"Ameka, I-"

Ameka cut Tamahome off, shaking her head vigorously.  "No, don't say it, Tamahome!"

"I love you," he finished.

Tears stung her eyes, and she looked away.  "I'm sorry, Tamahome, I can't say the same."  She wiped away 
the tears on her sleeve.

Tamahome sighed.  "I thought as much.  You love Nuriko."

She nodded in answer.  "I thought I loved you…" she whispered, trailing off, before taking a deep breath, 
and going on.  "I thought I loved you, but then you were gone for a long time.  I know it wasn't your 
fault!" she added hurriedly.  "But that doesn't change how I felt at the time.  Nuriko was there, always 
keeping an eye on me, and then saving me if he had to, and then-"  She stopped.  Tamahome had not heard 
the entire story of what happened at Mt.  Leikaku.  She shook her head.  He didn't need to know.  "It just 
happened.  And I'm sorry.  I'm so sorry, I know how much this disappoints you, and Yuiren-chan, but I just 
can't help it!"  Ameka was openly sobbing now.  She would have loved Tamahome, could have loved him, if 
Nuriko hadn't been there.  Now, instead, she loved the one who had saved her, who had given everything up 
for her, and started a new life, just to be with her.

Tamahome pulled her into a hug, seeing how he had upset her, and gently kissed her forehead.  "I love you, 
Ameka," he repeated.  "But you love Nuriko, and I have someone-" He paused.  "I have a daughter, at 
least," he continued.  "If I can get her out of Kutou.  And I understand that you didn't pick who you 
fell in love with."  He smiled faintly.  "I just wish I could have picked to not fall in love with you."

Ameka closed her eyes, letting the last two tears roll down her cheeks, and then looked back up at 
Tamahome.  "I'm sorry," she said again, before carefully pulling herself away, and leaving the room.

He watched her go without saying a word, without moving a muscle, without thinking a single thing.  He 
let her walk out of his life, and tried to erase the memory of her from his heart.



Ameka was considerably broken up when Tasuki found her on the opposite side of the pond she had almost 
drowned in an hour later.  "Ora, what are you doing out here, alone, in the dark?" he called.  He 
carefully picked his way around the pond, coming towards her.

She was curled up, holding her knees to her chest, and staring into the serene water.  He sat down next to 
her.

"You need to come inside.  We're performing the summoning ceremony tomorrow, remember?"

She nodded.  Of course she remembered.

"You want me to carry you?"  Tasuki gave a fanged grin, and she frowned at him.  She was not in the 
mood for joking around.  He shrugged, and scooped her up anyways.  "Nuriko thinks he did something wrong, 
and he's blaming your depression on Tamahome.  Hotohori's tried to shut both of them up.  It's not 
working.  The room they were in is a total mess now because of the brawl they got into."

"I don't want to hear about them fighting, please," she whispered.

Tasuki snorted.  "Is it that time of the month for you, or something?  You're never like this."

A few seconds later, Ameka was standing on her own, dusting herself off, and Tasuki was clutching the 
red hand mark on his cheek.  "That hurt, baka!"

"I know!" she snapped, before continuing on her own.  As she walked, listening to Tasuki lament the 
complexities of women behind her, she smiled slightly.  Things were going to be fine.  They were going to 
summon Suzaku, and everything was going to work out perfectly once she made the wishes.  It was best to 
just forget what Tamahome had said; he had agreed to let her be with Nuriko, that was what they all 
wanted…wasn't it?