I DO NOT OWN EVERYTHING HERE!!!
Chapter 3
"Everything is set, Titus."
"Good, call the master and tell him we are ready." Titus ordered Ren, one of Tenkou's minions whose soul would forever belong to him.
Not a moment later, the master himself, Tenkou, appeared in the room where they set the preparation they had planned for so long. Tenkou had managed to trample upon Titus, a creature of the negaverse, when he fell upon a great legend, greater than the legend of the Universe of the Four Gods. Seeking all the evil entity he had trapped, the master gathered all the powers that opened up a portal to the land of great evil, the negaverse, and snatched the last survivor who dwelt in the sea of despair along with the crystal coffin the blue clad female creature protectively guarded.
Everyone in the room kneeled to meet the master. Tenkou just glared at them with indifference. "Let's get tot he task at hand." With that everyone gathered in a circle around the crystal coffin. A great surge of power filled the room and with a thunder of vibration the room went completely dark.
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"So, where's this town of yours Nuriko?" Tasuki had been grumbling throughout the journey. Taiitsukun was kind enough to lend each of them a horse, except for the dead ones. Even Miaka had a horse of her own after all the time trying to teach her how to ride one. Rei had to change into something decent for riding, leaving her royal garment at Taiitsukun's place.
"Stop the whining, Tasuki. We're almost there." Nuriko hovered away from Tasuki, trying to get away from the sudden irritation from his red head comrade.
Tasuki smirked, looking over Nuriko as he flew towards the frowning Rei.
"Great, I have to be stuck with this baby." The princess of Mars muttered, but Tasuki heard it.
"It's too bad I have to be stuck with a weak girl!" He retorted loud enough for her to hear.
Rei had had enough. Ever since the first time they exchange words with each other, the jerk had been torturing her with crude remarks.
"You know pal if you don't want a company of women, why the hell do you still remain a seish? Your priestess is a girl, then why do you keep degrading the opposite of sex?" To Rei's surprise, the hot head bandit leader was stunned. "Are you blind or something? So just shut up and stop being a jerk!"
Tasuki couldn't retort to that. What she said was true and that's what bothered him. The new girl just ignited his mocking temper and he couldn't stop the words from coming out of his mouth. Despite the harsh words Rei poured out to Tasuki, she felt a bit guilty. However, she couldn't bottled her rage after all the insults he had bestowed upon her.
Wait until you see my full strength...
The rest of the journey was quiet until the sudden jolt of Rei's horse stopped their tracks.
"What happened? Are you OK?" Nuriko was sitting behind Rei's steed when the girl froze for no reason, causing the horse to go berserk. Rei didn't answer as Nuriko started to wave his hand if front of her face. Everybody was looking at the stiffened girl now.
"Hey! What's the matter with her?" Tasuki pulled his horse beside Rei's and tried to shake her shoulders. The interruption from the tension Rei felt caused her to faint slightly, making the people around her looked worried.
"I...I felt..." She couldn't finish her sentence as another strong sense of evil energy seemed to invade her senses. She clutched her head, trying to hold the scream that wanted to erupt from her lips.
"Guys, I feel a strong magic in the atmosphere." Chichiri closed his eyes. "It seemed to be devouring Rei."
"Then what the hell are we supposed to do?" Tasuki was looking at the grimacing girl.
"No...thing." Rei wanted to die. She knew what the dark energy was. She had met the source many times before and she didn't want to face the horrendous experience again. She screamed as she couldn't take the darkness that was so familiar to her.
An hour later, Rei woke up in the arms of the former warrior who used to be Tamahome.
"I'm sorry. Please stop the horse so I could go back to my own." Rei tried to get up from her position within Takas's embrace, as she massaged her temples to ease the remaining pressure from her recent dilemma. Taka, regardless the struggle the girl kept, stopped his horse.
"You don't have to apologize. You fainted."
" It's a good thing Tasuki caught you." Miaka pulled her horse beside them.
