Chapter 7
Going home and strong bonds of new friends,
Miaka was surrounded by her three warriors, tamahome was looking at her and wondering what he can do to help nuriko was starting to get annoyed by his staring, hotohori kept glancing at the sleeping girl in his arms and to the priestess on the ground, he felt so torn worrying between Bella and miaka,
nuriko couldn't take the tense atmosphere and started to twitch in annoyance,
"Will you both stop your starring and look away," "your highness i'll need you to lay Bella next to miaka so I can examine them thoroughly," tamahome looked at him and asked,
"Now why do we need to look away-?" He was cut off by nuriko bonking him in the head,
"You moron!" "I can't do my job if your breathing down my neck and besides," "besides,"
"I have to remove there cloths to treat them properly," "and I don't think it's A good idea to undress them with you men watching," tamahome continued to protest,
"But aren't you a guy, too?"
"I'm a women at heart," "now if you please," "will the two of you turned away,"
nuriko unbutton miaka blouse, seeing miakas wound, she ripped part of her sleeves she wrapped the girl's chest immediately to try to stop the bleeding,
then moved to Bella's wounds, his eyes widen at the sight," he would be enjoying the sight on her breast but not right now," "blood was everywhere and there was bruises here," "and there claw marks bite marks,?" "What did this girl get herself into?"
Nuriko kept tearing his clothing but it wasn't helping much, even with miaka, there wounds where to grave and they continued to lose blood,nuriko spoke urgently,
"We have to do something!," "there blood keep pouring out!," the two warriors where by his side in a instant, they looked at the girl's, and Their heart's were filled with a known feeling to both of them, their chest seemed to tighten at the sight of the girls, feeling angry at themselves and feeling so useless, tamahome took the broken plate piece and aimed for his heart,
"I will give up my life if it means they will live!," hotohori grasped his sword once again and ready to cut his wrist,
"I will spill every drop of blood in my body if it is for both of them," at the same time hotohori and tamahome wounded themselves and allowed their blood to drip on to the immobile females, hoping that they will live, nuriko watched and tried to stop them before they go into hysteric's,
Seeing any movement from them, they started to panic, frantically they called out there names hoping they will hear there pleas, after awhile of yelling miaka hand started to twitch and her eyes fluttered open and she smiled weakly,
"Hotohori, tamahome, nuriko," "thank you," she said in a croaky voice, and look at each of them in thank's, miaka tried to get up and groaned in pain from her wound's, after a few adjustments she managed to sit up fully, tamahome put a handon her shoulder and tried to steady her as she looked around and noticed a few things,
"First who were the three kids and the two cats?" "And second why dose one of the kids have a tail and weird ears," "and the other kid tan and pink lips with weired?," "and the only has red lips same color skin as bella's with markings?," "and they all have odd ears?, "and third why dose those two cats have two tails?" "it's so strange it's like i stepped into the twilight zone," "then lastly,"
"Bella!" Everybody turned back to the unconscious Bella, they all fell back from relived and giddy to depressed and gloomy,
hotohori was beyond worried for Bella and he was about to shake her to wake her up, thankfully he was stopped by a sudden change of scenery, from those of trees and mountains to a place of elegance, huge purple bubbles and huge mountains with waterfalls adorning it as well I high set of stairs,
"In honor of you and these three celestial warriors," "I will tell you how to get back to your world," their gazes went to looked at a shadowy figure that was resting on the stairs, the voice sounded quit old and sounded as if it was a women, as the figure slowly walked nearer, it was indeed was a small old women, wearing elegant cloths, her face was well um sagging, her pupils were kinda beady and looked like they held a great wisdom,
"It's, it's, it's," as miaka got closer, and blurred out,
"The sand witch!," the old women glared daggers at her and threatened,
"Do you want me to reopen your wound?" "And who are you calling a sand witch?" Retreating back, the old women folded her arms in her cloths and looked at the rest, nuriko asked,
"Excuse me, um, uh, are you taiitsuku?" He wasn't sure if this was the right person he imagine taiitsuku A little different in his head,
"Yes," the old women replied,
"I am indeed the controller of this world," Turing to hotohori, who's back was turned to her, she asked
"Hotohori, what are you doing?" The man covered his face and spoke in a serous tone,
"I don't like looking at ugly thing!," his voice held something and meant something that made taiitsuku hit him in the head with a big mallet that she pulled out of no where, everyone sweat dropped at the scene but decided not to comment, getting to more important issues, taiitsuku stated,
"Besides nuriko," "all you are severely injured," "especially that poor heroic girl there," she pointed at Bella's still form, everyone's mood dropped again,
"I wanted to test you," "to see how far you would go for the sake of each other," "I had help with Bella's though," "and I can see that you care for your priestesses," "and as well for them with you,"
"Test?," miaka asked dumbly.
