Mima's Side of the Story
By: Satil
---
None of the Fushigi Yuugi characters belong to me, but is rightfully owned by Watase Yuu. Only does the character Mima belong to me. And Mima would resemble me... I rather keep the same storyline. So don't sue me or anything if there's anything in here that you do NOT like. O.o;;;;; And I'd like to recieve reviews! ^_^ But no flames... @.x;;;
---
~*Chapter 22*~
Friday, August 2, 2002
"Mima," Miaka called for me. "Come."
"Hai," I said, sadly. I walked over to the others, facing the entrance. "What should happen now?"
To answer my question, the door slowly opened for us.
"So this is where the Shinzaho is?" Tasuki asked, watching as the door opens.
"I have a bad feeling about this, no da," Chichiri said.
"Why?" I turned to look at him.
"Even though a Seiryuu Seishi was cut down, they haven't taken any action against us, no da," Chichiri replied.
We stepped inside, greeted by darkness and cold air.
"Ah, it's so dark," Miaka said. "And so cold."
"Regardless, we have to keep on going," Tamahome told her.
"Tasuki, can't you make light with your tessen?" I asked him. But, before he could answer, the door behind us closed.
"Shit!" Tamahome cursed. "The door shut!" And then we heard Miaka squeal.
"Miaka, doshite nani yo?" I asked. (AN: "Miaka, what's the matter?")
"I don't know, I stumbled over something," she replied.
"Make some light right now, Tasuki!" I told him.
"No sweat," Tasuki shed some light with his tessen, revealing the thing that Miaka tripped over were... bones.
"B-b-bones! Bones!" Miaka and I shrieked, clinging onto each other.
"I'm sc-scared!" I stuttered, crying.
"Me t-too!" Miaka agreed.
"That's pretty obvious," Tasuki said, trying to sound like a smartass.
"Human skeletons," Tamahome noted.
"You don't have to scare us even more!" I scolded.
Then, all of a sudden, Tamahome told us to watch out and lay on the floor. I spotted some ice shards that were aimed at us, but landed on the ground nearby. I stood back up, and so did everybody else.
"Tamahome, daijobou?" I asked. (AN: "Tamahome, are you okay?")
"I'm alright, I was just grazed," he replied.
Just then, we heard a voice, "The Shinzaho is what you're after? Bad choice."
"Nani!?" I backed up, and bumped into Chichiri.
We looked to where the voice came from, and saw a silhouette of two men glowing green.
"Who're they?" Tasuki asked.
"What strong auras they have!" Tamahome noted.
"The Shinzaho won't be handed over to you!" the same voice said.
"Who is it?" Miaka shouted. "Come out where we can see you!"
The two men stepped into the light, revealing two young men in their early twenties. One looked like a crossover of Tasuki and Tamahome, but with black hair, and the other had long, gray hair with an eyepatch covering his right eye. They looked powerful.
"Shit," I cursed. "Are they Seiryuu Seishi?"
"What a high-spirited girl," the one with an eyepatch said. "My name is Hikitsu."
The other one, the Tamasuki, said, "I'm Genbu Seishi, Tomite, guardian of the Shinzaho!"
"Genbu Shichiseishi?!" I exclaimed. "But, impossible! Genbu was summoned over two hundred years ago!"
"Right you are, little girl," Hikitsu said.
"We're of the seven Genbu Seishi of the North!" Tomite said. He fired his ice arrows at Miaka and Tamahome, but they both dodged out of the way.
"Genbu Seisho you say?!" Chichiri asked.
"Impossible! You had to have died two hundred years ago!" Tasuki exclaimed.
I sweat dropped. "Didn't I just say that?"
"Wait, won't you listen to us?" Miaka asked. "We're from Suzaku!" She began running towards them, the ditz she was. But Hikitsu sent ice snakes to hold her back.
"Miaka!" Tamahome exclaimed, and ran to her.
"Even for a woman, I'm not lenient about thieves," Hikitsu said, coldly. "Don't worry, you'll only be frozen. Later, your body will decay."