Rei looked behind her and spotted the red head who was holding the reigns of her horse. She wanted to apologize for calling him names, but she could never forget the things that he called her. Tasuki noticed her looking at him and snorted. Rei glared back, turned her gaze to Taka and smiled her thanks.
Rei dropped from the horse, but after taking one step towards Tasuki, her feet faltered. Again, Taka was there to hold her before she met the ground.
"Thanks. I seemed to be a burden lately." Rei didn't like being weak, especially in front of a man. It made her frustrated when she had to be saved all the time.
Taka was a bit taken aback by the disparaging sound of her voice. "You're welcome, but you're no burden. You were unconscious for awhile and it takes time to get your strength back." He started to guide her towards her horse when he felt her back stiffen.
"I can walk by myself. You already helped me a lot." Rei twisted her body to the side to avoid the hand that touched her back and walked towards her horse. She looked up to the frowning face of Tasuki.
"Thanks" She grabbed the reigns from his hands and gathered all her strength to get back up on the saddle. Rei almost dropped to the other side when Tasuki halted her decent. The hand that was holding her arm was strong and steady. Rei felt more helpless and embarrassed for not getting her composure back.
"You're such a clumsy girl! Your pretty face would have smacked to the ground if it weren't for me."
Rei was enraged by the stinging remark from the guy who held her. "I didn't ask you to stop my fall," she seethed as she slapped Tasuki's hand from her arm. Rei tried to untangle the hold from her arm again, but Tasuki wouldn't let go. She looked up to his smiling face.
"Is that what I get from saving ya?" Tasuki smirked more from the angry scowl that escaped from Rei's mouth.
"Thanks." Rei icily retorted.
"I don't think ya meant what ya said."
She knew he was taunting her and she had no idea why. It was just a simple act of saving her from hitting the ground. Tasuki could see the glitter of fire in her eyes. He seemed to be enjoying the heat that's surging from the girl.
"So what! It's not like I'm going to die from falling off a horse!" Rei's cheeks were getting red. She was received by a tightening of his hand around her arm and Tasuki's face just inches from her.
"I should have let ya fall ya ungrateful brat! But then again I think I love watching ya turn into a red tomato when ya glare at me like that."
A loud slap erupted in the air. He massaged his aching face as he watched the girl went ahead of the group. Everyone saw the event that just happened and stared agape at the growling Tasuki who just received a beating from Rei.
Taka nodded his head from side to side. "Buddy, you need to grow up."
"Shut up Taka!"
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"Wow Nuriko! You have a cute house!" Miaka went to examine the structure in front of her.
The ghost of the willow seishi hovered towards his priestess and patted her head. "I know...man how I miss this place!"
They didn't get a chance to walk further to the entrance when a loud bang of the door was opened by an angry youth carrying a pretty sharp blade.
"Who are you? And what do you want?"
"Uhm...I'm the priestess of Suzaku and these are my seishi and..."
The fury that erupted from the youth stopped Miaka from continuing her introduction.
"SUZAKU! YOU LEFT MY BROTHER TO DIE!!!" The young man charge his weapon, ready to strike the nearest person, which was Miaka, but Hotohori was there to deflect the blow. The young man was obviously stunned at what happened. He didn't see anything or anyone deflecting his attack.
"Stop this foolishness little brother!" Nuriko tried to communicate to his sibling. The youth was actually Cho Rokou, Nuriko's younger brother. To no avail, however, the spirit of the seishi could not be heard.
"Listen, we're sorry about Nuriko but he died with honor protecting the ones he loved." Chichiri interrupted the vengeance that's emitting from Cho. "If you don't believe me, I can talk to Nuriko and ask him things that only you and him knew about. He's here with us."
