Author Fangirling: Chichiri's celestial powers = handy dandy plot device. Thank you, Ms. Watase.
The most sensible thing for anyone to do in that moment was to get out of the way. Miaka stood, took a few shakey steps forward, then sprinted out the door towards him. His held his arms open to welcome her, but instead of embracing him, she slowed down to a stop when he was already a few steps behind her. She looked back to lock eyes, and he smiled wryly down to his hands. With no physical form, he had no way to touch her.
They reached out carefully, touching fingertips where Tamahome's would have been. "Miaka."
"Tamahome," she breathed. "Where have you been?"
"I went to keep an eye on Nakago. That's the only reason I left your side," he assured her. "I've been with you this whole time, watching you."
"That must have been so dull for you," she blushed.
"The time went by in an instant."
"Tamahome," she melted into a teary face. "It's been eons for me. I've missed you so much. I wanted to die when you died!"
"No, Miaka. I'm glad you lived. I've been alive through you-I've been able to stay here in a place I loved through you."
"What about your family? Have they been here, too?"
"Their ghosts were here for a time, but they've all moved on by now. The time I got to remain with them here was peaceful," he looked over to his grave among the others, and a heaviness fell over him when he laid eyes on where his remains were buried. Existing in a detached form sometimes made him forget the weight and worry of living, but contemplating the weight of mortality still made him feel like he would be swept away into nothing with no memories of everything he had loved. "It's different for me, Miaka. As long as you're here I'm happy to stay, even as a ghost. I'll follow you wherever you go, in whatever form it takes. My only regret is that I can't hold you anymore. There were so many times I tried to, but you couldn't feel me there. Those are the loneliest moments I've ever known."
"I'm sorry, Tamahome. I'm sorry you've felt lonely. But I knew you were there! I always believed you were."
He grimaced and looked away, fists clenched. "I'd pay so much to be able to hold you right now."
Miaka felt the same, but lied to save his feelings. "Don't say that Tamahome. It's enough for me to finally be able to see you again."
He leaned forward to place his lips on her forehead. Though she didn't feel anything there, warmth flared up inside her chest. They pulled back to look at each other and smile again.
"I hear our secret is out. Tasuki already gave me hell about it the moment he saw me."
"That makes two of us."
Tasuki was unapologetic, but turned around to hide a tear.
Keisuke and Tetsuya had no such pride as they bawled.
"I wish none of that had to happen to them."
"I wish she could be here with Tamahome."
"I wish I had a girlfriend."
"Quit ruining the moment, man," Tetsuya sniffled back a few last tears, then touched a finger to the earring he was wearing. "Yui? Mayo Sakaki is in the next room over if you want to give her a hard time or anything. She might or might not listen now."
I don't feel like it right now, but thanks. Anything else you can tell me?
He frowned. "Such as?"
Kaika. Do you have any idea if he's alright?
"Oh! No, the book really only follows the Suzaku end of things," he replied, relieved she didn't ask about Suboshi. "I'm glad to see you're safe again. It sounds like things didn't go well with Nakago."
Nakago will be looking for me. And for that matter, maybe even Miaka and Mayo.
"What?" whispered Boushin, who had been next to Yui on the bed. He had overheard her whispering, but in the renewed commotion no one else had. "Do you mean the emperor of Kutou?"
"Yes," replied she. "I refused to cooperate with him."
"Does… does he mean to attack Konan?" he whispered. "You must tell me everything you know, Priestess of Seiryuu."
"Don't worry, I don't think he's very concerned with Konan," she assured him. "But he'll likely try to stop Miaka if she tries to summon Suzaku."
"I'll have you return home with me tomorrow to where it's safe."
She smiled, finding his chivalry cute. "Thank you. The safest place to be might be with the Suzaku warriors. Will they be coming as well?"
"I'll tell them to, yes. I hope you won't mind the fanfare," he saide, then pulled Chichiri aside to ask him about how soon they might be able to leave. After making a few logistic plans, he quietly entered Mayo's bedroom to inform her. "Mayo?" he whispered.
