Chapter 2

Meeting the empore

The one who known as Tamahome was looking back and forth between miaka, who was pacing about, and Bella, who was leaning on the wall remaining silent,and miaka was starting to fret about the where abouts of yui and how they would get home,

Bella was also panicking, "she didn't want to Endanger miaka here," "sure," "she can fight but she did have her limits," "besides she started to feel afraid something she haven't felt in a long time," "after all this isn't there world," decide deciding that they'll be busy for awhile, Tamahome took this as his cue to leave with his hands in his pockets.

"Well then I'll be leaving the two of you then," "I hope you find your friend soon,"

"Wait," "Tamahome!" "You can't leave us now you have to help us find her!" Shouted miaka as she went in front of the young man, Tamahome just scoffed and said,

"Why should I?" "I don't even know who your looking for anyways," he side stepped her and continued on his way to town only to find the two fallowing him, miaka was running toward's him and Bella was simply walking calmly,

"But- but- you just said," miaka was cut off by Tamahome

"Sorry, I gotta go see ya!" Walking away before he heard sniffling from miaka, turning around and jumped slightly seeing miaka crying and a scary Bella glaring at him,

"What?" he asked the brown wavy haird girl,

"I didn't do anything!" With a guilty guilt creep in his gut as Bella stared him down,unknown to him bella was already plotting something to get him to help them,

"sure she believed him that he didn't have yui," "she could smell he was not lying," "but that doesn't mean she going to let him go," "so they can wonder around here aimlessly around this town," "she didn't even know what it called,"

"That's it you didn't do anything period," "miaka's cring because you won't do anything," "and you call yourself a man," scoffed Bella,miaka was still whimpering tamahome became quiet, Bella knew she hit a nerve,

"You better shut up," "you don't have the right to say that," "a man gets paid for his services," "now pay up," "hand out motioning for money,"

"Money! Money! Money!" "Is that all you care about!" "Don't you care about two helpless girl's in a town they don't even know about!" * gasp* "maybe you sold yui to some slave traders!" Tears streamed down the face of miaka,

tamahome was panicking as the people close by started murdering about him, Bella was snickering inside as she watched the emotions play across the boys face,tamahome, however didn't give in immediately,

"Helpless!" "You girls are practically are fighter!" "Helpless is people is who can't do anything!" "And I'm no slave trader!" Bella stood up straighter and walked over to the boy,

"Yes we are practically are fighters," "but what good is that if we don't know what's going on in this place," "besides," "if you don't help us, i can get my dear cousin to start the human slave trader thing again," "oh how she loves reverse psychology",

tamahome gulped before Bowing his head in defeat, while Bella had a smug look on her face, miaka clung to him and beamed, her tears where gone,tamahome *sighed* and gently pried her off his person,

"All right, all right," "no need to get mushy,"

"Aw," "is the young man shy," teased Bella as she giggled, miaka joined in after registering what her cousin had just said, tamahome blushed furiously and turned his head away,trying to hide from the giggling girls ,until there giggles died Down, Bella asked,

"Is there a store where I can buy some new clothes?" Tamahome and miaka looked at Bella as if it was the most stupidest thing they have every heard,

"What?" miaka yelled And grabbed Bella's shoulders and started shaking her.

"Are you insane?" "Why do you want to do that?" Miaka asked, "she didn't want her cousin getting into trouble because of there foreign money like her," Bella look at her and smiled,

"I have a feeling that I am going to be fighting more often and that be hard to do in a short uniform," "you know," a thought suddenly came to miaka,

"Oh right where didn't you learn how to fight anyways?" "and not be clumbsy no more?" "You never told us before?" "Besides you look like a expert fighter now?," tamahome nodded , he was also curious on how she learned how to fight like that since miaka not a good as a fighter as Bella is, they obviously don't teach that to everyone, where ever they came from, to think of it,

"Where are you guys from anyways?" "I'm sure I never seem your type of clothing around anywhere else before?," Bella panicked at miaka question but regained her composure after hearing tamahome inquiry, it gave her a excuse not to answer miaka back,

"Where not from anywhere near here," "anyway," "why don't we go deeper into town to find a place," "uh ," "if you don't me asking," "what this place called?" Miaka looked at tamahome, her question forgotten,