"Rekka Shinen!" Tasuki threw his fire at Miaka, burning Tamahome to a crisp, but melting the icy hold on Miaka.
Miaka got all googly-eyed at Tasuki. "Tasuki!"
"Fire's just great on ice," Tasuki smirked. "It's all up to me now."
"No, I'll take care of it!" Miaka insisted.
"Miaka, stay out of the way!" Tamahome warned.
"But..." Miaka began.
Tamahome took Miaka's hand, staring her straight in the eyes. "We have to force our way through. If we can't do that, I can't face Nuriko's memory."
"Hey, damn you!" I shouted.
"Don't get mushy during an emergency!" Tasuki added.
"If we get through them," Tamahome's ogre sign showed up on his forehead, "we can stay together!"
"That's a stupid thing to try," Tomite said. "You think you can win over US?!"
"Should we bother with them, Tomite?" Hikitsu asked.
I felt offended. "I bet your ASS you should bother with us!" I felt the sign on my hip growing hot, which I knew it was glowing.
"Guess they prefer to join the skeletons," Hikitsu shrugged. "Very well."
"Shuddup!" Tamahome interrupted. "We, Suzaku Seishi, can't step aside!"
"Suzaku shichiseishi?" Hikitsu repeated. "You say you're Suzaku Seishi? Then which one of you is the animal seishi?"
I stepped up. "I am."
"Figures why there is eight of you," Tomite said.
"Tasuki, I'll leave the left one for you!" Tamahome said. They both charged at the Genbu Seishi, ready to take them down so they would get out of our way. I watched as Hikitsu's ice snakes charged at Tasuki.
"Rekka Shinen!" Tasuki chanted. "Think you can pull the same trick on me twice, don't you?" A burst of flames headed towards Hikitsu's ice snakes. "Leave it to me. I've been secretly practicing new skills." Miaka and I went all googly over our men.
But then, we saw Tamahome be held in place by an invisible force.
"You can't beat what you can't see," Tomite laughed. "The ring will get smaller, until it cuts you in half!"
"I can't die here," Tamahome swore. "Not here... not now!" Amazingly, he broke against the invisible ring Tomite was talking about.
Tasuki focused on his tessen until a ring of fire surrounded him. Then he said, "I'll FINISH YOU!" Then the fire surrounded Hikitsu and Tomite, who couldn't see a thing. "Now, Tamahome!"
Tamahome charged at Tomite and got ready to surprise him by landing on him from above. But, to our surprise, Tamahome just went right through him, then landing on the ground, sliding backwards.
"Passed right through," Miaka said.
"Like ghosts," I added.
"Sorry, you can't hurt us," Hikitsu said. "You're just wasting your time. A person that can beat us, doesn't exist. And, as some of you have guessed, our bodies were gone two hundred years ago."
"Thought forms, no da," Chichiri muttered, but then said loudly, "Spirits!"
"Bastards!" Tasuki accused, pointing a finger at the Genbu Seishi. "I don't know about spirits or what, but you ought to have bodies so you can fight like men!"
"Imbecile," Tamahome said, "they don't have bodies. Don't you get it?"
"If you get the picture, don't waste your time," Hikitsu warned.
"Why don't you quit playing now, Hikitsu?" Tomite asked. "Let's show our loyalty to Genbu no Miko!"
"Wait!" Miaka cried out, and then ran towards them and got on her hands and knees. "Onegai, I beg of you, let us through. We need the Shinzaho to call upon Suzaku. I'll do whatever you say. We can't go back to Konan Country without the Shinzaho. Please, I'm begging you!"
I walked up to where she was at, and got on my hands and knees, too. "Onegai, we'll do whatever you say. We're both begging you!" I heard Tasuki scream out my name, telling me I'm being stupid and that I should quit whatever I'm doing.
"Agreed," Hikitsu said.
"What do you want Mima and I to do?" Miaka asked.
"If you're really Suzaku no Miko," Hikitsu began, "we need to test you to see if you're worthy of it."