"Yes the shadow demon spell,"
"Your cousin faced her shadow last because she snuck out," "so she was faced with her dead friends and her dead family and her ex and his family," this caught all of them off guard, they narrowed there eyes at her,Hotohori couldnt help the question that came out of his mouth,
"What happen to Bella?" "How many did she face?" Nuriko asked as well,
"You said dead friends and family?," "why didn't miaka didn't get her relative's as well?" "since there's related as well?," "and how could you create shadows of the dead?"
"I shall explain everything to you," "first we need to get this girl some treatment," "she will recover I reassure you on that," "now let's go to my palace," "We shall Talk later,"
Taiitsuku put her hands in front of her face she chanted and a thin mineral went underneath of them and lifted them up into the air, startling those who are awake, Bella was clutched protectively by hotohori, and shippo, shiori ,rin, kiarra, and dios was clutched by nuriko, tamahome was to busy attending to miaka,
Their transportation took them higher and higher even high enough above the water falls and father finally saw taiitsuku palace, miaka was marveling at the sight,
"It's, it's amazingly cool So this is mt taikoku ?" Hotohori thought, as he kept examining the scenery, nuriko clutched his cargo tightly and exclaimed,
"I hope we don't fall on the way!," Taiitsuku chuckled and said
"Only chosen people are only allowed to come see this place," "so if a evil hearted
person traveled to see this place," "the mountain's would not show themselves to them," "and they would only see rocky mountains," she chuckled again as she floated in front of the group,
meanwhile With yui in the library
Yui continued to read what happening to her friend,s while clutching the wound in her chest, she wondered why this time Bella's injury's didn't affect her, not that she's complaining, just curious on the matter,
"Miaka is the priestess of suzaku," "and Bella is the priestess of the shikon no tama," "why do these things happen to me?" "When Bella fell in from of the pond," "when they where injured from the pavilion," "when miaka was sick and now miakas wound in her chest," "I can feel there pain and hurt," "why?" Yui looked at the line, and the boy with the *ogre* symbol on his forehead,
"Tamahome," unknown to yui a blush was making its way up her face,
meanwhile Back in the book world,
"First we need to treat those wound's," "nyan-nyan!" Taiitsuku watched as she called out nyan-nyan, numerous pink bubbles came out from a dark part of the room and they popped, revealing green haired children with reddish garments on,
tamahome, hotohori, miaka,nuriko watched in wonder, The little girls landed softly in front of taiitsuku with big smiles on there face, taiitsuku ordered,
"Treat there wounds immediately,"
"Yes ma'am," they went over to the group while chanting,
"Treat! Treat! Heal! Heal!," they ran there hands over there wounds and started dragging miaka away, but the girl said over her shoulder,
"Taiitsuku," "treat Bella and the others before me please," her voice sounded depressed and serious,
"Quit your crying about!" "miaka and just go and get healed," "we'll be just fine," Hotohori and the other's turned there head's to see a fully awake bella, she placed a hand on hotohori chest signaling for him to sit her down, hesitantly, he gently placed her on the ground gently, her wounds were less threatening than before but he was unsure, none even noticed that the girl was even awake,
Miakas eyes widen as about to Lunge at her cousin but the nyan-nyans held her tightly and lead the protesting girl away, Bella shook her head at the girl and smiled, taiitsuku gave miaka a blank look and said dryly,
"Shut up and get it done and over with," "the sooner you get this over with," "the sooner you can go home," miaka led to a corner and the nyan-nyans who with out warning threw all her clothing off the girl, Bella sighed and sloshed and turned to taiitsuku with a serious face,
"May I speak to you in private," "taiitsuku?," "I have something's I want to discourse with you," sensing the girls determination, the old women nodded and led Bella out of the room,
"Bella," hotohori called, he wasn't entirely comfortable letting a injured Bella go some place he can't be at the moment, neither were the two behind them,
shippo,shiori,rin, kirara,and dios, were being carried away by the nyan-nyans while saying they'll give the cute demon's a nice room to sleep in, Bella flashed them a reassuring smile before disappearing into the room, A nyan-nyan neared nuriko and said
