain!"
Everyone's eyes widened in shock. They were there during the whole incident with the mirror?! No way! Before anyone coulod really make any kind of comment on their surprise, they spied someone walking down the steps that led to the mountain. They were all speechless as they saw the person approaching, even if they couldn't see them clearly through the mist.
"Welcome Miaka," the voice from before spoke, but quieter.
'Tai-Yi Jun!' was the thought shared by the five adventurers.
"I shall now inform you and your four celestial warriors of how to return to your world," Tai-Yi Jun spoke as she stepped out of the mist.
Her appearance was not what any of the group was expecting. She was in fact a short old lady with long hair and looked as if she had been around the bend a couple of times. The group only blinked at her appearaance and sweat-dropped. Then, as a group they all said one sentance.
"The wicked witch of the east!" they all cried loudly.
"Watch your mouths chickies!" Tai-Yi Jun snapped, bonking them over the head with her fist.
"So...so you're really Tai-Yi Jun?" stammered Nuriko, still pointing at the old lady.
"That's right. I am the ruler of this world," Tai-Yi Jun confirmed before she saw that Hotohori had his back turned to her. A vein started throbbing on her forehead at this conduct. "Hotohori! How dare you turn your back to me!"
"I cannot bear ugliness!" Hotohori replied with his hand to his face.
"Okay," Matthew blinked, sweat-dropping. "You might want to get used to it though. The world can be an ugly place."
"Hmph!" Tai-Yi Jun frowned, still insulted. "Be that as it may, all of your are wounded to a various degree save for Nuriko. I had tested you to see how much you cared for each other but I was never expecting this."
"What?!" Matthew gaped. "That was all a test? You could have killed us with that double!"
"Hardly," Tai-Yi Jun commenteed dissmisively. "You all would have just passed out. I would never cause serious harm to the chosen. Now, what Miaka did was of her own violition. All I wanted to see was how you reacted to the situation and see if you really cared for one another. It is safe to say that you exceeded my expectations"
"Is that supposed to make us feel better?" Matthew frowned.
"Nothing to be done about it," Tai-Yi Jun shrugged before placing her hands together. "We'll have to see to your wounds first and foremost."
The five adventurers suddenly felt themselves lifting into the air and discovered that they were on a floating platform of some kind. Miaka's eyes bulged right open as Tai-Yi Jun lifted up right alongside them. Tamahome and Hotohori both held Miaka in a secure grip while Nuriko latched onto Matthew with enough force to shatter bones if he wasn't careful.
"We're fine," he reassured himself. "We aren't going to drop to a bloody death."
"Only the chosen ones can visit or even see the mountain," Tai-Yi Jun explained. "Others and those with evil in their hearts will only see a plain hill. Enough about that though. We will be heading to my palace."
--------------------------------------------
Yui had finally pulled herself into the restricted section of the library and found The Universe of the Four Gods. Leaning against the bookcase, she opened it and began to read. She just had to find out what had happened to Miaka and Matthew.
"I see," she whispered as she looked over the pages. "So Miaka is the young lady and Matthew is one of the young men."
...gallant young man who bore the character for demon on his forehead...
...young man, Tamahome, took the young lady's hand and drew her from the crowd...
...Too cheap!" the young lady was certain this was no joke...
...In a burst of anger, the young man struck Tamahome for his insensitivity and for breaking the young lady's heart...
"So his name is Tamahome," Yui remarked as she remembered the boy who had rescued her, Miaka, and Matthew from those slavers. "Wait...Matthew picked a fight with him?!"
Yui just continued to read. She couldn't help but be interested in the adventures that her firends were involved in while they were in the book. She felt a flare of anger when she read about the girls of the Inner Seraglio fawning over Matthew. She also felt sadness when she read about Miaka's heartbreak and Matthew's lonliness. Something that did catch her attention though was whenever Miaka started getting injured, the symptoms were the exact same as the things that had happened to her uniform.
"But why?" Yui asked herself, hoping to see an answer.