Tomite looked at me, and said, "And you, you look fairly young. Too young to be a Suzaku Seishi, let alone an animal Seishi. Usually they are much older than you are. You need to be tested if you're faithful towards your Miko."
"Only then will we allow you to pass," Hikitsu added.
Miaka and I rose to our feet. "We understand," we both said in unison.
"Don't! You have no idea what they might want!" Tamahome cried.
"Mima, you're an idiot if you think you can withstand what they have in mind!" Tasuki shouted.
"It's alright!" Miaka shouted to Tamahome. "Don't help us. We can do it." Miaka faced me. "Right?"
I grinned, "Right." We faced the Genbu Seishi.
"Then," Tomite said, "Take off all your clothes!"
"N-n-nani?!" Miaka and I shrieked, everybody else going bug-eyed.
"Ecchi! Hentai!" I accused, hugging myself.
"What do you have in mind?!" Tamahome shouted. "That's sick!"
"What kind of perverts are you!?" Tasuki accused.
"Shuddup! We can finish this, you know!" Tomite shouted back, while Miaka and I scratch our heads.
"You know what," I said. "I'll do it! I'll take my clothes off!" In the corner of my eyes, I saw Tasuki fall over.
"Yeah!" Miaka said, having Tamahome fall over.
We took off our coats, pulled off our skirts, and unbuttoned our shirts. The only things left that I wore were our bra's and panties. Miaka wore something that covered most of her, which was something that was more of a lingerie gown.
"Aaacckk!!" Tamahome exclaimed. "Everybody close your eyes!"
"Don't look!" Tasuki shouted.
"I don't feel right, Miaka," I said, putting my arms around my body. I eyed Tasuki and Tamahome covering each other's eyes.
"Fine. Stay there and don't move," Tomite ordered. "The young girl has to be trapped in a barrier of excruciating pain. The only way she can escape is taking form of a dragon or screaming out to stop. But, if she does this, then Suzaku no Miko dies. If she can withstand this pain without her trying to escape before Suzaku no Miko can escape her icy coffin, she's worthy. But, if the Miko can break through her barrier, the two of them are free."
'Pain?' I thought, but then soon enough, I was lifted into the air, and in an instant, pain went through my whole body. I kept screaming, not being able to handle something so extreme. It was fifty times more painful than the time Soi put us under that electrict net.
"Shit!" Tasuki cursed. "You're doing this because you think she looks young and not faithful enough or devoted enough?!"
I heard Hikitsu laugh, then say, "Exactly."
"You sick perverts! Why do you need their clothes off?" Tamahome shouted.
"Because, the less they wear, the more pain they feel," Tomite answered. I opened my eyes and looked beneath me, and saw that Miaka was being trapped in ice.
'Hang in there, Miaka,' I thought. 'We can get through this...' I heard her scream in pain.
'I know it hurts, Miaka... but we can do this. We're strong enough.'
"If you're a Miko, you'll figure out a way to get by this," Hikitsu said.
"Not likely, not likely," Tomite doubted.
'It hurts,' I thought. 'I'm dying...' But, just when I was losing hope and was going to allow myself to die, Nuriko appeared before me.
"Nur... iko...?" I muttered.
"Mima, you may be young," Nuriko said, "But don't let them win. You and Miaka can't lose. Don't let them underestimate you. I know you can win. I just know it." I saw him go down to Miaka, to support her, as well as he supported me.
I don't know when, or how, but I felt the pain lift up and off of my body, and I began floating back down to the ground. My head and the rest of my body still hurt from the extreme intensity I just experienced, but everything else was all right. I just laid down on the ground for awhile, while I heard Miaka coughing.
I lifted up my head and looked at her, and said, "Miaka, we did it. I didn't give up, and you found a way."
She smiled at me. "We're strong. I knew we could do this."
"Mima! Miaka!" Everybody ran toward us, surrounding us.
Tasuki took me in his arms. "Baka ne... baka ne... Mima no baka!"
I smiled at him, returning his hug. "I'm alright, aren't I?" I was still being held by Tasuki from behind, but I looked at Miaka. "Miaka, how did you manage to break the ice and free us?"
