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Chapter One: The Wish

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"Kai-jin."

The symbol on Miaka Yuuki's forehead immediately shone with a holy red light, the heat from it washing over her and making the terrible pain from her wounds from the battle seem non-existent. Red light immediately enveloped her whole body as the god Suzaku appeared before her with a burst of flames and an almighty call of a phoenix, the blaze slowly parting to reveal a very tall man with massive fiery wings, ethereally handsome in a way that no mortals could achieve, not even the beautiful Nuriko and regal Hotohori.

She closed her eyes with a patience that was rare with her in her earlier days as the Suzaku no Miko and breathed in.

This is it... her last wish. She'll never get a chance like this again after Suzaku disappears from this world forever. She'll have to make this one count. While her earlier wishes like saving Yui and sealing Seiryuu were made on the spur of the moment, she didn't want the third wish to be wasted with her selfishness. She has to think of the people... the destructions they caused in both worlds... she has to put her love aside for Tamahome no matter how much her heart wished for it to be otherwise.

The people comes first.

Miaka opened her eyes once again and looked past the red light shielding her and Suzaku. She can still somehow see them and took note of her seishi's gazes on her. They were all waiting for her to make the final decision. She knew that whatever she decided, they would all agree. This is one of the times she appreciates how much all of her friends care and trust her. They trust her right now to make the right decision, and she's not about to fail them. Her failure the last time resulted in someone's death. She isn't about to let someone die again.

Suddenly, her mind struck a possibility. What if she wished to go back to the past and do her task all over again? That way she'll prevent many of her friends' deaths and maybe she'll even become a better priestess. No more crybaby, stubborn, selfish, coward Miaka. She won't be blinded by her love for Tamahome this time around. She'll be able to make better decisions. She won't be a burden to the seishi and she may even be able to summon Suzaku without looking for the Shinzahos! Nuriko, Chiriko, Mitsukake and Hotohori won't have to die. Tasuki and Chichiri won't be left all alone!

But that's selfish. No one wants to relive the same moment again. That was incredibly egocentric and she's so disgusted that she even thought about doing that!

But what if it worked? What if she can give her seishi better lives than the ones they led right now?

What if it worked?!

"I see you are having trouble with the final wish, Suzaku no Miko." Their god, Suzaku, said with a faint trace of a smile. Miaka bowed her head in apology, knowing she took so long thinking. Only, she still doesn't have a clue! Her friends are staring at her direction in concern, probably wondering why it is taking so long. She knew they can't see Suzaku and her, all they can see is a red light.

"Great Suzaku... may I first ask a question that concerns about my possible final wish?" Miaka asked politely, hoping he would say yes because she's so confused...

After a short pause, Suzaku nodded almost imperceptibly. "You may, Suzaku no Miko."

"If I wish for myself to be sent back in time without the gods or even Taiitsukun's knowledge, will you grant it?" Miaka's voice quivered, because she knew that Taiitsukun would be enraged if she finds out that the past got repeated again and she may try to prevent Miaka from changing it. She knew turning back time is forbidden... "It's just... I know that letting a Miko stay with her love in the book is the only wish you cannot grant, so does that mean you can grant this?"

Suzaku only gazed at her with slight surprise, obviously not expecting the question. If Miaka didn't know any better, she'll have to say she stunned him speechless. But he quickly recovered, tugging his lips in a barely noticeable smile, his eyes taking on an impressed look. "You are a very perceptible one, Suzaku no Miko. Not many realized the holes that one statement left. To answer your question... yes, I can. But turning back time will leave many repercussions. Not letting Taiitsukun know will leave even more.

I can grant your wish, but there will be rules you absolutely have to follow no matter what the cost. Are you completely sure you will go through with it?" Suddenly, Suzaku's expression took on an almost regretful gaze. "I understand why you asked that. I too deeply regret the four Suzaku no Shichiseishi's deaths. But you may find even more challenges and hardships along the way. You may even find a few events changed because of someone being there when they shouldn't be."

"I..." Here, Miaka faltered a bit. Is she sure of this? More of her friends may die if she did this... or her relationship with Tamahome would never work out ever again... but she has to think of the possibilities. Like what would happen if Nuriko was there when Chiriko died? What would change? Would they still be alive now? Would she take the chance?

"I-I..."

And then there's Nakago. The root cause of all the problems she had in her time in the book. She knew he had a terrible past, but he shouldn't have let it rule over his life that he suddenly decided to let others feel his pain too! Her friends had terrible pasts too! Chichiri and Nuriko and Mitsukake... they all lost someone they loved! But instead, they became better people that protect and care about others. They became even more compassionate and loving! Is there still a chance to change Nakago like what happened to her friends?

Even Yui's life changed when she got sucked into the book. They became enemies and Miaka doesn't want that again!

For the sake of everyone, she has to try. She has to try the chance to make her friends happier. She could give them a much better life! She could do it!

"I'm doing this for the sake of my friends. No one deserves to die so horribly like they did, no matter how heroic. They deserve so much more, and I'll be glad to give it to them. Even at the cost of my own life and happiness, I'm willing to do whatever it takes!" Miaka declared, her face determined. She's no longer the oblivious Miaka. She won't make the same mistakes as her past self. This time, she'll plan accordingly so that no one would die a second time.

She suddenly felt the red light around them vanish completely, and she knew Suzaku wanted to let the seishi hear what she's going to say.

"Kaijin!" She yelled a second time, and the symbol on her forehead glowed brighter than ever. She took one last look at her friends' confused faces before facing Suzaku again with a steely expression. She'll miss them badly. Their bonds may never be the same again, but she's determined to give them the life they deserve. Even if she's the only one who'll remember all that they've gone through in the process.

"I wish for you to send me back to the past in my fifteen year old body with my memories intact, without the gods and Taiitsukun knowing!"

She barely registered the shocked looks her friends gave her, but she vaguely heard Tasuki yell in surprise and Tamahome cry out her name. Chichiri remained shocked and unmoving, his reddish brown eye wide as he realized the implications of such a wish. Nuriko has his hands over his mouth and Hotohori remained frozen. Mitsukake is silent but clearly caught off-guard. Chiriko looked like he's about to cry as the possibilities hit him as well.

Only Chichiri and Chiriko looked like they know what will happen - and it didn't surprise her, those two have always been so wise and clever, respectively - and Miaka clearly saw them both smile sadly and nod determinedly at her, silently wishing her luck, before she felt Suzaku's holy red light wrap around her body as she vanished in that world and time to begin anew.