-------------------------------------------
The five adventurers finally came to a stop in front of a large building just behind of Tai-Yi Jun. The old lady left her meditative pose and walked over to the doors with the others close behind. They then entered a large hall with a number of those orbs floating in the air.
"Now then," she sighed. "Let's tend to those wounds. Lai-Lai!"
To everyone's surprise, the orbs in the room popped into smoke before each of them became a small girl with buns on her head. All of them crowded around the adventurers with something like childish curiosity.
"Heal them," Tai-Yi Jun ordered. The Lai-Lai suddenly started poking and reaching towards the wounds that the three young men had.
"You a girl!" one of three Lai-Lai that were tending Miaka spoke. "This way!"
Matthew found the girls cute as they tended to his wound. They seemed entusiastic about the job anyway. He also laughed when Nuriko got mad at one of them for being called a pervert. Of course, Miaka had started saying that the boys' injuries were more serious than hers and should be tended to first. Of course, the Lai-Lai did't listen before they stripped her to her panties, causing Matthew to blush and look away.
"You shouldn't ask of such things," Tai-Yi Jun commented as she heard Miaka's plea of tending to Tamahome and Hotohori first. "As you are now you could never make it back to your world. You don't even have an ounce of strenght left for the job."
"Then please let her have our blood Tai-Yi Jun!" Hotohori spoke up as he clutched his still bleeding wound.
"Exactly!" Tamahome agreed. "Just give our blood to Miaka!"
"What?!" Miaka gasped. "No! You can't!"
"Hmm," Tai-Yi Jun pondered, ignoring Miaka's protests. "I suppose that I could. The process will be painful and your strength will be diminished afterwards."
"A fair trade," Hotohori smiled.
"What good is my blood when it's dripping on the ground anyway?" Tamahome snickered.
"Very well," Tai-Yi Jun nodded and placed her hands together again.
Tamahome and Hotohori suddenly found themselves swallowed up by two large orbs and hoisted into the air. Miaka found herself in a similar situation but unlike the two young men who were still decent to a point, Miaka was still almost stripped bare and was desperately trying to cover herself up. Matthew kept his eyes away from Miaka but Nuriko didn't hesitate in admiring Hotohori's half-clothed chest.
"Tamahome, Hotohori," Tai-Yi Jun spoke. "I am using my will to transfer blood from your wounds into Miaka to restore her strength. This will be a painful process so prepare yourselves."
With that, the orbs began to glow brighter as Tai-Yi Jun began to meditate. Tamahome and Hotohori began to cringe with the pain while Miaka squirmed somewhat. Matthew could see small red droplets coming out of their orbs and into Miaka's. He didn't want to switch places with any of them but he respected them for what they were doing. It probably wasn't something that anyone would volunteer for unless they were comitted one-hundred percent to what they were doing this for, or in this case, who.
"That should be enough," Tai-Yi Jun finally spoke, breaking her concentration.
Tamahome and Hotohori dropped to the floor and showed some signs of exhaustion. Miaka was gently put on the floor as a group of Lai-Lai began tending to her and dressing her again,
"Now that Miaka has her strength back, I will explain how she her friend can get home," Tai-Yi Jun explained. "Miaka, Matthew, you've been in this world for too long so finding an opening and leaving can't be done now. However, there are two things that can connect you to your world from here. One of them is 'identical here as there.' We need something that can reach both points."
--------------------------------------------------------
"Identical here as there?" Yui pondered as she read the sentance. "Wait..I know!"
--------------------------------------------------------
"Our uniform!" Miaka smiled brighty. "Yui has one just like mine!"
What no one seemed to notice was that Matthew was beginning to look like he had started swallowing a lemon.
"It can be with someone who owns the exact same object or someplace connected to that object," Tai-Yi Jun continued. "The second thing you need is deep, intensely shared feelings."
-------------------------------------------------------
"Miaka! Matthew!" Yui cried. "I'm right here! Come back home!"
------------------------------------------------------
'Yui!' Miaka gasped in her thoughts. She could hear her friend loud and clear. The way that Matthew's head was turned towards the celing showed that he had heard her as well.