"Your in konan,"

"You mean the capital?" Tamahome nodded, Bella smiled at him in thanks, they had

"taken up I'm school too,"

Miaka glanced between, Bella and tamahome, "they seem to like each other," "aha!" "I'll hook them up," "Yay!" "I get to play match maker," already forming a plot inside miaka land, miaka didn't noticed that they where leaving her behind, Bella called out to her cousin ,

"Hey, miaka!" "Come along we don't need you getting lost," snapping her out of her little world, miaka skidded towards them and they continued to walk through town, Bella and miaka was in awe at all the shops and all the people seemed so nice,suddenly, they saw tons of guards pass by so they decided to get a closer look,

"Come on!" cried miaka in excitement,

"Miaka wait!" "I don't think you should do that!" Bella fallowed miaka through the crowed leaving tamahome to fallow to do the same thing, sighing,he wen in to the crowd and found Bella looking around frantically for miaka, nearing her, he asked,

"Well?" "Where is she?"

"That's what i would like to know myself." "Come on ," "maybe she over there," "she grabbed his hand and they went to the edge of the crowd, tamahome blushed at the contact but fallowed the girl in front of him, as they reached the edge of the crowed they saw miaka, they neared her, Bella *sighing* in relief,

"Miaka there you are," "why did you run off like that?"

"Oh nothing," "I just wanted to see a closer look," and shrugged off handedly

"I have to agree with her," tamahome spoke up, both of them looked at them curiously, wanting him to elaborate his statement, folding his arms behind his head he continued,

"I mean," "it's the parade for the emperors visit,"

"Emperor," "is he rich?" Asked miaka with a thoughtful look, Bella just nodded and look on at her cousins idiocy. Tamahome spoke, filled with longing,

"Of course he is," "ah," "I would do anything if I could get my hands on a jewel on his crown," Bella smiled at the young man, completely understanding the young man,

"So dose this mean you would willingly help us find yui if we get you a jewel off the emperor crown?" "Is the emperor nice?" Inquirer miaka, tamahome looked at her,

"I guess," "I never heard anything bad about him," "so maybe," "he is nice," miaka face brightened up and said,

"Okey!" "I'll do it!" "I'll get you a jewel from his crown and then you can help you find yui - chan!," "remember you promised!" In a flash miaka was gone and walking beside the fancy " carriage" , Bella and tamahome blinked in wonder before realizing what miaka is about to do,

"Miaka! Don't! Bella cried out," Miaka did not hear her and asked the emperor,

"Hey!" "Your the emperor right?" The man inside merely asked,

"Who are you?"

"I'm nobody," "say," "do you mind giving me one of your jewels from your crown?" "your the emperor," "your very rich," "I'm sure you can be afford to be generous," while she rambled on, miaka didn't notice the rock on the road and tripped on it,she tried regain balance by grabbing the nearest thing near her, witch was the cloth of the emperor ride, not succeeding, miaka ripped the cloth fell on her butt and stop the parade,

"Ow," mumbled the girl rubbing her backside, A guard can to her and pointed a spear at her neck,

"Your going to be punished for the attempted assault on the emperor!" Bella and tamahome nodded to each other, he handed her three smoke bomb's to throw, witch she did, to distract the guards that were now, ganging up on miaka, as the smoke was released, tamahome jumped in and grabbed miaka as they went in front of the group of coughing guards,

"What you do that for," scolded tamahome,miaka had tears well up in her eyes and started whimpering,

"I- didn't - want-to - force - you to help us find yui s- so I d-decided to repay you..." Tamahome eyes softened and looked at the girl,

"Alright I'll help you but I know of a way that you can repay me," miaka looked up at him, he leaned down and kissed her forehead, miaka cheeks burned and her eyes widened,

"Guys, this is no time to get all comfy," Bella standing in front of them and fighting off guard,s that came near her cousin and her friend, "she will not allow them to get hurt," "not this time she will not let what happen to then like what happen to her other family and friends,"suddenly , the shikon jewel released a bright pink light, more powerful than the red one that shot forth from miaka who was still I'm tamahome arms, Both of them disappeared,

miaka found herself floating outside the national library before going inside before finding yui reading the universe of the fourgods, miaka was filled with so much happiness that she couldn't stop calling out,

"Yui!" "I'm here!" "Yui!" "Look at me!" But yui did not seem to hear her, might get her attention but it was impossible, she tried to reach yui but got pulled back,once again pulled back into the book by the fiery red bird,

"Yui!"