"I don't know, really, but..." She looked down at Nuriko's bracelets. "The power cam from Nuriko's bracelets."
I put my pants and white shirt back on, and Tasuki helped to put on my coat. "Nuriko... Didn't you see Nuriko?" I slipped an arm through a sleeve.
"Yeah," Miaka replied.
"Watashi... watashi..." I stuttered. "... Saw him too.
"We saw your power, Suzaku no Miko," Hikitsu said, softly, and more gentle.
"What an attitude adjustment," Tasuki said.
"Power?" Miaka questioned. "I don't know anything about."
"Everyone, sorry for our rudeness," Tomite apologized.
"So, that means you'll let us pass?" Miaka exclaimed.
"Yes, I'll personally guide you to the Shinzaho," Hikitsu smiled at us.
"Wait to go, Miaka!" I nudged her.
She giggled, "You didn't let go, you know. If you did, we'd both be dead."
They lead us to a huge door, probably as tall as the Empire State Building that's in the United States.
"This door is sealed by our thoughts," Hikitsu explained. "For two hundred years, we have protected it. We'll now open the door."
The massive door began to slowly open, everybody being so excited to finally get a hold of the Shinzaho, the only thing we need to summon Suzaku.
What I saw was beautiful. It was a long hallway, the seemed to shimmer every way you turned. It was like the hall was made out of glass, with only the finest, silkiest carpet. And the good thing was, the thing that stood before us, was the Shinzaho.
"It's the Shinzaho," Tomite said.
"Only Miko, please follow us," Hikitsu said. We watched as Miaka followed the two loyal Genbu Shichiseishi, to retrieve the Shinzaho. The thing that Nuriko sacrificed his life for.
I heard Tomite explain the story of the Shinzaho, "Genbu no Miko wore this necklace for the ceremony to call Genbu. The power within it can call forth an animal god."
"Um, not to interrupt, but uh..." Tomite said. "You can't call Suzaku with that alone."
"Nani!?" the rest of us exclaimed.
"No way!" Miaka shouted.
"We can't call Suzaku!" Tasuki complained. "Why's that?!"
"Without the Shinzaho from the west, Sairo Country, it won't have enough power," Toimite explained. (Sairo: Pronunciation: Sigh - low)
We went glum.
"As I recall, um uh... Taiitsukun only said to go to Hokkan Country first, no da!" Chichiri recalled.
"NANI?!" I grabbed the stupid monk by the collar. "Why you...!" I began to growl at him.
"If so, how come she didn't bother to tell us from the beginning, huh Tama?!" Tasuki barked. Tamahome's thought of marriage seemed to die, his eyes all wide, his sleeve falling down, and tears running along his cheeks.
"It's alright, it's alright!" Miaka reassured. "We'll go to Sairo. We've got one Shinzaho already. We can do it!"
"Yeah, that's true," Tasuki grinned.
"We can make it," Chiriko agreed.
"It won't be any problem, na no da," Chichiri said.
Tamahome began to turn away.
"Tamahome?" Miaka called.
"What're you standing there for? We need to get on our way to Sairo," Tamahome said.
As we neared the way we came in to exit, Tomite said to us, "To get to Sairo, the closest way is through the desert to the south."
"What about the two of you?" Miaka asked.
"Our duties are completed," Tomite answered.
"We'll close the door and return to the sky," Hikitsu added. We walked out into the cold, and watched as the door to the cave closed, and shut us out.
"They're faithful towards their Miko," I said. "They did all of this for their Miko."
"I wish I talked to them more," Miaka thought out loud.
"Seeing them, it seems to me that Suzaku might be able to revive someone like that," Tasuki told her.
"It's a shame, but I think it's impossible, na no da," Chichiri said, doubting Tasuki's comment. "Because body's decay and return to the Earth. It's impossible for them to revive without the phsyical vessels."
I jumped on top of Tasuki's back, hoping for a piggy-back ride. "Well, let's get started towards Sairo for that second Shinzaho!"
"Yeah!" Everybody cheered.
