Chapter 42
Kristin and her Seishi arrived back at the palace in foul moods. Only the sight of Hotohori hurrying down the throne stairs made Kristin look up happily. He threw his arms around her, breathing, "Oh, thank goodness you're alright! But . . . why the sad face?" He pulled back, noticing the gloominess of the warriors.
"Seiryu has both Shinzahos," Chichiri said. "Sorry, your highness. We will have to wait until they've summoned their god before we can get to Suzaku."
"But the Emperor of Kutou," Hotohori said, "he's gonna wish for our land, and that will mean very much suffering on Konan's part!"
"Not necessarily," Kristin said. "I know Martha. She wouldn't let something like that happen."
"At least we're all here, no da," Chichiri said. "We haven't lost a single member . . . except for Tamahome. And he was one of our best."
"Excuse me?" Kristin said, coughing. "One of our best? I think we're looking at the best right now."
"You're not a celestial warrior," Tasuki said, as Caitlin whacked him with her fan for his stupid remark.
"She mean Hotohori!"
"SORRY!!"
"Plus," Kristin continued, "I'd like to wager that Tasuki could've beat Tamahome up pretty well. Don't get me wrong; it's not that I HATE Tamahome, I'm just saying he's not the best . . . Nakago could easily beat him as well."
"Nakago can easily beat anyone," Chiriko piped up. "Did you see all that? The Lone Wolf Warrior always manages to hurt or injure one of us, but Nakago can defeat him with out a scratch."
"Nakago's the key," Mitsukake said.
Hotohori thought for a moment. "You're right . . . that damn Lone Wolf Warrior never tries to attack him, he's always getting the Suzaku or his other Seishi. And when we first met, he immediately set that Phil on Nakago instead of me."
"Oh," Kristin said, blushing, "But I bet you're WAY better than Nakago, your Highness, Hotohori. You could be him in a match, I know you would."
"Please, don't be so modest," Hotohori said, "I've tried dueling it out with him, and I'm not about to try. First things first, we've got to keep our wits about us and make sure we don't get destroyed by either Lone Wolf Warrior or the Seiryu Seishi. If Martha IS what you say she is, and I met her when I met you, but I don't know too much of her from that little meeting, then hopefully our land won't be under attack, and . . ."
"Your Highness!" Number Two shouted, running into the great room where the warriors stood under the throne with Hotohori.
"What's wrong?" the Emperor asked.
"Your Highness, you won't believe this, but Kutou is invading our land!"
Kristin gasped. "That can't be!" she cried. "Martha would never do something like!" Or . . . would she?
Back in Kutou, the ceremony was being prepared for the summoning of Seiryu. Martha was dressed in her Priestess garbs, her hair and face nicely done. But her mood had gone sour. She was furious.
"Why has the Emperor launched an attack on Konan?!" she cried to Nakago, who was beginning to recover, but his cheeks were still a crimson red.
"He believes we will be more ready when you wish for the land of Konan to be ours," Nakago replied in a rather bored sounding voice. He did not care for the Emperor's plans.
"But you're not going to give him that wish, are you Martha-sama?" Suboshi asked. They were lounging in a room nearby the shrine that was being polished for the ceremony. Martha already had had her purifying wash, and was waiting for the ceremony to begin. The shinzahos were beinging cleaned and set up and everything.
"Of course I'm not going to give him that wish," Martha said in a quiet voice, hoping the Emperor wouldn't hear. "How could I let such a cruel thing happen?"
"You're doing a stupid thing," Nakago growled. "You'll get yourself killed by the Emperor after he realizes that his troops aren't gaining him more land. Are you sure you want to do this just so you can do what you think is right?"
"What I'm doing IS right," Martha said. Nakago growled, turning away, eating cheez its rather harshly.
"This has gone all wrong," Nakago finally said after a moment of silence. "I think I should have destroyed some of those Suzaku bastards. Sure, we got the Shinzahos but I haven't done anything. All I did was get sick and sleep around. I haven't been able to use the full extent of my ki since previous years. Why on earth did I ever succumb to your rules, Seiryu no miko? I should've never let you pamper me the way you did . . . now I've gone soft. I can't lift a finger now! Damn you, Martha-sama!"
Martha was taken back, but instantly put a frown on her face and scolded Nakago. "Do you WANT people to hate you for the rest of your life? What do you think I'm doing? I'm doing this all for you! I was the one who summoned you; I was the one who gave you a second chance! If it weren't for me, then you'd be the number one enemy and ALL would hate you and despise you for all the cruel things you'd done to them! I understand you had a horrible childhood life but that doesn't mean you should carry it out on everyone else! Damn YOU, Nakago! Damn it, can't you see it when I love you?!"