The shikon transported Bella outside of a house, bella was wondering who's house it was until midarko said it was the cullens house in dannali they can't see us but this is something you need to see for you to move on to find you soul mate,

went into the house to find Edward was mated to Tanya right after he left me, "and the his family did't know about it all along." "It hurt that they did't know what he did and tried to do," "but she still has the yuki's ," then midarko said something else.

"the voltrori would adopted me as their own as well," but they had to go back to the world of the four gods now Bella thanked midariko and was teleported back in a flash of pink light,

Miaka opened her eyes to find herself once again in tamahome arms, looking around, she saw Bella lying on the ground with a pained expression on her face crying,

"Miaka... What was..?' Tamahome was to surprised to finish his sentence but miaka answered anyways,

"I don't know,"

"What is happening?" Asked the emperor, he heard the guards *gasp* and the crowds exclaim, his guard who was shielding himself from the blinding pink and red light answered him,

"Your majesty," "that girl has two more accomplices and just admitted a bright red light but there is Another," "a female with brown silky wavy hair had just released waves of powerful pink light! Both of them are disappearing!" Silently , the emperor muttered to himself,

"Could it be?" "But what of the other one?" After awhile, the people around them *gasped* again as the two Women came back, the emperor ordered for there arrest at once, doing as they were told, the guards circled tamahome and miaka and another group encircle the unconscious Bella,

Miaka awoke from a nightmare clinging to tamahome, an irritated tamahome at that,

"Will you let go now," jumping out of his grasp,miaka landed next to a thrashing Bella, worried about her cousin, she placed a hand on her head just to be startled by Bella sitting up abruptly, panting, bella looked around and noticed that they where In a cell guarded by one solder, putting a hand on her knee she spoke,

"So we been put in prison," Leaning angst the wall of the cell, Bella continued her hard breathing, as she looked at miaka and tamahome, miaka is no use because she keeps panicking about what happens to bella, tamahome rolled his eyes and sat next to Bella, bringing his hand up on bella forehead, he *hissed* and pulled away,

"Wow," "Bella your burning up," "what happened to you?" He asked, Bella shook her head,

"no I don't want to talk about it," "why don't we figure out how to escape,"

"Now what do we do?" Asked a despairing miaka, tamahome chuckled and said,

"Silly," "don't worry," "nothing going to happen,'' "i'd promise," "remember?" He poked her forehead gently, reminding her of then they heard a grumbling noise, and it was of all thing's miakas stomach, laughing nervously, she took a pair of gum stick and popped one into her mouth,

"Sorry," "I didn't eat breakfast today," The guard saw that and asked in a demanding tone,

"What did you put in your mouth?" Miaka neared the bars and pointed dumbly at her chewing mouth before blowing a huge bubble and exploding in her face,the guard was scared out of his pants and ran away, yelling,"IT'S A MONSTER!" All the way, while peeing his pants, he dropped the keys , witch were caught by tamahome,

"Hey ,kid great job!"

"Gee, you think?" Miaka asked happily while she face the boy, with gum still stuck to her face,

"Yeaa- Aah!" "stay away from me!" He screamed as he backed away from the girl, miaka rolled her eyes,

"Geez it's just gum," they didn't hear Bella let out a soft giggle and it was enough for them to perk up, after opening there cell, tamahome took Bella and draped her over one of his solders and led her out with miaka trailing right behind them,the three of them snuck through the palace to find a exit while trying to avoid the guards,

"Hey Bella, are you alright?" Whispered tamahome as the girl was sweating a lot more than before,

"I'm fine, just fine, focus on getting us out of here first," "then you worry about my health," not buying her statement,tamahome did as he was told and tried to get a exit,

miaka was behind them and thought, "wow," "they must really get along by now," "I'm kinda jealous,"

then they heard clanking boots and armor head there way, tamahome bumped into miaka a few times before getting inside a room and locking it, he laid Bella on the floor, he look up to only see something he only herd about, it was a golden statue of suzaku, miaka went next to him, curious at what he was staring at, looking in the same direction, miaka was in awe,