"If circumstances were normal and we had all seven celestial warriors then we would have no problem," Tai-Yi Jun added. "However, Nuriko is the only uninjured warrior and we have no idea which diety Matthew is meant to serve. The spiritual energy needed for such a thing is enormous."
"We can do it," Tamahome spoke with confidence.
"Yes, we can send our friends back home," Hotohori agreed.
"Don't worry about a thing you two," Nuriko smiled.
Miaka smiled brightly at her friends. Tamahome then walked over to her and kneeled before placing a hand on her head, "You just have to promise to come back. Everyone will be waiting for you."
"Hmm," Tai-Yi Jun smiled. "Shall we commence? Miaka and Matthew will sit in the centre with myself, Tamahome, Hotohori, and Nuriko sitting around them. It will be tough, but I think we can send them both."
"Um," Matthew suddenly spoke up. "I think I'm going to sit this little ceremony out. Just concentrate on sending Miaka back."
"Huh?" the warriors of Suzaku gasped. Tai-Yi Jun just glanced at him with a serious gaze.
"And just what brought on this little decisoin?" she asked.
"Matthew, what are you saying?" Miaka asked in surprise.
"Well," Matthew shrugged. "A few things really. I mean, if I actually turn out to be a celestial warrior then wouldn't it be better for me to stick around here where I'm actually needed?"
"True," Hotohori nodded. "But, don't you at least want to see your friends and home?"
"The thought crossed my mind," Matthew nodded. "The only problem is that I don't have either requirement for going home filled. I really haven't shared anything with the people I know back home and I doubt that anyone would have a very strong connection with me of all people."
---------------------------------------------------
"No!" Yui cried, tears coming to her eyes. "You're wrong! You do have something! Our watches! Those connect us! I have a strong connection to you! I...I...I do have strong feelings concerning you! Please come home Matthew!"
--------------------------------------------------
"I see," Tai-Yi Jun nodded. "I can see that there is no dissuading you from this idea of yours. This settles it. We shall only send Miaka back home then."
The warriors created a circle around Miaka with Tai-Yi Jun at the top. All of them had their eyes closed and were in deep concentration. Matthew hung back, leaning against a wall to keep out of the way and bear witness to the ceremony.
Miaka concentrated as hard as she could on home. She tried thinking about school, home, her motheer, her brother, her friends, anything that reminded her of home ran through her head. The problem was that she kept lingering on images of Tamahome and Hotohori, feeling guilty about the problems she had caused them.
'Concentrate you fool!' Tai-Yi Jun's voice shouted in her head. 'If you don't concentrate enough you might get caught in the gap of time and space!'
That was all the incentive that Miaka needed to start concentrating harder. It was funny what one could do when they felt that they were in danger. From the outside, Matthew watched as the warriors and Miaka were surrounded by bright auras that almost caused him to look away. He peered closer to Miaka and saw that she was slowly vanishing from sight. He smiled as he knew that she was going to be back home shortly.
'I feel like I'm burning up!' Miaka thought to herself. 'It's just like when I was first pulled into the book! I'm going home!'
With a final flash of red light, Miaka had vanished from the room, leaving three exhausted warriors and one Tai-Yi Jun behind. The old woman heaved a sigh and stood up again.
"Now that Miaka is back where she belongs, I suggest the rest of you get some sleep. I will have Lai-Lai prepare some rooms for you," she spoke.
Nuriko was up rather quickly with Hotohori slowly coming to his feet. Tamahome stayed seated on the floor with a down look on his face. Matthew just smiled and walked over to him before patting him on the shoulder.
"Cheer up," he smiled. "Miaka will be back before you know it."
"I hope so," Tamahome sighed. "It just won't be the same without her."
"No," Matthew agreed. "But we'll survive. Now come on. You need some rest after losing your blood and spiritual energy."
"Yeah, yeah," Tamahome grumbled as he shakily got to his feet.
To Be Continued...
A/N: Here's chapter ten folks. Matthew is staying behind with the other warriors while Miaka goes back home to be so carefree like other kids her age. The next chapter will have her return and catching up with things that she had missed thus far. Expect a major twist!