Martha was fuming. Nakago was silent, his eyes narrowed and staring off into space. His face was dead serious, and the twins were in shock. He slowly turned his head, his face as dead as it could be, and said in a low, grave voice, "I'm sorry I can't return those emotions." Then, he got to his feet and walked out of the room.
Martha closed her eyes, fighting off the anger. Suboshi lept to his feet. "That bastard doesn't deserve to treat you like this, not after all that you've done for him! Let me at him!"
"No, Suboshi!" Martha cried, snapping her eyes open. Tears were forming, and her face was red. "No, don't you DARE put a finger on him! Leave him alone, all of you!"
"Bu he's been so cruel to you, Martha-sama," Amiboshi said.
"Just leave us alone!" Martha cried, standing up. "And if I hear anything about any of you hurting him, then I'll see to it that you never get a moment's rest around me!"
And she stormed out of the room, sobbing her heart out. She ran up stairs and to her room, slamming the door shut. She cried for a long time, sobbing loudly. They just didn't understand, she thought. They could never understand. She was going to save Nakago from his abused past by giving him the love he never had.
Martha cried herself to sleep, and four hours later, Boboshi 3 came to her room to wake her up. He lead her back down to the Shrine, where she faced the remaining Seishi and the pillars holding the two Shinzahos. The twins were there, Makiko and Miboshi, Tomo and Kailein. Nakago was no where to be seen.
"So, Nakago decided not to come?" Martha said rather casually. "That's very like him."
The twins bit their lips, angry at Nakago and feeling sorry for their Priestess. The Emperor came to the shrine as well, and smiled nastily at Martha.
"My time has finally come," he said.
Martha put her hands together in prayer mode, and called out to the beast god Seiryu. There was a great blast of wind, and a crack of lightening which made Tomo remark under his breath, "Soi," followed by Kailein's, "Sauce."
Then, a great dragon fell from the sky, churning in big swirls, and then, transforming into a human form before Martha. It spoke to her in a low voice, "I am the beast god Seiryu. We shall now couple and your three wishes will be granted, Priestess of Seiryu. (is that what he says? like I know anything!) All you need for your wishes is to say the words Kai-jin."
The beast god seemed to disappear into Martha's body, and a great big light developed the entire shrine. Once the light faded and disappeared, Martha collapsed in exhaustion, and her Seishi came to her aid at once. The Emperor gave an evil laugh.
"Finally!" he shouted, "I can finally have the land of Kutou! Why doesn't she make my first wish now?"
"Please, your Highness," Tomo said, "she's exhausted. The coupling took a lot out of her and she needs her rest before she can start making wishes."
"Fine," the Emperor spat. "Let her get her rest. But remind her that the first wish must gain me my land. Number five? Get me the ring."
"Ring?" Miboshi asked, his face gone livid. "What ring are you talking about, your Highness?"
"The ring to mark my new Empress," the Emperor said, giving a nasty smile. "I'm going to make Martha my new Empress."
The Seishi took Martha to her room, tucking her into bed.
"I hope she can wish herself out of that," Tomo said. "That'd be terrible to be THAT Emperor's wife."
"She had a fight with Nakago," Amiboshi said. "I wish she wouldn't. How does she ever love him? He's so cruel to her and everyone else. Does she really think love is going to change that man?"
"Love changed Tomo," Kailein announced.
"Making a queer straight is different than making a cruel guy have a heart," Suboshi said. Tomo growled at him.
"Let's just hope things turn out for the best," Miboshi said. "Our Priestess has gone through a lot. She has to deal with the worst of all Emperor's and she's found it nearly impossible to break through to that cold heart of Nakago."
"We should let her rest, then," Makiko said, and they all sulked out of the room.
Meanwhile, in Konan, Kristin got a cold which lead to laringitis. If I could spell it, you readers might understand what I'm trying to say.
But in Kutou, Martha had an uncomfortable dream of the nasty Emperor slaughtering millions of pale, white children with light blonde hair and blue eyes, and then, being forced to sit at his side as his Empress, where he fondled her in front of everyone . . . including Nakago. And then, she was forced to watch the Emperor take out a whip, nearly tear off the skin of her general, and then force him down into bed, and she couldn't seem to do anything about it . . .
She woke up with a start, and lay back down in bed. "No," she thought to herself, "I can never let the Emperor get his way. No matter what he does to me. I'm going to save Kutou, the way I was meant to. I am the Priestess of Seiryu, and that's my duty."
