Author's Note:
Hello folks!!! Sorry for not updating sooner... been busy. Not as busy as I was but still busy. But here is the next chapter in the story. I have checked and double checked for typos and toehr things like that, so there should not be many erroes in here. But hey I am human so I might have missed some. Thank you all that are reading and have added me to your favorite's list. It makes me happy to see that this story is as popular as it is. Um as far as the next update, I am going to try to get it out before the fourth of July, sicne I am going to be out of town and won't have aces to my computer at all. So let's shoot for the weekend of the 27th of June? But don't flae me if that does nto happen... I will shoot for it. So that is about... Oh... another thing I have not had disclamiers... but you all know that I do not own Fushigi Yuugi. I aonly own Alexisa..... haha... you can't take her. Well enough of me talking... have fun reading.
-JediMadchen86
Tasuki quickly walked to the inn, and up to Alexisa's room. He opened the door and walked over to the bed, he pulled the covers down and then laid her on the bed, he looked down at her once more. He lifted her up and took her coat off revealing her non-existent shirt. He placed the blankets over her, and quickly went to his room. He searched his room, found an extra shirt, and with that in hand he went back to Alexisa. He opened her door, to see her still laying in bed. Tasuki walked back over towards the bed, he pulled the covers off of her chest, and removed what was left of her old shirt, and tossing it on the ground along with the discarded coat. He then pulled the rest of the blankets up to her chin. She know longer felt cold to the touch, her lips had regained some of their former color as well. He saw a chair sitting by the door, and pulled it over next to the bed, sitting down next to her. He took her hand in his and watched over her while she slept.
"Hey Tamahome. Do you think Alexisa will be all right?" asked Miaka as she and the other warriors walked into town.
"I hope so Miaka, but who knows what went on behind that door."
"What I don't get is why she was the only one to open that door. I mean all the warriors are ready to give their life for Miaka, but it would not budge for me," said Nuriko still helping Chichiri walk.
"Maybe she is more willing to give her life, than the rest of us," said Tamahome looking down at the ground.
"What do you mean?" asked Nuriko "All the warriors are supposed to be ready to give their life in protect their Priestess."
"But why does any of you have to die?" asked Miaka as she turned around and looked at all her friends. "I don't want any of you to die," she said as tears began to form in her eyes.
"Miaka," Tamahome said as he put his arm around her shoulders comforting her. "We don't want to die either, but if given the choice, and it was your life or mine. I would gladly give mine up for you, that is what all of us would do."
"But why?"
"Because we are Suzaku warriors, we were all chosen for this," said Chichiri without his mask.
"Miaka. Ever since Alexisa found out her purpose here she has taken on every responsibility that comes with being a Guardian. No only is it her destiny, but I feel that that is how Aleixsa is as a person. She was the best choice to become Guardian since she does everything without a second thought," said Chiriko making his presence known as he walked up in front of Miaka, and walking into the inn.
Miaka watched as her friends and her warriors all walked into the inn; as Tamahome was about to enter she looked up into the night sky. "Miaka, are you coming?" he asked looking back at her.
"Coming!" she said as a smile appeared on her face.
"What were you doing?"
"Oh, nothing just thinking. Well I am going to head to sleep, night Tamahome," she waved and headed up the stairs to her room, only to remember that Tasuki had taken Alexisa to the room. 'Maybe I will poke my head in to see how she is doing,' thought Miaka as he approached her door, and opened the door walking in to see, the bandit keeping watch over her.
"Hey, Tasuki any change?" she asked making her presence known to him as she stick her head in the door.
Without taking his eyes off oh her, he replied "No, and sorry for taking your room. I'm sure Nuriko wouldn't mind if you stayed with him. Hell he might be glad to have you stay there. Don't think he likes bunking with me."
"It's ok Tasuki. I understand," said Miaka as she removed her head from the room and closed the door. Once the door was shut she turned around and walked across the hall, to Tasuki's room.
"Hey Nuriko," Miaka spoke as she turned the handle, "I am going to bunk here tonight," she finished saying as she walked into the room, to see Nuriko sitting down on one of the beds.
"Miaka, I was expecting Tasuki to walk in."
"Yea, he is going to watch over Alexisa and told me to bunk here with you," Miaka replied as she closed the door.
"Yea, I guess the bandit boy would want to watch over her. Well there you go," said Nuriko as he pointed to the other bed.
Miaka walked over to the bed and sat down, "Nuriko, do you think what Chiriko said earlier is true?"
"What do you mean?"
