Disclaimer: I do not own Fushigi Yuugi. It is the property of Watase Yu. I am only a poor fan with a wild immagination.
I apologize on end for the lack of updates since March. I lost all creative insparation as end of the year stuff happened, and then I lost everything for all my stories (I can tell you the exact date and why this happened, if you have an hour to spare and ask). But, I will assure you that you will get an end soon. Summer is here, and my desire to finish this is budding. I will complete this story by the end of summer, I swear! I have one more chapter, then I'm done! I warn you now, that this chapter has the most violence I've written about. I don't do violence, but it was necessary in this case. And here I start!
Miaka stormed into the room, ready to start throwing accusations into the air. However, as she glanced around the room, she noticed one face too many.
"You!" Shocked, and speechless, Miaka forgot everything she had wanted to say.
"Miaka! Keep your voice down!" She heard Kishuku hiss. "We're not supposed to be doing this!"
"And he isn't supposed to be here!" Miaka said as she pointed.
"That's what you think," She heard him say under his breath. "But there isn't much time left, so sit down before we get caught. You know I'm not supposed to be here, and if someone sees me, guess who's dead?" The question was left hanging in the air as Miaka slid into a chair next to Kishuku.
"So what are you doing in here?" Miaka watched as the two men gave each other a silent look, and they turned back to her. "Is everything OK?" The man's eyes lowered, and Miaka grew scared. "Is anyone hurt?" Another look was exchanged between the two men, and Kishuku nodded.
"I hate to say this," started Kishuku, "But what we're doing isn't working as we thought it would." Miaka opened her mouth, prepared to beg for them to accept her help, but Kishuku pressed on. "Someone here is... interfering with our work, and it's not helping, especially since our job was difficult enough to begin with." Miaka shivered, fearing for her future, and the cold coming from the wide-open window. Kishuku looked around, and walked to the window, and shut it before speaking again. "We need to back away now."
"We can't! We're not done yet!" Miaka jumped up and raised her voice. As Kishuku began to walk closer to her, the man next to her pulled her down, back into her seat. "Stop! Look, we've come so far, why stop now? Does the emperor know, since he was the one who asked us to-"
"Miaka!" The two men said at the same time. Miaka stopped, and sat back in her chair, folding her arms.
"Look," Miaka said, keeping her voice down, "Why? We were close!" The two men exchanged a look, and sighed. Miaka, oblivious to this, continued. "Why stop now? Is there something going on that I don't know about? I mean, I did get some note earlier that said something was going on, but nobody's been telling me lately what's happening." Miaka watched the two men exchange a dark look.
"What note?" The look in the man's dark eyes scared Miaka, and she felt cold fear grasp her heart.
"There... There was a note on the floor in my room. I left it there..." Both men sighed, Kishuku throwing his arms in the air while the other man reached towards her and smacked her on the head. "I got scared! The note said that the end was coming, and I needed to be careful! Now what's going on? What haven't you told me?"
"I don't think the plan is going to work." Miaka gasped. "We've gotten too public, and now we have to pay."
"But... how? The plan was genius!"
"We were betrayed by someone... You don't know him, so don't start," Kishuku said, silencing Miaka. "He must've told someone what we were doing, and now the pieces of our destruction are falling into place, slowly." Kishuku paused for a moment, and the other man jumped in.
"They're planning on taking in our families, hoping they'll tell something, or we'll come after them. Your brother is currently hiding everyone, but he needs help." Miaka's eyes widened. "The reason I'm here is to ask the emperor to shut down everything, at least on our part. I know other people have been successful in staying secret, but somehow we got caught. The emperor should understand, since he was the one to set up the whole thing. We need to keep our families safe."
"This seems too harsh to be true."
"Believe it; it's true," Miaka was told. She stared at her friend for a moment, her eyes full of questions.
"What can I do?" She asked softly, knowing the answer.
"You need to leave here. Drop out of the harem, escape the army. I know that you said you were content here earlier, but you need to leave, for your safety. The emperor will understand," the man said, trying to comfort Miaka, her eyes dark.
"It's not the emperor I'm worried about..." she said in a soft voice.
"Then go now, and pack. You need to get away as soon as you can. I promise to take care of everything for you tonight." Miaka nodded, and stood, preparing to go back to her room.
"When will we leave?"
"Tomorrow, Gods willing." Miaka nodded, tears clouding her eyesight. She walked towards the door, trying to take in everything, but turned before she opened the door. She flew into the man's arms, and let out her tears. The man held her close, trying hard to comfort Miaka, as she let out all of her emotions.
"Please... Please be careful. I just couldn't bear it if anything happened to you. Don't do anything rash, please..." The man nodded, holding Miaka close. "Please be careful... Please."
"I will, I promise." Miaka, feeling much more relieved, pulled away as the man placed a chaste kiss on her forehead. "Be sure to be careful until tomorrow, ok?" Fearfully, Miaka agreed. Taking one last look at the two, she walked towards the door. Without taking a second look, she left the room and sighed, leaning against the closed door.