By: Satil
---
None of the Fushigi Yuugi characters belong to me, but is rightfully owned by Watase Yuu. Only does the character Mima belong to me. And Mima would resemble me... I rather keep the same storyline. So don't sue me or anything if there's anything in here that you do NOT like. O.o;;;;; And I'd like to recieve reviews! ^_^ But no flames... @.x;;;
---
~*Chapter 22*~
Friday, August 2, 2002
"Mima," Miaka called for me. "Come."
"Hai," I said, sadly. I walked over to the others, facing the entrance. "What should happen now?"
To answer my question, the door slowly opened for us.
"So this is where the Shinzaho is?" Tasuki asked, watching as the door opens.
"I have a bad feeling about this, no da," Chichiri said.
"Why?" I turned to look at him.
"Even though a Seiryuu Seishi was cut down, they haven't taken any action against us, no da," Chichiri replied.
We stepped inside, greeted by darkness and cold air.
"Ah, it's so dark," Miaka said. "And so cold."
"Regardless, we have to keep on going," Tamahome told her.
"Tasuki, can't you make light with your tessen?" I asked him. But, before he could answer, the door behind us closed.
"Shit!" Tamahome cursed. "The door shut!" And then we heard Miaka squeal.
"Miaka, doshite nani yo?" I asked. (AN: "Miaka, what's the matter?")
"I don't know, I stumbled over something," she replied.
"Make some light right now, Tasuki!" I told him.
"No sweat," Tasuki shed some light with his tessen, revealing the thing that Miaka tripped over were... bones.
"B-b-bones! Bones!" Miaka and I shrieked, clinging onto each other.
"I'm sc-scared!" I stuttered, crying.
"Me t-too!" Miaka agreed.
"That's pretty obvious," Tasuki said, trying to sound like a smartass.
"Human skeletons," Tamahome noted.
"You don't have to scare us even more!" I scolded.
Then, all of a sudden, Tamahome told us to watch out and lay on the floor. I spotted some ice shards that were aimed at us, but landed on the ground nearby. I stood back up, and so did everybody else.
"Tamahome, daijobou?" I asked. (AN: "Tamahome, are you okay?")
"I'm alright, I was just grazed," he replied.
Just then, we heard a voice, "The Shinzaho is what you're after? Bad choice."
"Nani!?" I backed up, and bumped into Chichiri.
We looked to where the voice came from, and saw a silhouette of two men glowing green.
"Who're they?" Tasuki asked.
"What strong auras they have!" Tamahome noted.
"The Shinzaho won't be handed over to you!" the same voice said.
"Who is it?" Miaka shouted. "Come out where we can see you!"
The two men stepped into the light, revealing two young men in their early twenties. One looked like a crossover of Tasuki and Tamahome, but with black hair, and the other had long, gray hair with an eyepatch covering his right eye. They looked powerful.
"Shit," I cursed. "Are they Seiryuu Seishi?"
"What a high-spirited girl," the one with an eyepatch said. "My name is Hikitsu."
The other one, the Tamasuki, said, "I'm Genbu Seishi, Tomite, guardian of the Shinzaho!"
"Genbu Shichiseishi?!" I exclaimed. "But, impossible! Genbu was summoned over two hundred years ago!"
"Right you are, little girl," Hikitsu said.
"We're of the seven Genbu Seishi of the North!" Tomite said. He fired his ice arrows at Miaka and Tamahome, but they both dodged out of the way.
"Genbu Seisho you say?!" Chichiri asked.
"Impossible! You had to have died two hundred years ago!" Tasuki exclaimed.
I sweat dropped. "Didn't I just say that?"
"Wait, won't you listen to us?" Miaka asked. "We're from Suzaku!" She began running towards them, the ditz she was. But Hikitsu sent ice snakes to hold her back.
"Miaka!" Tamahome exclaimed, and ran to her.
"Even for a woman, I'm not lenient about thieves," Hikitsu said, coldly. "Don't worry, you'll only be frozen. Later, your body will decay."
