Whoo-hoo, I can finally update this stupid chapter seven! I was getting sick of reading that stupid author's note that was getting on my nerves…
Anywho, here it is! Chapter Six, the last chapter before I can go on an ultimate updating spree! Are ya excited? You should be, 'cause I am!
Yeah, but whatever, right? So here's the disclaimer:
*crickets are chirping*
Um… lemme try again. So here's the disclaimer…
*still no sound*
Aw, dangit! I'll just have to do it myself… *suddenly with monotone voice*
Taryn Eithne does not in any way, shape, or form own Fushigi Yûgi or its characters/plot. She just borrowed them for this ficcy here, but do not sue. She owns nothing, except Tasuki, whom she has claimed as her own. Now, on with the story:
Chapter Six: A Battle of Anguish
"So, when you were living in a neighboring town, Shôka took ill and died!?"
Myo Ju-An turned to Hotohori and took a deep breath. "She did," he replied slowly, "I was the town's doctor.
"Th… Then who's the woman who says she's Shôka!?" Kori cried. Myo Ju-An shook his head roughly. Hotohori took a large step towards the door.
"Nuriko! Tasuki! Kori! We must return now! Miaka is in danger!" he shouted, sword already drawn.
"Right!"
With that, the four headed for town as fast as they could.
"How much… time… do you think… we have!?" Kori called to the three in front of her.
"No idea!" Nuriko shouted back. "I just hope we have time!"
"There's th'building!" Tasuki stated quickly, pointing to the house where Miaka still hopefully resided.
"Quickly!" Hotohori added. They were still a good distance away. As they approached the town, Hotohori noticed a horse (Wait… that was Tasuki's horse!) and ran to it. The others noticed just as he hopped onto the horse and took off.
"Slow down!" Kori cried after the Emperor, who was quickly gaining ground ahead of them.
"Trying t'get there first so you c'n be th'hero! Well, it gonna work!" Tasuki cried after him, trying to speed up his run.
"Hm?" Nuriko stated suddenly, noticing for the first time how everybody was staring at them in a funny way. "What the…"
Before even Hotohori could get any farther, a large collection of knives, axes, etc. came flying at the group. All four let out gasps or screams of surprise as they jumped back to avoid being hit by these home-found weapons. They looked to where the items had come from to find all the townspeople, now surrounding them and moving in. It was then that the sickening smell of death filled Kori's nostrils and she was tempted to gag.
"Okay, I'll come back and give everybody autographs!" Tasuki shouted, astoundingly clueless as to what was going on. Hotohori lightly pushed him back as he approached.
"The climate of the town has changed!" he shouted to his comrades, "Look to your defense!"
As this was said, the many doors that surrounded the group all flew open, revealing ghostly white people who were smirking like the ones that surrounded them. They took firm hold of the four and began to attack them.
"How dare you!?" Hotohori cried, struggling against two of his attackers. "Release us!"
"Cut it out!" Tasuki added. Nuriko gasped as he continued. "Ya want ta get yerselves burn t'ashes!?"
"They're all so pale…" Nuriko noted as one dived at him and missed.
"You're right!" Kori agreed grasping the peeling knife in the hand of one of the townspeople. "Dammit! And I always thought I was pale!"
"This ain't no time t'kid around, Kori!"
"He's right!" Nuriko threw a man across the road. "Your Majesty! We'll take care of them! Go save Miaka!" Hotohori hesitated for a moment.
"But I don't wanna take care of 'em!" Tasuki objected. The Emperor nodded in agreement.
"But…" he began, but Kori cut him off.
"Nuriko's right! You must go now!" He nodded once before turning away.
"Forgive me!" he called as he headed towards Shôka's house.
"If ya wanna be forgiven, stick around!!" Tasuki called helplessly after Hotohori's disappearing form. "Or take me with you…" he added quietly.
"Tasuki!" Kori called. She had too many townsfolk and knew she couldn't handle them all herself. That, and one of them was drawing awful near with a butcher knife…
"Damn!" Tasuki shouted, knowing both he and Nuriko were too far to help, much less protect themselves.
But Kori didn't need help, as a fist suddenly sent the butcher-wielding man soaring.
"Wh—" Kori began.