Suddenly, only a moment after Miaka decided to walk away from the room, she heard shattering from inside Kishuku's room. Her eyes grew wide, and she felt cold fear in the pit of her stomach. Forgetting all nagging she heard of how a lady should act, she pulled her skirts up and ran into the room, shocked at what she saw.
"Kishuku! Tets-" She was silenced immediately by one of the strange three men in the room. Her two friends were laid upon the ground, tied tightly to each other, their mouths covered, and eyes fearful.
"Silence! We will hear nothing from you!" His voice was harsh, deep, and it stung. Miaka felt helpless. "Now, shut the door quietly, my dear." Miaka pulled the door shut, and held tightly onto the doorknob behind her back. "Now that's a good girl, isn't it?" The other two men agreed to the man's comment.
Staring at the three men, Miaka concluded that the man who spoke to her must have been the leader, considering his actions and how he spoke. He was currently pacing around the room, searching through the papers he must have scattered when he entered. He turned back to Miaka, who had remained at the door, and motioned for her to come closer. She took two steps forward, fearful to step anymore. Narrowing his eyes, he moved towards her, then reached for her face, holding her jaw in his palm.
"Such a beautiful girl... Why would one be wandering around the interior of the palace when the stars are so beautiful?" Casting her eyes on the ground, Miaka refused to answer the man, a dark hood covering his eyes. A quiet moment passed, and Miaka saw, from the corner of her eye, the man raise his arm. Taking in a swift breath, Miaka braced herself, closing her eyes, then felt pain stinging her cheek. She bit her bottom lip, not wanting to move. She didn't want him to think she was weak.
"Quiet, aren't we?" Muttered the man under his breath. Turning her face towards him, Miaka looked at him straight in the eyes, then realized...
"Do I... Do I know you?" She said it quietly, knowing that she couldn't have said anything louder. Her voice was wrapped in fear, caught in her throat.
"It depends..." His voice was louder than his last words, and continued to rise in volume as he pressed on. "After all, I've only been among the soliders, rather than the ladies of the harem, like some people... Am I wrong in saying that?"
He knows!
"You bastard!" Miaka whipped her head around, and caught Kishuku flailing on the ground, trying to help her. One of the men in the room reached out to hit Kishuku, but Miaka felt her voice rise.
"Don't!" All heads turned towards her. "Please... Don't hurt him if all you're going to do is continue to talk to me. Please..."
"Then tell me, please, why you bothered to pose as a solider?" He spat his words out as if they were acid. He asked her again, only this time he used the name Miaka used when a solider.
It's no use hiding... I may as well tell, and hope that no harm comes to me.
So then she told. The man held onto her the entire time, as if Miaka would try to run away. She spoke for minutes straight, not stopping for a breath between her long sentences. She cared about nothing at that moment, feeling exhausted. She left out the reason for why she acted as a solider, the details of why she was at the palace, and only the minor details that floats in the back of her mind, the ones she never told a soul. Everything else of her long journey escaped from her lips, and into the willing ears of the man who held onto her.
"What an... Interesting journey you've had, miss. Something that, no doubt, the emperor would find interesting." The emperor? Not... Please... Don't. "I mean, your tale, despite the probability of being shortened by death, should amuse the emperor and his strict advisors. It's not often that you hear of a harem girl acting as a solider, a forbidden practice, with it's strict punishment!" He's intimidating me... He's succeeding at it too. Miaka closed her eyes for a moment, reminding herself that she needed to be strong.
"If, sir, you are trying to scare me, it is not working," Miaka said in a crisp voice.
"It's not working, then? Well then... Let's try this method of fear. Release the two men." Suddenly, Miaka watched as her two friends were untied, and they fell to the floor, grasping their reddened wrists. "Now, why don't we take her-" the man motioned towards Miaka, "-to some solidiers, and tell them what we've just heard." The three men began to pull Miaka from the room.
In an effort to rescue Miaka, Kishuku quickly rose from the ground and attacked the man holding onto Miaka. He cried out in pain, and the men with him attacked Kishuku. Knowing that Kishuku could take care of the two, Miaka jammed her elbow in the man's side, watching as he doubled over in pain. As he stood up, Miaka braced her feet, preparing to be attacked.
As the man pulled his arm back, Miaka watched as he was attacked from the middle. Backing away, she watched as the two men fell to the ground, feeling grateful to her friend for her rescue, who was standing up, pulling off the hood covering the man's head. Miaka watched as the man's face was unveiled, and gasped in shock.
"It's can't be..." She heard Kishuku murmur. Miaka looked over at him, and he stared back for a moment before speaking again. Then, he opened his mouth wide. "RUN!"
Miaka took Kishuku's advice and started to run away. Before she got to the door, one of the strange men grabbed her hand. Miaka shrieked in surprise, and was flung away from the door, and ended up losing her balance, falling onto the floor. The man moved closer, and Miaka raised her leg, throwing all her weight into her heel as she kicked it into the man's knee. As the man jumped in surprise, Miaka pulled herself to her feet, then raised her arm quickly, wanting to avoid the man's fist hitting her on the head. As she prepared to launch herself at the man in front of her, Miaka noticed the door was being opened, and paused in her actions. However, she hadn't noticed that the man was preparing to lash out at her, and Miaka received a hard hit to her face, right beneath her eye. Falling backwards with a cry, Miaka hit the ground hard.