"Rekka Shinen!" Tasuki threw his fire at Miaka, burning Tamahome to a crisp, but melting the icy hold on Miaka.
Miaka got all googly-eyed at Tasuki. "Tasuki!"
"Fire's just great on ice," Tasuki smirked. "It's all up to me now."
"No, I'll take care of it!" Miaka insisted.
"Miaka, stay out of the way!" Tamahome warned.
"But..." Miaka began.
Tamahome took Miaka's hand, staring her straight in the eyes. "We have to force our way through. If we can't do that, I can't face Nuriko's memory."
"Hey, damn you!" I shouted.
"Don't get mushy during an emergency!" Tasuki added.
"If we get through them," Tamahome's ogre sign showed up on his forehead, "we can stay together!"
"That's a stupid thing to try," Tomite said. "You think you can win over US?!"
"Should we bother with them, Tomite?" Hikitsu asked.
I felt offended. "I bet your ASS you should bother with us!" I felt the sign on my hip growing hot, which I knew it was glowing.
"Guess they prefer to join the skeletons," Hikitsu shrugged. "Very well."
"Shuddup!" Tamahome interrupted. "We, Suzaku Seishi, can't step aside!"
"Suzaku shichiseishi?" Hikitsu repeated. "You say you're Suzaku Seishi? Then which one of you is the animal seishi?"
I stepped up. "I am."
"Figures why there is eight of you," Tomite said.
"Tasuki, I'll leave the left one for you!" Tamahome said. They both charged at the Genbu Seishi, ready to take them down so they would get out of our way. I watched as Hikitsu's ice snakes charged at Tasuki.
"Rekka Shinen!" Tasuki chanted. "Think you can pull the same trick on me twice, don't you?" A burst of flames headed towards Hikitsu's ice snakes. "Leave it to me. I've been secretly practicing new skills." Miaka and I went all googly over our men.
But then, we saw Tamahome be held in place by an invisible force.
"You can't beat what you can't see," Tomite laughed. "The ring will get smaller, until it cuts you in half!"
"I can't die here," Tamahome swore. "Not here... not now!" Amazingly, he broke against the invisible ring Tomite was talking about.
Tasuki focused on his tessen until a ring of fire surrounded him. Then he said, "I'll FINISH YOU!" Then the fire surrounded Hikitsu and Tomite, who couldn't see a thing. "Now, Tamahome!"
Tamahome charged at Tomite and got ready to surprise him by landing on him from above. But, to our surprise, Tamahome just went right through him, then landing on the ground, sliding backwards.
"Passed right through," Miaka said.
"Like ghosts," I added.
"Sorry, you can't hurt us," Hikitsu said. "You're just wasting your time. A person that can beat us, doesn't exist. And, as some of you have guessed, our bodies were gone two hundred years ago."
"Thought forms, no da," Chichiri muttered, but then said loudly, "Spirits!"
"Bastards!" Tasuki accused, pointing a finger at the Genbu Seishi. "I don't know about spirits or what, but you ought to have bodies so you can fight like men!"
"Imbecile," Tamahome said, "they don't have bodies. Don't you get it?"
"If you get the picture, don't waste your time," Hikitsu warned.
"Why don't you quit playing now, Hikitsu?" Tomite asked. "Let's show our loyalty to Genbu no Miko!"
"Wait!" Miaka cried out, and then ran towards them and got on her hands and knees. "Onegai, I beg of you, let us through. We need the Shinzaho to call upon Suzaku. I'll do whatever you say. We can't go back to Konan Country without the Shinzaho. Please, I'm begging you!"
I walked up to where she was at, and got on my hands and knees, too. "Onegai, we'll do whatever you say. We're both begging you!" I heard Tasuki scream out my name, telling me I'm being stupid and that I should quit whatever I'm doing.
"Agreed," Hikitsu said.
"What do you want Mima and I to do?" Miaka asked.
"If you're really Suzaku no Miko," Hikitsu began, "we need to test you to see if you're worthy of it."