She was asleep, but looked like she was in pain, and even in the dark he could tell she was pale. He approached to make sure she was alright, and reached out to touch her shoulder. The moment his hand grazed her skin, there was a spark of red light and a voice entered Boushin's head.
I must be summoned.
"Suzaku?" he whispered.
Divine Ruler of Konan, obtain the scroll.
"The scroll? Chiriko's? Or!" he gasped. "The Universe of the Four Gods scroll? But that burned ages ago."
The phoenix, diving into the fire, reborn of its own ashes.
"What does that—"
He was interrupted by the door opening and Chichiri poking in. "We're ready out here, you know."
"Oh—Mayo's asleep! Let's have Tasuki carry her."
Chichiri's cloak was spread out as wide as it could be in the narrow, crowded room. They had stacked the table and stools on the bed to make more room, but it was still a struggle for nine live people and three ghosts to try to squeeze into its' parameters.
"Hurray, a free ride!" Nuriko cheered. "Floating around everywhere can be such a drag sometimes."
"Let's just hope I'm not too rusty at this, you know! With this many people, we could wind up on the roof or in the pond."
"Don't even joke," hissed Tasuki.
"Are you ready, Tamahome?" Miaka whispered to the ghost next to her.
Stealing his last glances at his childhood home, he replied, "Yes. It's time for us to move forward. Are you ready to go be the Priestess of Suzaku again?"
With an uncomfortable squeeze, they fell into the floor and spilled out onto a carpet elsewhere.
"Did we make it? Is this the palace?" Yui rubbed her head and looked around at the lattice shutters, unable to see much else yet in the darkness.
"It's familiar," replied Boushin. "But…"
"Your Majesty, your voice haunts my dreams!" an old man bellowed out and groped in the darkness, startling everyone as he stumbled onto the floor. Everyone screamed.
The following morning, Counselor Shu couldn't wipe a smile off his face, and the young emperor hoped never to see an elderly counselor in his bed clothes ever again.
"I'm so overcome with joy!" he expressed as his servants served the group a grand breakfast. "I had become sick with worry over His Highness, so I retired to my private residence for a time. How wonderous to see he and his mother return safely, and to find that I have three Priestesses as guests in my humble home! Lady Miaka, I cannot express enough of my gratitude to see you've come back to life!"
"He's a rather dramatic one, isn't he?" Nuriko had an awkward smile, and Hotohori nodded.
"It's good to see that my counselor hasn't changed much after all this time. Boushin, be sure to always treat him delicately."
"Yes, Father," he quietly answered from behind his glass, hiding his smile. It tickled him to think that he and his nearly mythical father could have so much to relate to each other on, and that reminded him to ask him later if he had ever spoken with Suzaku. "Counselor Shu, could I ask for your help in arranging our entrance back into the palace? Since we are providing asylum to the Priestess of Seiryuu, I would like to keep the uproar to a minimum."
Yui leaned over to Miaka and whispered. "Why didn't you tell me he was the emperor?"
"Sorry, it never came up."
"Speaking of, who is the other little kid?"
"That's Mitsukake. He's been reborn. How about any of your warriors?"
"I have no idea where they would be."
"Maybe Tomo and Ashitare are Shuuei and Kouei?"
"Don't even joke!" she giggled and backhanded her lightly.
Mayo noticed them from across the table, too hollow to feel contemptuous of how easily their friendship had been renewed. "If you don't mind my suggestion, Counselor Shu, perhaps it would be alright for the Priestess of Suzaku and the Priestess of Seiryuu and I to stay here? I did leave looking for respite from the palace, after all. If you're willing to keep it a secret, that would be the best way to avoid an uproar."
"Ah. Lady Mayo is quite bright," he answered. "Do you find this acceptable, Your Highness?"
"As much as I'd like to announce good news to the rest of the cabinet, that might be a wiser decision. Miaka, in light of our recent discussions, do you find this acceptable?"
She nodded. "I will present myself when you ask me to, Your Highness. For the time being, we'll be well taken care of here," she said, alluding to the warriors Counselor Shu did not have the ability to see.