"Who the hell are you!?!" Tasuki interrupted. The man shook his head and hit another townperson.
"I must see Shôka," he stated. Nuriko, Tasuki, and Kori all regained their senses and nodded. They then joined him in the fight. Soon, the path to Shôka's abode was clear. They dashed towards them as fast as they could.
They reached the tiny house in no time without the townspeople in their way. The mysterious man was the first to enter, distracting those vacating the house with, "Shôka…" He stated this as Nuriko, Tasuki, and Kori all noticed the horrific green color that Shôka had turned, now with veins running across her entire body.
"Tasuki! Nuriko! Kori!" Miaka cried happily, "You're all right! But… who is that man?"
"He came out of nowhere and insisted on seeing Shôka…" Kori answered quickly as the man stepped forth.
"Myo Ju-An…" Shôka stated.
Tasuki, Kori, and Nuriko's eyes all went wide as they flew against the back wall (possibly one of the funniest scenes there are…)
"H-He's that doctor!?! When'd he get so young!?" they all cried.
Myo Ju-An ignored them. "So you were the one spreading this plague…" he stated to Shôka. She huffed, and he continued. "You've become a monster that sucks human souls…"
At this point, Kori was ready to gag against the odor that she found all too familiar. She turned towards the source to see half the town, all looking in a drooling over her arm, resting happily on the window sill! She pulled it away as quickly as possible and pulled gently on Tasuki's arm. He turned towards her, then glanced at the window and let out a small gulp. He gripped Nuriko's arm, and he turned, too. Nuriko let out a squeak and ran to close the door, which was finding its way open. Kori closed the window just as quickly as Nuriko had pressed himself against the door. Both Kori and Tasuki pressed their weight against the window.
"What's going on here!?! Man, this is creepy!" Nuriko cried as banging could be heard on the other side of the door and the window. Myo Ju-An sighed.
"They were the townspeople that Shôka revived," he explained calmly, "But now they're undead under her control…" He turned to Shôka accusingly. "It's true, isn't it, Shôka? But why?"
"You have no right to ask!" Shôka cried, causing Kori to wince at the now raspy, tortured voice that used to be so beautiful. "When I contracted the plague a year ago…" the monster continued, bringing a long, clawed hand to her heart. "You never came to save me!!"
Myo Jun-An tried to speak, but Shôka didn't let him. "I trusted you. I waited! I bore the pain because I knew you would come! But you…" The monster stopped, unable to continue. She closed her eyes and looked down, then chuckled. "And now… do you think you have the right to say anything!? This girl will die!" She pointed to Miaka. "Then it'll be your turn!"
Myo Ju-An closed his eyes and bowed his head in defeat. However, Hotohori, Tasuki, and Kori all drew their weapons, not willing to allow Miaka's death.
"Tasuki! Kori!" the Emperor shouted, giving the cue to attack. Kori raised her arrow and Tasuki brought out the tessen. Both nodded and were about to attack when they noticed that Miaka had blocked the monster.
"NO!!" Miaka shouted as she threw her arms across Shôka. "Don't kill Shôka!"
"Miaka!" Hotohori shouted. "She is a demon!! We must…"
"Shôka is no demon!!" Miaka countered quickly, still not moving. She turned her head towards Shôka. "You're here for him, right? You love him so much, and when you died without seeing him, the sorrow consumed you! It was unbearable, wasn't it??"
The monsters eyes went wide and Miaka continued. "But you can't kill the one you love just because you're sad! Come back, Shôka!!"
"Miaka…" Shôka huffed, quickly changing back into her regular body. Everybody in the room gasped as she began to fall.
"Shôka!" Miaka called, going to catch the older woman. Shôka smiled a thanks and turned to Myo Ju-An.
"That's right…" she whispered, "I was waiting for you…" A tear fell down the beauty's cheek and she looked at the ground. "Please… help me… please…"
Without warning, a terrible monster erupted from Shôka. Everybody fell back against the wall except Miaka, who still could not see what stood before her.
"NOO!" Hotohori shouted as the monster took hold of Miaka with its tentacles. Miaka screamed as it lifted her off the ground.
"Myo Ju-An…" the Shôka within the monster whispered weakly, "Myo Ju-An, please! With your power, you could destroy this monster!" she insisted.