Tomite looked at me, and said, "And you, you look fairly young. Too young to be a Suzaku Seishi, let alone an animal Seishi. Usually they are much older than you are. You need to be tested if you're faithful towards your Miko."
"Only then will we allow you to pass," Hikitsu added.
Miaka and I rose to our feet. "We understand," we both said in unison.
"Don't! You have no idea what they might want!" Tamahome cried.
"Mima, you're an idiot if you think you can withstand what they have in mind!" Tasuki shouted.
"It's alright!" Miaka shouted to Tamahome. "Don't help us. We can do it." Miaka faced me. "Right?"
I grinned, "Right." We faced the Genbu Seishi.
"Then," Tomite said, "Take off all your clothes!"
"N-n-nani?!" Miaka and I shrieked, everybody else going bug-eyed.
"Ecchi! Hentai!" I accused, hugging myself.
"What do you have in mind?!" Tamahome shouted. "That's sick!"
"What kind of perverts are you!?" Tasuki accused.
"Shuddup! We can finish this, you know!" Tomite shouted back, while Miaka and I scratch our heads.
"You know what," I said. "I'll do it! I'll take my clothes off!" In the corner of my eyes, I saw Tasuki fall over.
"Yeah!" Miaka said, having Tamahome fall over.
We took off our coats, pulled off our skirts, and unbuttoned our shirts. The only things left that I wore were our bra's and panties. Miaka wore something that covered most of her, which was something that was more of a lingerie gown.
"Aaacckk!!" Tamahome exclaimed. "Everybody close your eyes!"
"Don't look!" Tasuki shouted.
"I don't feel right, Miaka," I said, putting my arms around my body. I eyed Tasuki and Tamahome covering each other's eyes.
"Fine. Stay there and don't move," Tomite ordered. "The young girl has to be trapped in a barrier of excruciating pain. The only way she can escape is taking form of a dragon or screaming out to stop. But, if she does this, then Suzaku no Miko dies. If she can withstand this pain without her trying to escape before Suzaku no Miko can escape her icy coffin, she's worthy. But, if the Miko can break through her barrier, the two of them are free."
'Pain?' I thought, but then soon enough, I was lifted into the air, and in an instant, pain went through my whole body. I kept screaming, not being able to handle something so extreme. It was fifty times more painful than the time Soi put us under that electrict net.
"Shit!" Tasuki cursed. "You're doing this because you think she looks young and not faithful enough or devoted enough?!"
I heard Hikitsu laugh, then say, "Exactly."
"You sick perverts! Why do you need their clothes off?" Tamahome shouted.
"Because, the less they wear, the more pain they feel," Tomite answered. I opened my eyes and looked beneath me, and saw that Miaka was being trapped in ice.
'Hang in there, Miaka,' I thought. 'We can get through this...' I heard her scream in pain.
'I know it hurts, Miaka... but we can do this. We're strong enough.'
"If you're a Miko, you'll figure out a way to get by this," Hikitsu said.
"Not likely, not likely," Tomite doubted.
'It hurts,' I thought. 'I'm dying...' But, just when I was losing hope and was going to allow myself to die, Nuriko appeared before me.
"Nur... iko...?" I muttered.
"Mima, you may be young," Nuriko said, "But don't let them win. You and Miaka can't lose. Don't let them underestimate you. I know you can win. I just know it." I saw him go down to Miaka, to support her, as well as he supported me.
I don't know when, or how, but I felt the pain lift up and off of my body, and I began floating back down to the ground. My head and the rest of my body still hurt from the extreme intensity I just experienced, but everything else was all right. I just laid down on the ground for awhile, while I heard Miaka coughing.
I lifted up my head and looked at her, and said, "Miaka, we did it. I didn't give up, and you found a way."
She smiled at me. "We're strong. I knew we could do this."
"Mima! Miaka!" Everybody ran toward us, surrounding us.
Tasuki took me in his arms. "Baka ne... baka ne... Mima no baka!"
I smiled at him, returning his hug. "I'm alright, aren't I?" I was still being held by Tasuki from behind, but I looked at Miaka. "Miaka, how did you manage to break the ice and free us?"