"I can cure you to," nuriko thought she was cute and said gently,
"But I'm not hurt," the nyan-nyan replied,
"I can cure your perversion," with out another word, the nyan-nyan was sent flying by nurikos punch,
meanwhile With Bella and taiitsuku
"All right," "what is it that you want to discuss?," stated taiitsuku while she sat on a chair, Bella was leaning On the wall with her arms crossed and her eyes closed,
"How did you know about my friend's and family?" "and my ex and his family?" "and turned them into shadows?" "it was clear that they were dead?," it was silent until she heard the old women sign,
"Do you remember when you were engulfed in the pink like when you first met hotohori?,"
"Yes I do,"
"Do you remember the pain you felt while you were unconscious?" "and the dream you had?," Bella opened her eyes and narrowed then and said,
"I was dreaming about my past and my memories," "did you base your little spell memories?," venom laced with her words, Bella was growling at the sage with such intensity, Daring the old hag to lie,
"I did, "replied taiitsuku dryly, she watches as Bella gritted her teeth,
"Why?" "Even when I knew they weren't," "my friends and family," "and my ex and his family," "why did you put them against me?" "Weren't you satisfied with my shadow?," Bella asked brokenly,
"It was to test you," "I and midariko already explained that to you," "besides I don't even dare to use you real counterparts," "you said even the women was not you," "and you were correct," Bella swallowed hard and tried to regain her composure,
"Now we must get back to the others," stated taiitsuku
"Thank you taiitsuku," she whispered knowing the sage will hear loud and clear,
meanwhile Back outside with the others,
Bella went into the room were the nyan nyans were treating hotohori and tamahome, nuriko was sitting there quite annoyed with something, a nyan-nyan was forcefully trying to take off tamahomes shirt but he was protesting,
bella smirking evilly, she neared the unsuspecting tamahome and swiftly removed his shirt, she was in amusement and mirth as she watched as tamahome jumped 5 feet in the air from the feel of the cold air on his exposed skin, Bella couldn't contain her laughter anymore, she started laughing while holding her sides while watching tamahome fall back down with a thud, tamahome glared daggers at Bella for what she did,
"kuzo, Bella,!" "don't do that!" Bella was still laughing her head at what she
did, hotohori, miaka, and nuriko saw the whole thing and started to laugh like crazy,tamahome blushed and let put a giggle as the nyan-nyan's worked on his wounds while muttering threats at Bella, she smiled and approached a nyan-nyan,
"Excuse me?" "can you tell me where I can clean these blood stains?," the child perked up and beamed at bella, grabbing her hand, the nyan-nyan led her out of the room into a hallway,
All of them watched after her, nuriko crossed his legs and smiled, Well at least she's gone back to normal, tamahome nodded and soften his eyes,miaka nodded happily that her cousin back to normal, hotohori remained silent as his eyes trailed after her until,
"The method of returning to your own world is rather difficult," "and rather dangerous because all of you are even to weak to try," With miaka and taiitsuku
"We wish we could fix taiitsuku face," exclaimed the nyan-nyan's helping miaka,
"Yeah," agreed the other When they looked outside of the palace, they saw nyan nyan flying through the roof and beyond,
"I want to go home soon though," miaka said softly,
"I have an entrance exam to take!" She said as it just popped in her head,
"What are you talking about?," asked the sage as she watched miaka got threaten by her servants, observing the girl some more, the sage commented,
"Your face is becoming pale from the blood loss," "in your condition you would barely survive the process," taiitsuku closed her eyes and tried to make herself more convincible as possible, taiitsuku didn't really want to endanger the life of the suzaku no miko,now did she,
"Then let her use some of our strength," suggested hotohori from behind them, his chest was half exposed as he neared them, and a completely shirtless tamahome,
"not to mention your bleeding as well," tamahome backed him up,
"Both of us will giver her some of our blood," taiitsuku eyed then as if she was seeing if they were telling the truth, miaka could not sit still, and said,
"No!" "You don't!" "If you do that!"