"That's the same bird that was in the book!" Miaka exclaimed under her breath as she continued to stare at the golden figure,tamahome did now hear what she said and told her what the bird meant,

"That is suzaku," "the god of this capital," "there are four gods that guard there capitals," "genbu of the north," "seiryuu of the east," "byakko of the west,'' "and then it's suzaku of the south," miaka *oh-eh* and nodded,

then they saw a bright light behind them, Bella was engulfed in the same pink light as before, the lightbecame to bright for them to bear then, just as quickly as it appeared, it was gone, leaving a healthy and standing Bella in its wake, opening her deep brown eyes, Bella smiled and said,

"Arn't I a picture of great health," she said cheerfully,

"What happened to you?" "You where suddenly surrounded by pink light!" "I thought I was going to lose you," miaka waved her hands in the air frantically while as she spoke, Bella rubbed the back of her head and laughed nervously,

"Sorry," "but I kinda don't want to answer that right now,"

"What! Why not!" "Aren't I your cousin?" Exclaimed miaka, Tamahome just stared at Bella, as he was suspecting something he was cut off from his thought's from some guards running by the room they where hiding in,motioning for them to keep quiet,he neared the door and listened,

Miaka started to smell something delicious and decided to *quietly* venture away from them in search of the delicious smelling dish,drooling, she sneaked off she came to a kitchen and decided to have her fill of scrumptious food,

Bella was the first to notice that her beloved cousin sneaked off she sighed to herself and decided to go look for her, she went through different doors but no miaka so she try Another one and ender herself outside of the building but still inside the palace grounds, looking around cautiously, she noticed that she was lost, typical, just her luck to get lost to, and there was no people in utter surprise , a beautiful man sitting on the building and could pass as a vampire, smiling at her,

"Your highness," "where waiting for your judgement on how to deal with the three prisoners," "but I humbly suggest you punish them by death," "after all," "they did perform assault on you majesty," 'and those females might be witches," stated one of the emperor advisers as he and the other three bowed in respect in the presents of the emperor,the emperor, however had no plans,

"No,'' "I will not sentence then to death," "have you through that they might be from Another world?" "And perhaps," "that one of the might be the suzaku no miko?" "do you want to know her purpose is or why her presents implys?" "as for the other female?" "I plan on finding out more on her purpose is and what she capable of as well," the advisers were shocked at the end of all of it not sure to agree but agreed the did,

Tamahome heard the last pair of boots go around the corner and with a sigh, he face with the girls that was with him, well at least we're with him,

"were are they?" Tamahome panicked as he searched around the room for his companions, Going out the door,he found himself wondering the hallways, he sneaked his way around, avoiding the guards as he went,he was determined to find the girls but at his rate it will take forever, he rounded the corner just in time to see miaka just coming out of the kitchens looking satisfied patting her full stomach,

He quickly dashed and covered her mouth from behind and dragged her to the other side of the wall,not knowing who held her was she bit his hand,hard, her teeth in deep a trail of blood going down from a miniature wound,stifling a cry of pain, tamahome felt his eyes well up with tears as he cradle his hand, miaka apologized over and over again and also blaming him for also sneaking up on her,

Rolling his eyes, tamahome lead her behind the building where the guards where not patrolling, he told her to keep quit so they can find a way out,

"What, aren't we going to find Bella?" Exclaimed miaka while glaring at the boy,

"We can't get risked being caught again," "besides," "that girl is crafty enough to survive this place for a day trust me," "I'll try too look for her tomorrow," "now come on!" He whispered frantically and they went to building to building,

"No!" "I won't leave with out Bella and that's final!" "If you won't help me find her now then I won't approve of you," she stated before crossing her arms, tamahome just looked at her and blinked

"What did you just say?" "Not approve of me?"

"Yes," "I won't approve of you having a relationship with Bella if you leave her now!" "Tamahome was beyond confused," "what was this stupid girl thinking?" "What makes you this I want a relationship with her?"