"I don't know, really, but..." She looked down at Nuriko's bracelets. "The power cam from Nuriko's bracelets."
I put my pants and white shirt back on, and Tasuki helped to put on my coat. "Nuriko... Didn't you see Nuriko?" I slipped an arm through a sleeve.
"Yeah," Miaka replied.
"Watashi... watashi..." I stuttered. "... Saw him too.
"We saw your power, Suzaku no Miko," Hikitsu said, softly, and more gentle.
"What an attitude adjustment," Tasuki said.
"Power?" Miaka questioned. "I don't know anything about."
"Everyone, sorry for our rudeness," Tomite apologized.
"So, that means you'll let us pass?" Miaka exclaimed.
"Yes, I'll personally guide you to the Shinzaho," Hikitsu smiled at us.
"Wait to go, Miaka!" I nudged her.
She giggled, "You didn't let go, you know. If you did, we'd both be dead."
They lead us to a huge door, probably as tall as the Empire State Building that's in the United States.
"This door is sealed by our thoughts," Hikitsu explained. "For two hundred years, we have protected it. We'll now open the door."
The massive door began to slowly open, everybody being so excited to finally get a hold of the Shinzaho, the only thing we need to summon Suzaku.
What I saw was beautiful. It was a long hallway, the seemed to shimmer every way you turned. It was like the hall was made out of glass, with only the finest, silkiest carpet. And the good thing was, the thing that stood before us, was the Shinzaho.
"It's the Shinzaho," Tomite said.
"Only Miko, please follow us," Hikitsu said. We watched as Miaka followed the two loyal Genbu Shichiseishi, to retrieve the Shinzaho. The thing that Nuriko sacrificed his life for.
I heard Tomite explain the story of the Shinzaho, "Genbu no Miko wore this necklace for the ceremony to call Genbu. The power within it can call forth an animal god."
"Um, not to interrupt, but uh..." Tomite said. "You can't call Suzaku with that alone."
"Nani!?" the rest of us exclaimed.
"No way!" Miaka shouted.
"We can't call Suzaku!" Tasuki complained. "Why's that?!"
"Without the Shinzaho from the west, Sairo Country, it won't have enough power," Toimite explained. (Sairo: Pronunciation: Sigh - low)
We went glum.
"As I recall, um uh... Taiitsukun only said to go to Hokkan Country first, no da!" Chichiri recalled.
"NANI?!" I grabbed the stupid monk by the collar. "Why you...!" I began to growl at him.
"If so, how come she didn't bother to tell us from the beginning, huh Tama?!" Tasuki barked. Tamahome's thought of marriage seemed to die, his eyes all wide, his sleeve falling down, and tears running along his cheeks.
"It's alright, it's alright!" Miaka reassured. "We'll go to Sairo. We've got one Shinzaho already. We can do it!"
"Yeah, that's true," Tasuki grinned.
"We can make it," Chiriko agreed.
"It won't be any problem, na no da," Chichiri said.
Tamahome began to turn away.
"Tamahome?" Miaka called.
"What're you standing there for? We need to get on our way to Sairo," Tamahome said.
As we neared the way we came in to exit, Tomite said to us, "To get to Sairo, the closest way is through the desert to the south."
"What about the two of you?" Miaka asked.
"Our duties are completed," Tomite answered.
"We'll close the door and return to the sky," Hikitsu added. We walked out into the cold, and watched as the door to the cave closed, and shut us out.
"They're faithful towards their Miko," I said. "They did all of this for their Miko."
"I wish I talked to them more," Miaka thought out loud.
"Seeing them, it seems to me that Suzaku might be able to revive someone like that," Tasuki told her.
"It's a shame, but I think it's impossible, na no da," Chichiri said, doubting Tasuki's comment. "Because body's decay and return to the Earth. It's impossible for them to revive without the phsyical vessels."
I jumped on top of Tasuki's back, hoping for a piggy-back ride. "Well, let's get started towards Sairo for that second Shinzaho!"
"Yeah!" Everybody cheered.