"Calm yourself miaka," "of course I won't let them do it," came Bella's voice as she entered the room in a robe, the nyan nyans were kind enough to wash and mend her cloths during her stay here, she was gonna go visit her three pup's and the nekko's but she over heard the conversation so she decided to chime in,
They looked at her disbelieving,well, hotohori and tamahome were, miaka was looking at her hopefully, she really didn't want to course anymore trouble for her cousin and friends, tamahome looked at her like she was crazy,
"What do you mean you won't let us," "you want her to go back as much as we did," hotohori asked more calmly,
"What do you mean bella?" The girl smirked playfully,
"I won't let them do it alone," miakas eye's widened,
"What!" Tamahome said in agitation,
"You know you could have said that earlier," the girl shrugged,
"I could'v," "but it's more amusing to see your reactions," "especially you tama-kin's", "do you know you look so hilarious when your caught off guard like that," "you should see yourself sometime," all of them sweat dropped but smiled, taiitsuku faced the three fully,
"Are you sure you want to do this?," "this will probably cut your strength and
power down to half," "are you still willing to take the risk?" Hotohori showed his peaceful and full consent to the idea,
"If it would to help her then gladly," tamahome kneeled in front of the nyan-nyan's wiping his wound's and smiled at miaka,
"My blood is already running out of me," "so no use in wasting it," miaka looked at his and was deeply touched by their words then looked at Bella, she could tell that her cousin was still a little pale and she could literally feel her cousin's weak state,
"Bella," "your going to kill yourself!" "I don't need to go right away!" "I could wait until I'm -," miaka was stopped by Bella patting her on the head, just the, she had realized that she had tears running down her face, Bella knelt In front of her and said,
"Miaka," "when I traveled through time," "i wanted to go back home again and turn back time," "but I couldn't kagome and the others help me remember that and I had to help fulfill my destiny," "here in this world you won't be able to do that as much," "I'm going to be here so you have a member of family here," "and I will help you as much as I can," "now don't turn our offer down," "maybe you'll come back soon," "but I want you to take this opportunity to go home," and if things get rough go to my apartment,"
"What about you?" "Aren't you coming with me?" She at least hoped Bella would come with her,
"No," "I'll have to stay while your gone," "besides," "I don't think I won't be allowed to leave this place for quit some time," miaka clung to Bella's shoulders in a attempt to shake her cousin,
"But why?" "Don't you have as much reason to go home with me like me and my brother?" "Don't you want to see him?" Bella put a hand on top of miakas and in a attempt to pull away,
"I will see him again and others," "I can be sure about that," "and when you go
back don't get," don't get startled if you run into some people into my apartment," "there good people and family," Bella looked at miaka with a soft look, miaka bursted out in fresh tears and hugged bella tightly,
"I-I will," bella laughed good naturally and pulled away,
"Oh stop acting like I'm going to die or something," "your making such a scene. Silly," "I think you should get dressed I think we should get started soon," standing up, Bella walked over to hotohori and tamahome, they been watching and saw how close the cousins were, tamahome nodded as if commending her, hotohori smiled,
"Very well then",
"What about me?" Nuriko asked while pointing to himself, taiitsuku merely passed him and said,
"Save it," she don't want you, nuriko clinched his fist and gritted out of annoyance,
Why do I feel like I've been insulted?, Bella chucked and draped a arm around him and said,
"You worry to much, silly,"
"Gee, I feel so much better," nuriko stated sarcastically,
meanwhile a little while Later