Kristin and her Seishi arrived back at the palace in foul moods. Only the sight of Hotohori hurrying down the throne stairs made Kristin look up happily. He threw his arms around her, breathing, "Oh, thank goodness you're alright! But . . . why the sad face?" He pulled back, noticing the gloominess of the warriors.
"Seiryu has both Shinzahos," Chichiri said. "Sorry, your highness. We will have to wait until they've summoned their god before we can get to Suzaku."
"But the Emperor of Kutou," Hotohori said, "he's gonna wish for our land, and that will mean very much suffering on Konan's part!"
"Not necessarily," Kristin said. "I know Martha. She wouldn't let something like that happen."
"At least we're all here, no da," Chichiri said. "We haven't lost a single member . . . except for Tamahome. And he was one of our best."
"Excuse me?" Kristin said, coughing. "One of our best? I think we're looking at the best right now."
"You're not a celestial warrior," Tasuki said, as Caitlin whacked him with her fan for his stupid remark.
"She mean Hotohori!"
"SORRY!!"
"Plus," Kristin continued, "I'd like to wager that Tasuki could've beat Tamahome up pretty well. Don't get me wrong; it's not that I HATE Tamahome, I'm just saying he's not the best . . . Nakago could easily beat him as well."
"Nakago can easily beat anyone," Chiriko piped up. "Did you see all that? The Lone Wolf Warrior always manages to hurt or injure one of us, but Nakago can defeat him with out a scratch."
"Nakago's the key," Mitsukake said.
Hotohori thought for a moment. "You're right . . . that damn Lone Wolf Warrior never tries to attack him, he's always getting the Suzaku or his other Seishi. And when we first met, he immediately set that Phil on Nakago instead of me."
"Oh," Kristin said, blushing, "But I bet you're WAY better than Nakago, your Highness, Hotohori. You could be him in a match, I know you would."
"Please, don't be so modest," Hotohori said, "I've tried dueling it out with him, and I'm not about to try. First things first, we've got to keep our wits about us and make sure we don't get destroyed by either Lone Wolf Warrior or the Seiryu Seishi. If Martha IS what you say she is, and I met her when I met you, but I don't know too much of her from that little meeting, then hopefully our land won't be under attack, and . . ."
"Your Highness!" Number Two shouted, running into the great room where the warriors stood under the throne with Hotohori.
"What's wrong?" the Emperor asked.
"Your Highness, you won't believe this, but Kutou is invading our land!"
Kristin gasped. "That can't be!" she cried. "Martha would never do something like!" Or . . . would she?
Back in Kutou, the ceremony was being prepared for the summoning of Seiryu. Martha was dressed in her Priestess garbs, her hair and face nicely done. But her mood had gone sour. She was furious.
"Why has the Emperor launched an attack on Konan?!" she cried to Nakago, who was beginning to recover, but his cheeks were still a crimson red.
"He believes we will be more ready when you wish for the land of Konan to be ours," Nakago replied in a rather bored sounding voice. He did not care for the Emperor's plans.
"But you're not going to give him that wish, are you Martha-sama?" Suboshi asked. They were lounging in a room nearby the shrine that was being polished for the ceremony. Martha already had had her purifying wash, and was waiting for the ceremony to begin. The shinzahos were beinging cleaned and set up and everything.
"Of course I'm not going to give him that wish," Martha said in a quiet voice, hoping the Emperor wouldn't hear. "How could I let such a cruel thing happen?"
"You're doing a stupid thing," Nakago growled. "You'll get yourself killed by the Emperor after he realizes that his troops aren't gaining him more land. Are you sure you want to do this just so you can do what you think is right?"
"What I'm doing IS right," Martha said. Nakago growled, turning away, eating cheez its rather harshly.
"This has gone all wrong," Nakago finally said after a moment of silence. "I think I should have destroyed some of those Suzaku bastards. Sure, we got the Shinzahos but I haven't done anything. All I did was get sick and sleep around. I haven't been able to use the full extent of my ki since previous years. Why on earth did I ever succumb to your rules, Seiryu no miko? I should've never let you pamper me the way you did . . . now I've gone soft. I can't lift a finger now! Damn you, Martha-sama!"
Martha was taken back, but instantly put a frown on her face and scolded Nakago. "Do you WANT people to hate you for the rest of your life? What do you think I'm doing? I'm doing this all for you! I was the one who summoned you; I was the one who gave you a second chance! If it weren't for me, then you'd be the number one enemy and ALL would hate you and despise you for all the cruel things you'd done to them! I understand you had a horrible childhood life but that doesn't mean you should carry it out on everyone else! Damn YOU, Nakago! Damn it, can't you see it when I love you?!"