"Shôka…" Myo Ju-An replied, shaking his head. "So that's a plague demon!?! You were possessed!?!"
Shôka nodded painfully and shamefully. "I'm sorry!" she cried as loudly as she could. Her tentacles now had hold of everybody but Myo Ju-An. "I was so lonely… when I came to, I…" she huffed, "Please… free me…"
The monster surrounding Shôka let out a loud cry and opened its mouth towards Miaka.
"Myo Ju-An, hurry!" Shôka shouted. Myo Ju-An looked to the ground and clenched his fists for a moment, then brought up his right hand and began unwrapping it. He held it up to Shôka.
"Miaka, thank you…" the human Shôka whispered, "Soon you'll get well… you'll be able to see… and then you'll be reunited with the ones you love…" Myo Ju-An's hand began to glow and Shôka took a deep breath. "Good… bye…"
"Shôka!!" Miaka cried as a bright light filled the house. Everybody was forced to look away as Myo Ju-An performed his magic, finally finishing and collapsing to the ground.
The large group slowly opened their eyes and looked around. The house was slowly disappearing… no, it was almost gone by the time they had all looked up.
"The whole house was an illusion!" Tasuki cried in astonishment. Hotohori looked up and dived at Miaka, who was also sitting up slowly.
"Miaka, are you all right??" he asked. She nodded as Kori stood. Kori took a step back to watch what was happening before her and almost tripped on something. She turned to see what it was to find a huge pile of dead bodies laying behind her.
"Gross!" she shouted, jumping away from the bodies. "They all turned into mummies!"
"Th'spell got broken!" Tasuki noted, also examining the bodies in disgust. "An' that'll be th'end of th'plague!"
"Miaka, can you see me?" Hotohori asked cautiously, ignoring the two bandits. Miaka squinted her eyes and gasped as everybody turned towards her.
"No! I can't see anything!" she cried helplessly. "That can't be!" she shouted, trying in vain to see her own two hands in front of her. Myo Ju-An took her shoulder and looked down at her.
"Don't worry…" he stated, examining Miaka closely. "She was too close to the demon for too long," he stated officially before holding up his hand. It shone again for a brief moment in from of Miaka. She blinked a but before focusing on his hand and taking a sudden hold of it.
"It's one of Suzaku's characters!!" she cried as she took Myo Ju-An's hand.
"Miaka! You can see!" Hotohori corrected, stating the more important. Miaka blinked and looked at her hands. She smiled triumphantly
"My name is taken from the constellation: Mitsukake. I have the power to heal," Myo Ju-An stated, gently picking up his dead lover. A collective gasp went through the room.
"Shôka!" Kori gasped, watching as Mitsukake gently stroked Shôka's pale cheek.
"I wanted to help people, so I became a doctor," Mitsukake stated quietly, watching his lover's eternally resting face. "I was curing villagers in another town, when Shôka suddenly took ill. By the time I returned, it was too late. I was unable to save the person I loved most." A tear escaped Mitsukake's eye and rolled down Shôka's cheek, following the same path her own tears had taken moments before. "What good is the power to heal!?" he cried, "Nothing mattered! I lost her!"
"So that's why you became a hermit!" Miaka stated, tears running down her own face. "But you just saved her! Look how peaceful Shôka looks…" Miaka paused as Mitsukake nuzzled Shôka's face. Everybody shed only more tears as he said his good-byes. Miaka finished first and glanced out the window. She made a fist and grew a determined glint in her eye before stating, "Only one more Celestial Warrior to go!"
***
Ew… too much Miaka, too little Kori in the end there… oh well. We needed the Priestess to perform that last part, didn't we?
*chuckles evilly* And we approach the summoning of Suzaku… it draws ever nearer… but what'll happen with my new, altered version of Fushigi Yûûgi? You'll just have to wait and find out, won't you? Well, stay tuned (or rather here, keep an eye out) for…
Chapter Seven: The Music of Meeting of Secrets Best Left Alone! It'll be up sometime within the next two days! I actually have a bunch of chapters typed! Whoo-hoo!
~Taryn Eithne
Here's the teaser for the next chapter:
"'Oh my god...' she thought, looking side to side. 'I'm sleeping between two guys...'"
And that's all you get! So stay tuned!