Hotohori,tamahome,Bella, I will use me powers to transfer your blood into miaka, the three of you must kneel down, doing as taiitsuku said, the three of the knelt, the sage intertwined her fingers all different ways and chanted her spell, suddenly the three of them were In cased into purple bubbles,
"I will transfer your blood through these spheres," "miaka ready yourself," miaka was in one of the spheres only in her undergarments also nodded, her hair and bra came undone completely showing her wound more completely,
"This will be painful for all three of you but bear with it," said the sage,from all their wounds blood gushed out there faces marred with pain and agony, Bella remained silent and merely winced from time to time, it's a good thing that taiitsuku let her wear a robe through all this or else she would loose it, Bella remained focusing on helping her cousin that helped forget the pain,
Miaka watched as all there faces where contorted in pain, she felt so guilty that they are all doing this just for her,
"enough," "that's enough," "Stop it," cried miaka, then she heard heart beats, looking down at herself, she felt warm and that her wound was closing instantly,
"I see their blood," "I feel their power," "I'm becoming one with all three of them,"
"Ok that's enough," taiitsuku lowered the spheres and let the four go, turning to the three of them,
"All you did wonderfully i'm impressed," "the nyan-nyan's came and put miaka's hair back in the bun's the way she always wear's," "and covered her body with the under blouse of her uniform,"
"Here's your ribbon,"
"Cover, cover," miaka closed her eyes to trying to think on what just happen, smiling softly, miaka whispered,
"Thank you," opening her eyes wide, turning to her friend's and cousin and was a little shocked to see Bella being carried by hotohori, the girl was conscious but was to weak to stand on her own, they were all smiling at her for a job well done, but the thing is, she felt really bad,
"Bella!" "Hotohori!" "Tamahome!" "I'm sorry," "I'm sorry," "I hurt-"
"If apologizing for stupid things like that is all your ever gonna do," "so help me," "you'll wish you never had a mouth," threaten the tired Bella in hotohori's arms,
nuriko and the nyan-nyan's just watched in amusement, hearing no more from her cousin, Bella sighed and let her head lay angst hotohori's chest,
"Better," "not I want you to remember what I told you," and Bella fell limp, hotohori smiled softly at her attitude, then he looked at miaka and nodded then carried Bella to a room where both could use some rest, tamahome shook his head and smiled at miaka charmingly,
"You got one spunky cousin there," the girl closed her eyes and smiled,
"Yeah," "I do," "but I am really sorry though," "tamahome you guys got hurt," tamahome neared her and looked deep in her eyes and said,
"As long as your better then fine," nuriko chimed in with a soft look,
"You should thank Bella," "tamahome," "and his highness," "miaka!," the girl nodded, taiitsuku had about enough of being ignored and spoke,
"Now that you are well," "I shall tell you how to get home,"
"yes ma'am," miaka already dressed in her uniform and was ready for the sage instructions, Hotohori was behind her with a indignant Bella right next to him,
"Bella you should be resting," cried miaka, Bella growled in annoyance,
"If you repeat that stupid line again," "I will bite your bloody head off!," miaka backed away from the not so pleasant Bella feeling her cousins aura shows that's it means business, they seated themselves with miaka in front of the four of them, taiitsuku continued,
"Do you understand priestess of suzaku?," "you've been in the world for to long and the opening for the path will not be as easy when you first came here,"
"Opening paths?," miaka tilted her head in confusion,
"The path that connects this world to your world," "at first your strong will would of been able to take you home,"
"But what should I do now?," asked miaka, while clutching the hem of her skirt lightly,
"There something that connects both of the worlds," said the sage,
"And what is that something?"