Martha was fuming. Nakago was silent, his eyes narrowed and staring off into space. His face was dead serious, and the twins were in shock. He slowly turned his head, his face as dead as it could be, and said in a low, grave voice, "I'm sorry I can't return those emotions." Then, he got to his feet and walked out of the room.
Martha closed her eyes, fighting off the anger. Suboshi lept to his feet. "That bastard doesn't deserve to treat you like this, not after all that you've done for him! Let me at him!"
"No, Suboshi!" Martha cried, snapping her eyes open. Tears were forming, and her face was red. "No, don't you DARE put a finger on him! Leave him alone, all of you!"
"Bu he's been so cruel to you, Martha-sama," Amiboshi said.
"Just leave us alone!" Martha cried, standing up. "And if I hear anything about any of you hurting him, then I'll see to it that you never get a moment's rest around me!"
And she stormed out of the room, sobbing her heart out. She ran up stairs and to her room, slamming the door shut. She cried for a long time, sobbing loudly. They just didn't understand, she thought. They could never understand. She was going to save Nakago from his abused past by giving him the love he never had.
Martha cried herself to sleep, and four hours later, Boboshi 3 came to her room to wake her up. He lead her back down to the Shrine, where she faced the remaining Seishi and the pillars holding the two Shinzahos. The twins were there, Makiko and Miboshi, Tomo and Kailein. Nakago was no where to be seen.
"So, Nakago decided not to come?" Martha said rather casually. "That's very like him."
The twins bit their lips, angry at Nakago and feeling sorry for their Priestess. The Emperor came to the shrine as well, and smiled nastily at Martha.
"My time has finally come," he said.
Martha put her hands together in prayer mode, and called out to the beast god Seiryu. There was a great blast of wind, and a crack of lightening which made Tomo remark under his breath, "Soi," followed by Kailein's, "Sauce."
Then, a great dragon fell from the sky, churning in big swirls, and then, transforming into a human form before Martha. It spoke to her in a low voice, "I am the beast god Seiryu. We shall now couple and your three wishes will be granted, Priestess of Seiryu. (is that what he says? like I know anything!) All you need for your wishes is to say the words Kai-jin."
The beast god seemed to disappear into Martha's body, and a great big light developed the entire shrine. Once the light faded and disappeared, Martha collapsed in exhaustion, and her Seishi came to her aid at once. The Emperor gave an evil laugh.
"Finally!" he shouted, "I can finally have the land of Kutou! Why doesn't she make my first wish now?"
"Please, your Highness," Tomo said, "she's exhausted. The coupling took a lot out of her and she needs her rest before she can start making wishes."
"Fine," the Emperor spat. "Let her get her rest. But remind her that the first wish must gain me my land. Number five? Get me the ring."
"Ring?" Miboshi asked, his face gone livid. "What ring are you talking about, your Highness?"
"The ring to mark my new Empress," the Emperor said, giving a nasty smile. "I'm going to make Martha my new Empress."
The Seishi took Martha to her room, tucking her into bed.
"I hope she can wish herself out of that," Tomo said. "That'd be terrible to be THAT Emperor's wife."
"She had a fight with Nakago," Amiboshi said. "I wish she wouldn't. How does she ever love him? He's so cruel to her and everyone else. Does she really think love is going to change that man?"
"Love changed Tomo," Kailein announced.
"Making a queer straight is different than making a cruel guy have a heart," Suboshi said. Tomo growled at him.
"Let's just hope things turn out for the best," Miboshi said. "Our Priestess has gone through a lot. She has to deal with the worst of all Emperor's and she's found it nearly impossible to break through to that cold heart of Nakago."
"We should let her rest, then," Makiko said, and they all sulked out of the room.
Meanwhile, in Konan, Kristin got a cold which lead to laringitis. If I could spell it, you readers might understand what I'm trying to say.
But in Kutou, Martha had an uncomfortable dream of the nasty Emperor slaughtering millions of pale, white children with light blonde hair and blue eyes, and then, being forced to sit at his side as his Empress, where he fondled her in front of everyone . . . including Nakago. And then, she was forced to watch the Emperor take out a whip, nearly tear off the skin of her general, and then force him down into bed, and she couldn't seem to do anything about it . . .
She woke up with a start, and lay back down in bed. "No," she thought to herself, "I can never let the Emperor get his way. No matter what he does to me. I'm going to save Kutou, the way I was meant to. I am the Priestess of Seiryu, and that's my duty."