"About how Alexisa is not afraid to die? How all she wants to do is protect us."
"Miaka, listen to me. We were all chosen by Suzaku to protect you. Once we saw the mark on our bodies, we each knew what we would have to do. As for Alexisa, I think that what Chiriko said is part true. We all are afraid of dying, it's just what we do as humans, Alexisa knows that we all have a time to die, and there is nothing that can stop it from happening, so I think that is why she lives the way she does. I think that is also why she was chosen to be the Guardian. A Guardian is one that serves, and protects, and since I have meet her there has only been one thing on her mind to protect all of us, even if that means giving her life," said Nuriko as he got up from the bed and walked to the window. "Not only is it her duty as the Guardian of Suzaku, but as our friend, she wants all of us to be happy, and she will do anything to see that we do."
"Yea, I guess you're right," said Miaka looking up at her friend.
"Same here, Miaka. Why don't we get some sleep, we have had a long day," said Nuriko walking back to the bed and laying down. "Night Miaka," he said as she pulled the blankets over himself.
"Night Nuriko," replied Miaka as she to lie down and tried to fall asleep.
Tasuki sat watching over the sleeping girl throughout the night. The words of his fellow warrior continued to rung throughout his head. 'She knows that she will die one day, just like the rest of us, but I believe that she has no fear of dying.' 'How can she not be afraid of dying? Aren't we all afraid of death, it's the one thing that we have no control over,' thought Tasuki as he sat looking over the laying figure on the bed. Tasuki leaned back in the chair and looked out the window at the night sky, the stars had begun to come out and they lit up the sky. He took one last look at the night sky then returned to the chair that sat by her bed, waiting for her to wake.
Alexisa slowly opened her eyes, to an unfamiliar ceiling, and pain all over her body. 'What did I do this time?' she asked herself as she closed her eyes, remembering the events that led up to her passing out again. 'I remember seeing Tomite pointing an arrow at me, then I just remember pain all over my body. Wait how did I end up here? I was in that cave on top of the mountain,' her thoughts ran through her mind, as she tried to sit up but grunting in pain as she did.
Tasuki jolted awake at the noise that escaped Alexisa's lips, he saw her trying to sit up; he quickly made his way over to side to help. "Aleixsa, you should take it easy," he replied once he reached her.
Alexisa towards his face, and saw the worry in his eyes through the dark, she could tell from his voice that he had just woken up himself, and assumed that he had been watching over her. She felt two hands on her shoulders slowly pushing her towards the bed once more, not having the energy to fight, she allowed him to push her down. "Tasuki?" she asked once she was lying down.
"Yea?"
"What happened?"
"You mean you don't remember?" he asked with concern in his voice.
"All I remember is Tomite pointing an arrow at me, then there was pain all over my body, then I woke up here," she replied looking up at the darkened ceiling "Wait Tomite, what happened to him?" she asked as she jolted back up only to hiss in pain at the sudden moment.
"He left, said that his final task was complete and he went to rejoin his own friends," came his reply as he lowered back to the bed.
"That's good, I'm happy to hear that."
"He said that the light of Suzaku engulfed you and all seven marks appeared on your body, he then said that only a Guardian willing to give their life to serve the Priestess would be able to open the door. Are you really willing to do that Alexisa?" he asked as he looked down at her.
Alexisa took a breath, she knew that this would come up sooner or later, she just wished it would be later, ever since Taitsukun told her that it would be her or Miaka, when the summoning took place, she had been thinking about this question, and still had yet to find an answer. "I guess… In some way I am ready to give my life for her, ever since I have come to this world, I have felt at home. Like this is where I am supposed to be. Tasuki, the warriors of Suzaku are more than just friends to me, they are my family, a very odd family but a family nonetheless. Having a family is precious thing to me, we share our lives, we share a home, we share the same goals in life and even though we do not share the ties of blood, like other families, we are a family. No one messes with my family and gets away with it," she replied looking over at him, to see that he had moved to the window while she had been talking. "Tasuki."
"But why? Why does it have to be you?" he asked as he turned from the window and looked towards her.
"It is what I am supposed to do. I don't have a choice, just like you don't have a choice to be a warrior. I am not sorry for my actions, Genrou. I am not. I am glad that I was chosen to be The Guardian of Suzaku, it meant that I had the chance to met you all," she replied as she turned her head away from him, and towards the wall, as she tried to have sleep consume her. Tasuki watched as she turned her head towards the wall, and then he slowly turned his head to look back out the window. He continued to stand by window thinking over what was said, during the night he wondered over to the bed, and laid down upon it.