"Very well. Tasuki, Chichiri, I ask that you return to the palace with us today to make preparations."
As if it was perfectly acceptable because the priestesses would not be attending, Counselor Shu saw to it that uproar was caused prior to the emperor's parade back into the palace grounds. The celebration very soon gave way to a lecture, which Boushin accepted. Every counselor wanted to get a word in to make sure the boy understood all of the anxiety they had suffered, and the lecture went on well past lunch.
Chiriko and Houki received some of the lecture as well, but Tasuki and Chichiri enjoyed the warm welcome the entire court still had in store for them. "Had we have brought Miaka, no one would even care about the kid shirking a bit," Tasuki whispered to his fellow warrior.
That secret was not kept long. Counselor Shu, unsurprisingly, could not contain his excitement, and soon the court did indeed forgot about lecturing Boushin because they were worked up over the news.
"Is it true?" Counselor Chou cornered the warriors.
Chichiri spoke on their behalf. "We hope you'll understand we had our reasons for keeping it secret."
"Well? Is she alright?"
"Yes."
He let out an exasperated sigh. "Now that we all know, she should come and say hello! We've all missed her."
Relieved that his cabinet was more excited than upset, Boushin got carried away. "She will! And she's going to summon Suzaku!"
Yet another uproar started.
"It's so good to see you again, Yui," Miaka snuggled next to her as they rested. It was still euphoric to see her old friend again.
"I should feel guilty for keeping you to myself."
"No need, Tamahome's still been with me this whole time."
"Silly," she replied, then projected her voice toward the middle of the room. "Tetsuya, can Keisuke hear us?" Miaka stared back with wide eyes as Yui waited. "I see. We'll just have to speak for them, then."
"Yui, what are you…?"
"Keisuke says he misses you."
"My brother…"
"He says it hurt so much to think you had died… and he missed reading about you… but most of all he missed having his silly little sister around prattling on about some book she read."
"And Mom, she… she couldn't believe it at first. She thought we were all just playing a joke, or that you ran away for a while under the stress of your exams. She got angry, but she was really just worried. She got so mad at me for saying you were dead. And then she was just numb for a while," Keisuke went on orating to Tetsuya, who repeated his words for Yui to hear.
They waited, then Tetsuya spoke. "She says she's sorry."
"I'm sure she's sorry. She told her warriors she was sorry, but what about us? We've known you even longer than they have."
"She never meant to hurt anyone."
"If she wanted to hide, she should have just come home. I'd have protected her."
"She loves you."
"I love you too, Miaka."
"She misses you, too."
"Come home. Just come home, Miaka."
"Big Brother."
"Is that Coach?"
Yui and Miaka gasped as Mayo appeared in the door. She was unsteady, but willful. "That's Coach Yuuki, isn't it? Let me speak to him."
They could not reach her in time before she stumbled to the floor, but they were quickly at her side. "Coach!" she yelled. "I'm sorry I left you with such a mess. I just wanted attention! Even though you gave me attention, I just ignored you. You were just a normal part of my normal life."
They paused, and Mayo's tone changed. "…Coach?"
"He says not to worry about it," Yui smiled sympathetically. "He's glad to see you've come around, and he's sorry you're not feeling well."
"Then the book watches me, too," she smiled, half vindicated, half laughing at herself.
"He'll be ready for you when you get back. When we get back." Yui clenched Miaka's hand tightly, but she said nothing in return.
"Heh," Mayo smirked. "That's nice of him. I just wanted to make sure I apologized for the trouble I caused, that's all."
"Mayo, you can't be thinking that it's your fate to…"
"Who knows what a vessel's fate is? At least I'm not a Priestess," she eyed her in a cocky way despite her frailty. "The sooner you summon Suzaku, the sooner we'll find out."
"Don't talk like that, Mayo. Here, let me help you back to your room."
"I'm still fine," she pushed her hand away and slowly stood back up. Before she reached the door, she was started by a maid rushing in.
"Lady Miaka! Your presence is requested in the imperial palace."