Okay, so this was done in more like 30 minutes.. it's not very long, but.
:)
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"Absence Makes The Heart Grow..."

by Kevin Eav

Fushigi Yuugi characters copyright Yuu Watase, Shogakukan, and several
other companies.

     "I'm not being fair to her, Nuriko."

     "I know that, Tama-chan.  You want her back, don't you?"

     Tamahome sighed.  "Yes, I do. And don't call me Tama, please?  I'm
not a cat."

     Nuriko looked thoughtful.  "She should be happy, she got back to her
world after all."

     "Yeah.  Yeah, she did."  Tamahome scowled.

     Nuriko grinned.  "Unhappy about that, are we?"

     Tamahome sighed.  "I know I shouldn't be... I know it's what she
really wanted... but dammit, Nuriko.  I wish she were here."  The
blue-haired Suzaku Shichiseishi got up from the table and walked off.
"Thanks for listening to me, Nuriko."

     Nuriko nodded, and, with a gentle smile, said, "She'll be back.  I
think.  Just don't do anything rash, okay?"

     A faint nod was the only reply as Tamahome walked away.  With a
shrug, Nuriko pulled out a book and began to read.  

     ^.-

     Tamahome took in the rich orange and gold that the setting sun lent
to everything it touched; the trees, the rock garden, even the water of
the gentle river that flowed past the Konan palace.  

     He closed his eyes and turned away; the color was twisting his heart,
reminding him of why he lost Miaka, of the mistakes he'd made.  "Money.  I
thought I'd never need anything else."  His tone self-mocking, bitter, he
continued, ranting to himself as he pushed clenched fists into the
magnificently gold-red railing he stood at.  "Money!  No. No more. From
now on, if Suzaku is willing to let me see her again, only her.  She will
be my life.. she already is my life.  Please... come back to us, Miaka.
We need you... -I- need you!  Things are bad... the people need Suzaku no
Miko for strength.  They know you're gone... they hope you'll come back.
I know you're gone.. I need you, Miaka... because I love you.  I didn't
get to tell you... not -really- tell you... not like I will if you ever
come back.  Please... come back."  Words failed him, now, and he bowed his
head over the railing, weeping quietly at the missing part of himself that
was a world away.

     ^.-

     Nuriko finished reading the book, and smiled to himself.  "So Miaka
-will- come back... and I won't have the courage to tell her.  So I'll
support her, and Tamahome, because I love her too, and I want her to be
happy."  He frowned.  "The book disappears after that..." 

     "Nuriko."  An old, wizened voice sounded behind the purple-braided
young man.   Nuriko turned.  "Taiitsu-kun."  He smiled and handed the book
over.  "The Suzaku Shishintensho makes... interesting reading."  

     Taiitsu-kun nodded.  "So it does.  You'll have to forget what you've
read, though.  We can't have the players knowing the game before it's
played out."  Taiitsu-kun chanted a spell, and vanished, leaving Nuriko to
go cheer Tamahome up.


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