They all breathed a sigh of relief when they saw Cho lowered his weapon. The younger brother believed and accepted the remaining Suzaku warriors and their priestess, after the monk told the secrets revealed by Nuriko that were known only between the siblings. Cho directed them to his family shrine and snatched the orb and gave it to them. He then just noticed that there was one other company that he had not seen before. Everyone stared at Cho when he became quiet all of sudden.
Rei didn't wait to be introduced. She kept herself hidden behind them when the little event happened. She didn't want to intrude and she knew that finding this orb was one of the main important things that they had to do. "My name is Rei." The princess of Mars bowed her head slightly to be polite to the gaping boy.
"Rei's gonna help us with our quest."
"Oh...uuhm...it's a pleasure to meet you." The blushing Cho bowed to Rei.
"Yeah, she's a real help." Tasuki muttered and scowled at the display in front of him. Rei didn't even want to argue with him anymore, but she noticed the glare he gave to the young man.
"The pleasure is all mine." Rei smiled her sweetest smile at Cho, which caused him to blush even more. She took a slight glance at the red head and smirked. Rei watched with victory as Tasuki exited the room.
The evening approached too quickly. The team decided to sleep for the night at Nuriko's house. They were all at the dining table, enjoying the peaceful moment. Miaka was definitely in heaven. She devoured her share of food within seconds.
"Miaka do you breath at all?" Nuriko peered at her. Miaka wanted to speak, but Taka, who was beside her, covered her mouth before morsels of food started to spit out.
"Geez Miaka, even a baby has manners." Tasuki said to his priestess, which earned him a tongue from Miaka.
Rei couldn't help but giggle. This reminded her of Usagi and her. Everybody turned to the giggling girl.
"Do not mind me guys, but you just reminded me of something. That's all." She quieted down and resumed on eating her portion.
Tasuki quirked a brow at her, which Rei ignored.
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"Yosui!"
"Yes master."
"I will leave it up to you."
"Yes master."
"Do not fail me."
"I will not fail you master. The priestess of Suzaku will never say "no" to me."
"The plan has already gone smoothly. Finally evil will conquer this world and I can finally claim my rightful position as a god!" Tenkou grinned evilly.
And with my new ally my victory is secured...
"Master Tenkou, my lord would like to speak with you"
"Inform your lord I will be there in a moment."
Titus bowed and disappeared in a swirl of water.
"Hikou come forth."
A man in his early twenties appeared in a bubble of water in front of his master.
"How may I serve you, master Tenkou?"
"Have you thoroughly research the enemies?"
"Yes master. I have been watching them since they arrived at the former Suzaku seishi known as Nuriko."
"I trust you know what you're doing?"
Hikou smiled. "I know exactly what I have to do."
"That's right. Go have your revenge on one of them, but do not ruin this mission. You know what the penalty is." Tenkou let the threat hang.
Hikou bowed down and left the room.
"Now let's see to this new ally of mine..."
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"What exactly happened to you earlier? There wasn't anything normal there." Chichiri and the others decided to interrogate Rei about the matter.
Rei couldn't escape the questions that would certainly emerge from the people in the room. The Martian princess would have to face them eventually, and she hated the thought. Everyone was in a salon, trying to discuss the recent event that even Chichiri had felt.
With a weary sigh, Rei sat on the chair beside the emperor. "Guys, this is going to be a long story. I suggest you better sit down for what I have to tell you deals with this mysterious enemy you have trouble fighting with."
"This better be worth staying here and listening to whatever you're gonna tell..." Tasuki grumbled and earned a whack in the head by Chichiri himself.
Rei wanted to smile, but she had something else in her mind; something very crucial that she needed to tell them and it made her shiver.
"Are you all right?" Hotohori noticed the goose bumps on her arms.
Rei didn't look up to the concern gaze of the emperor and merely nodded. She knew who they had to face and she dreaded recalling the monstrous and unforgivable things this powerful enemy had done to the Silver Millennium, to her.
After several minutes of revealing the enemy to the amazed and horrified Suzaku team, Rei stood up to excuse herself for the night.