Feeling extremely dazed, Miaka remained still, half listening to everything around her. Closing her eyes from the pain of falling, Miaka gingerly touched her face, wincing from the stinging pain. When she heard a familiar, deep male voice say her name, she opened her eyes, and saw one of the soldiers she knew very well, his face fuzzy and almost unrecognizable. In the background, she heard the three men who had come into the room yelling out her name, telling the soldiers what Miaka had told them earlier. Only caring about the pain in her head, Miaka ignored them, and tried to sit up straight.
"Miss, are you alright?" Asked the soldier. Miaka waved him away, knowing it would be easier for her to stand by herself, rather than anyone helping her. When she was on her feet, she wobbled for a moment, clutching her head gently.
"It's her! She's the one that-" As the three men continued to yell, the soliders watching them had to hold them back tightly. "We're telling the truth! That girl there was posing as a solider!" They ranted and screamed, throwing their arms in the air, trying to get the full attention of everyone in the room, and gathering mass of people in the hall.
"Miss, are you alright?" The man asked the same question to Miaka, and she looked at him through dazed eyes. Would he stop asking me, please! My head hurts enough, and I just want to get out of here, and go back to my room.
"I-I'm fine... My head hurts, though."
"I wouldn't be surprised, considering the fall you took. I ran into the room when you fell, and the sound you made..." The man shook his head violently. "That must've hurt."
"I... I've had worse." The words came out faster than she could stop them. I shouldn't have said that...
"Excuse me, but can I take her outside? She needs fresh air." Miaka turned.
"What's going on, Tets-" He silenced her with a wave of his hand, and she clung to him as he walked outside, not trusting her legs. When outside the room, Miaka felt the pain in her head ease away from the lack of noise. But the two kept on walking, and stopped near the gardens of the palace, near the invisible line where the girls of the harem weren't allowed past. Miaka held onto the railing, feeling slightly more normal, with the exception of her pounding head.
"You need to get out of here fast. Now, tonight!"
"What do you mean, tonight?"
"Miaka, your very life is in danger now! You do realize that those men know everything?"
"Will... will the soldiers believe them?" Fear wrapped around Miaka, and she shivered. Her thoughts of failure from earlier were haunting her, telling her that the letter told the truth.
"I don't know. I think they were undercover, so they may not be believed. But, on the other hand, they were trusted by most of the men here, so..." He trailed off, leaving Miaka to ponder her future. Her secret had been revealed by thieves. All the guilt, pain, and anguish that she felt through her time at the palace had begun to build again, and could not be ignored. Reflecting upon this, she saw no other choice, but to laugh, it's cold sound harsh in the night air, announcing her defeat to the world.
"There is nothing else I can at this point," Miaka said as she began to calm down. She looked up at her friend, and gave him a sweet, tired smile. "I'm so tired."
"You look it," he told her as the two heard voices closing in on them. Miaka closed her eyes, and resigned herself to her future. Turning, she opened her eyes, not shocked to see two soldiers facing her.
"We have received word that you were posing as a solider in the emperor's army. Is what we have heard true, or is it not?" Miaka nodded, answering the man, wanting to end everything, and was promptly slapped across the face. She fell into the railing, clutching her bruised cheek. She refused any help, pushing aside any offers handed to her. As she stood on her own, she faced the man.
"You may check my room, as my armor and weapons are under my bed." Again, she was hit, but this time she refused to fall.
"You will speak when spoken to!" Miaka nodded at the man, refusing to say another word, for she knew the consequences. She looked forward, not wanting to stare into the man's eyes, and watched as he commanded a man behind him to take her away. Without resistance, Miaka stood still, waiting to go away.
"Any last words, before you go?" Asked the solider, his words gentle and quiet. Miaka looked at him with a gentle smile on her face, remembering him to be one of the kinder soldiers she knew. Miaka thought for a moment.
"It all ended tonight. Everything I worked for fell to the ground," she reflected sadly. "What a way to end." A sad smile crossed her face, and she looked to the ground as he walked her away from the luxurious halls of the harem. Behind her, she could hear soldiers arguing, each one telling a different story on how her story would play out. As she walked away, their voices faded, but the story remained the same.
"I wouldn't be surprised if you were to be killed tomorrow morning," spat out one soldier, who lagged behind Miaka. "You pulled a dangerous stunt, and deserve more than death." He mocked her recklessly, until she had been thrown into a jail cell on the other side of the palace from where she stayed. Miaka felt no shame staying inside the cold bars.
I deserve every bit of what is to come to me, no matter how harsh, she decided moments after they locked her cell. I just hope that someone hears the truth, before something bad happens to Kishuku and the others. None of them deserve it. Not at all.