"Something that is present in this world and your own,"
meanwhile With yui
"Something that is present in this would and of your own," then she relized the uniforms,
meanwhile With miaka and the other's,
"Yui's and our school uniforms,"
meanwhile With yui
"Of course!," "that's why what ever happen to them happened to me," "that's why Bella's wound's didn't affect me she wasn't wearing her uniform,"
meanwhile With miaka and the other's
"It also requires a connection *via* strong feeling for you able to go home," "but their is more to it," said the sage, miaka repeated her words, requires strong feelings,
"Miaka!" "I'm right here!" "Come back miaka!" Came yui's voice,
"Yui," miaka closed her eyes for a moment and opening them again turning to them with a look of determination,
"We are connected," "me and yui strongly deeply," taiitsuku replied,
"In truth it would be Easier to return you to your world if we had all the suzaku warriors,"
"tamahome, hotohori and nuriko your power should be enough to send you home," "beside from nuriko," "all of you were injured," Bella's brow started to twitch in annoyance and she was being ignored, tamahome answered,
"I'm good and more than ready to help," replied hotohori
"I swear I will her her home safely," "and have time to be with my bella," chimed nuriko,
"It's alright I've been a good girl lately," "haven't I?" Bella couldn't take anymore she growled it all out,
"All right," "that's it!" "Stop ignoring me for kami sake's!" "I will get her home no mater what!" "and no one you will stop me!" "Hahaha!" They all smiled at her and nodded, miaka looked at all of them and felt all emotional again,
"Everyone, thank your!" Tears were welling up in her eyes until she felt a hand on her head, turning to see it was tamahome,
"Just make sure you come back alright," "well be waiting,"
"that's right when I go back I won't be able to be with tamahome anymore!" Thought miaka suddenly, she was about to breakdown again but she held them back and beamed up at him,
"All right all of you sit around the priestess of suzaku," "so we can begin,"
"concentrate your life force into the priestess of suzaku," "miaka picture your world inside your heart," "focus everything you have on it!," "feel the life energy of your friend's and cousin," "and take it in your body," miaka how as having such a hard time with it with all the guilt was getting the best of her,
"Miaka you can do this, you'll be fine," whispered Bella as she kept her eyes closed like the rest and concentrated, a lightning bolt of some kind hit miaka and made her jump,
"You fool!" "Concentrate and don't let your mind wander," "if you do that you would be flying between world's for all eternity!'' scolded taiitsuku,
"It's no use," "I just keep thinking about everyone here," cried miaka
"You idiot!" "I say you come back you come back!" "And haven't we been together since kindergarten!" Didn't you and Bella say that we will enter that school together! Yui was on the brink of tears with trying to make a connection with miaka,
"We'll go together and we will pass them TOGETHER!"
Yui's memories flashed through miakas minds as she heard yui's voice crossing over to her, feeling the energy of the others, miaka thought of home,
"I'm going home!" "I'm going back to were they all are!" "Back to my world!" Everybody's connections seemed to be working taiitsuku started to glowing a thin sheet of red as the others meditated,
"Miaka!"
"I'm going home!"
A familiar red light engulfed miaka then she was gone,
After awhile, everyone open their eyes and started to looke around, miaka was gone, hotohori turned to see tears run freely down Bella's face, everybody seemed to notice it and stayed quite, they all thought that Bella retreated staying behind but it was smashed when she spoke,
"Oh," "I'm sorry I suddenly started crying," "I was just remembering," "anyways," "I need to see the kits and nekkos," "see you guys later," whipping her tears away, Bella stood up and and gave them a smile and left the room,
Bella, they all *sighed* and thought they had enough excitement for one day they all went to there respective room,
Well most of them anyways,
To be continued,