"So basically your powers can inflict the most damage. It takes a bit longer for us to defeat it with our own?" Nuriko had been listening intently to the story their new ally had just told them. However, he, along with the rest of them, felt there's something more to this story and Rei was not willing to elaborate. The girl was trembling with just the mention of his name, this powerful lord.
Rei brushed the hair away from her eyes and nodded to Nuriko's question. She just wanted to be alone and leave already. It's a good thing she didn't tell the painful memories she had experience with this enemy. Revealing the major battle against the negaverse and the triumph of the senshi were enough to enlighten the listeners of the task they had at hand.
"That bastard Tenkou. He had to make this worse." Tasuki stood up and yawned. "Well, I'll see you in the morning." He walked briskly to the door and purposely bumped Rei on the way.
"You jerk! You can't even walk straight can you?" Rei tried to straighten herself up.
Tasuki turned to see his recent accomplishment and saw Rei in the arms of Taka. He was about to retort when he hit the post right smack on the side of his head.
"Don't call me a jerk again!" Tasuki, still massaging the side of his head, turned completely around to glare at the girl.
"I can call you whatever I want." It was Rei's turn to smirk at the foolish display in front of her. "I have so many wonderful names I can think of to call you."
Tasuki came striding towards the glaring princess. "Call me names again and you'll pay."
"You don't scare me, jerk. I've never been afraid of men, especially men like you." Rei seethed back.
"Stop now, you too." Taka held Rei back who seemed to want to strangle the life out of Tasuki.
Tasuki glared at Taka. "Mind your own business, buddy. She's been trouble to me since the first time I laid eyes on this brat!"
"Oh you!" Rei was about to gouged his eyes when Taka wrapped his arms around her, preventing her nails to decent onto Tasuki's exposed eyes.
"Let me go Taka. I'll teach this jerk a lesson." Rei was struggling from his hold, which made the arms around her even tighter.
Tasuki growled, "let her go Taka."
"Guys I need some help here." Taka called out the others, but Tasuki grabbed his arms and pulled Rei out, carrying the screaming girl over his shoulder.
"Put me down, Tasuki!"
"So, you finally know my name. It's good to know the brat has a brain." Tasuki put the squirming girl down when they were outside. The others followed, of course. The strange behavior coming from their fiery comrade was so new to them.
As soon as the ground touched her feet, Rei raised her hand to slap the man who unceremoniously carried her. Tasuki, however, was ready for the attack he knew was coming. He stopped the hand and held it.
"Tsk tsk tsk..." Tasuki nodded his head. "I won't fall for that again."
"You jerk! You ass hole! Let go of my ha...umph."
Everyone stared at the two. They were definitely shocked at what they were seeing. It was a full moon and the light seemed to surround the couple. Tasuki was kissing the rigid girl. Rei was trapped within the strong hands that captured her. She couldn't move. A strong arm wrapped itself around her waist and the other was holding the back of her head.
After what seemed like hours, Tasuki let his capture go. He looked at her swollen lips, her accusing eyes, and left while muttering curses on the way to the door.
I hope you remember the OVA characters in Fushigi Yuugi. Well just in case you don't , here are my little notes: Ren Shigyou is one of the damned souls that Tenkou brought back to life. He can manipulate people to his will. Cho Rokou is the younger brother of Nuriko who blamed the Suzaku seven and Miaka for leaving Nuriko's corpse in the cold mountain when they tried to get the shinzaho of Genbu. Yosui is actually Tamahome, which Taka had to bind with in order to be one with his warrior self. Hikou is the best friend of Chichiri. He betrayed Chichiri by trying to steal away his fiancé. There was a flood in their town when they fought. Hikou fell down the flooding, raging river and died.
For Sailormoon, Titus is basically just a negaverse creature loyal to ________(I don't want to reveal the "lord" yet...but I betcha most of you know who he is).
Well that's all for now!