Alexisa woke a few hours later; the sky was still dark but more stars had come out, and lit the night sky; she slowly moved her arms and legs, seeing if the pain would still surge up her body. Small amounts of pain stilled rolled over her body, but not as much as earlier. She slowly sat up, having the blanket fall into her lap. She looked over at Tasuki's sleeping form and a small smile appeared on her face. 'Bout time that bandit boy got some sleep,' she thought as she moved her legs over the side of the side of the bed, and slowly pushed herself to her feet. Pain rushed to her feet and back up her body, a small hiss of pain escaped her lips as she took her first step. She quickly looked to where Tasuki lay, to see him stir a little, she paused her movements hoping that he would not wake up. He rolled to his side and slowly fell back a sleep. Aleixsa slowly made her way towards the door, and out into the hallway. Once she was out in the hall, she leaned against the closed door. Her stomach made its emptiness known, with a low grumble. 'Guess it has been a while since I ate anything, wonder if I could sneak into the kitchen and fid some food,' she thought as she made her way downstairs. She reached the bottom of the stairs to find an older gentlemen wiping off tables, and collecting the various different cup, and plates around the inn's dining room.
"Excuse me sir?" she asked making her presence known to him.
"What do you want?" came a mumbled replay, as he looked up at her.
"Sorry to bother you so late, but I was wondering if there was any food left over? I seemed to have slept through dinner."
"You are that girl that was bought in earlier. That big oddball group. Aren't ya?"
"Yea."
"I guess I could try to find something for you to eat, might not be much. Wait here while I go looking," he replied as he walked behind a desk and back into the kitchen. Alexisa saw that most of the tables had their chairs placed on top of them already, she walked to the nearest table and pulled down one chair and waited for the innkeeper to return. She did not have to wait long, a few minutes after she sat down, he came out of the kitchen, with a bowl that had steam rolling off of it, and a hunk of bread. "Here ya go, sorry it's not much, but that is all we have left," came his replay as he set down the bowl and bread in front of her.
Aleixsa thanked the man and began to eat, finishing up the soup and bread in just a few minutes. "Thanks, I guess I was more hungry than I thought," came her reply as she gathered up her bowl. "Sorry again for bothering you, thanks for the meal," replied Alexisa as she got to her feet.
"Who are those people that you are traveling with?"
"Oh, them. We are traveling to see some old friends around the area," she replied as she turned around to look at him.
"I heard you talking earlier, about searching for something?" he asked as he continued to clean the room.
"I think that you are confused sir. We are just stopping in, to our friends house," she replied as she walked towards the stairs.
"So you went to the mountain top to get the shinzaho right?"
"How did you know about that?" she asked as she stopped in her tracks.
"There was a story that has been passed down by my family for generations, I never really put much faith in it, until I saw you come to my inn. One of my ancestors was a Genbu warrior, and story has it that he fell in love with the Guardian of Genbu."
"Guardian of Genbu? But I thought that I was the only one," she said as she turned around and looked at him.
"Yes, the Guardian of Genbu, if it was not for her, the Priestess of Genbu, would have not been able to summon Genbu and save Hokkan."
"What happened to the Guardian when Genbu was summoned? Was she able to return home?"
"No on really knows, some thought that she returned home, others thought that she escaped into the mountains to live out her life in peace, since she had seen so much death, in her service to the God, but as for the Priestess, she returned to her world."
'Could it be that she lived? That she did not die? Their Priestess returned home, and the Guardian lived, maybe I won't have to die' thought Alexisa as she continued to stand there. "What happened to your ancestor?"
"After the summoning the few warriors that remained continued with their lives, except him, he could not get that girl out of his mind. But he did marry and have children, but one day he left his wife and baby, at home and went out to hunt one day but never returned. The village thought that he got lost in the storm, but his wife knew that he still longed for the Guardian of Genbu and she knew that he went out in search of her, never to be heard from again."
"So the Guardian of Genbu more than likely lived?" asked Alexisa under her breath, as she turned once again and looked at the innkeeper. "Thank you again for the food I will leave you be now," continued Alexisa as she walked back up the stairs and returned to her room, to find Tasuki still sleeping in the bed. She slowly made her way over to he bed, and looked down at it. 'I really don't feel like sleeping anymore, and I really don't want to be in that bed,' her thoughts rang through her head, as she turned her head and looked out the window. She carefully moved the chair that was once beside her head over to the window, and watched the stars until the sun rose.