"The way you look at each other and smile at each other," "of course!" "You like," "right!" Miaka said it as the most obvious thing in the world, tamahome *sighed* exasperatedly,

"I don't like her like that," "I only respect her and see her as a friend," "I don't see myself liking her that way," "idiot," "but all right I'll help you find her," "only because she find friend and your relative," "and too I promised that nothing bad will happen to the both of you,"

"When did you promised that?" Miaka asked, while letting him carry her, tamahome stoped for a moment and flicked her forehead, miaka blushed, remembering the kiss,them they were off on there search for Bella,

The beautiful man pointed gracefully the way she came, Bella could imagine him sparkling in sheer beauty, shaking her head lightly, she approached him,

"Excuse me?" "Who are you?" Bella asked politely, the man smiled with kind eyes they where golden mixed with hazel they reminded her of the Cullen's and inuyasha and sesshomaru,

"You seem to be calm in a presence of a stranger," his voice was so Enchanting that she could have anyone under his command, bella, how ever wasn't anyone she remained melodious voice, she shrugged and said,

"So do you," "not to mention," "you haven't called security and yet you must be up to something," "but before that," "I would like to know your name please," the man was surprised to say the least, he didn't think this girl would figure him out so quickly, chuckling in amusement, he replied,

"My name is hotohori," "but i'm sometimes not called that," "so are you the one they are looking for?" He stood up and walked over to Bella, who seemed to be mesmerized by him, when in truth she was studying him, Bella thought that this man graceful movement where like the Cullen's and any other vampire like them and sesshomaru wow was that man graceful *sigh,*

"Probably," "I'm Bella swan," she smiled up at him since he was now towering over her, she gave one of her genuine smiles that could warm anyone's heart,

"You look like a girl," "your know that?" Inquired Bella and she raised a eyebrow at him,he chuckled again and and leaned down to her,

"I do," he was trying to see if she would fall for him like most woman do when they come in his contact with, she turn her back on him and walked away slightly before turning around again with a annoyed look, apparently, this girl wasn't what he expected, in amusement he smiled a true smile and them looked back at the girl who was also smiling,then,

"Bella," miaka can running towards her cousin and grabbed her in heart throbbing embrace, knocking them both to the ground,

hotohori watched as miaka scolded her cousin about wondering off, and she couldn't lose her cousin, while flailing her arms around,

Bella scolded back, saying she shoulded of wonder off in the first place, then she wouldn't have to go find her, like she always has to do and with a huge *sigh*,

tamahome neared Bella after miaka finished her rant, bella giggling at her defeated cousin, he told her how hard it was to find her and both of them where hopeless she was, until they made a joke " nope just miaka the hopeless one" hahahahaha, miaka glared in good fun,then a group of men came and ruin there fun,

"Halt!" Nearing the three,they threw miaka to the ground and threatened to kill her till his sword is broken in two, he looked at the person who did it and saw a enraged Bella with half of his sword in her bear hand and pink light swirling around her as she stepped in front of miaka,stepping back, the solider tried calling for his men but he saw them being taken down by tamahome, his ' ogre' symbol glowing brightly once again, the golden hazel eyes widened once again when he recognized the symbol,

"Enough!" Cried hotohori, he did not want no one else to get hurt than already were, the solders immediately bowed and said,

"Your majesty," tamahome looked around him at the guards and realized that this man was the emperor he to bowed, miaka looked at those who bowed, miaka looked at those who bowed before,

"But your a woman," "it's impossible for you to be a man," "right?" They all ignored her, Bella looked at him with slightly widen eyes,

"So that's who you are," "i see," "that's why you moved so gracefully," her head was about to be pounded by tamahome as he gritted out,

"Bow baka," Bella side-stepped and looked at hotohori once more and grinned widely,

"Indeed," as his answer, has Bella nodded in satisfied look on her face, hotohori turned to his guard's and told them in a stern voice,

"You shall not touch these three unless I say so!" "am I understood?"

"The guard's let out a load, yes sir!" Before they left them, tamahome was shocked and them glade to see them leave and then turned turned back to the three other people that were with him, hotohori turned to miaka and asked,

"Are you the one who emitted the red light?" Miaka nodded mutely and hotohori smiled,turning back to Bella and asked the same thing,

"Are you the one who admitted the pink light that my men saw," and Bella answered simply,

"Yes," hotohori eyed her in wonder, his eyes held a question but not sure if he should ask but Bella beat him to it with a smirk she said,

"I'm the shikon no tama miko"

To be continued,