Chapter 6: Senshi no Mezame (Awakening of a Warrior)
"Tamahome!" Mirakuru glared at him. "Fight me!" He froze in place, suprised at her strength.
"Tamahome!" She clenched her hands into fists. "Forget I'm a girl."
"That's not easy." He grinned at her, feeling very uncomfortable because of his partner's sex.
"Just fight me!" She urged him to fight her and soon he did.
"Fine!" He lunged at her catching her off guard. She fell to the ground with a thud.
"Where did that come from?" She smiled standing up.
He shrugged and then through a fist at her. Mirakuru ducked, then, hands on the ground, balancing on one foot, she straighted her left leg tripping him and sending him to into the grass. His eyes clenched tight as he skidded atleast 15 feet away. After a moment or so, Tamahome's eyes flickered open and Mirakuru was standing over him. "Wow! That was amazing."
"You haven't seen anything, yet." She half smiled.
"What's that suppose to mean?" He got up.
"Oh nothing." She began to walked away from him. He looked at her with a longing to know what she meant.
*What does she mean? Mirakuru?!*
"Haaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa!" She whirled around and let out a fiery red blast of power aimed right for Tamahome.
"What the hell?!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!"
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Mirakuru chuckled at him and then broke out in a hysteria of laugher. Tamahome looked up her from his place on the ground. There was a hole about 10 feet around and about 5 feet deep in the ground.
"Watch it!!!!!!!!" He growled at her.
"Sorry!" She laughed. "I knew you'd dodge it." He quickly came back with a playful attack of his own. He through her and she fell in a whirl to the ground. "Tamahome!"
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
They continued for a while and then Hotohori appeared. "Tamahome! Mirakuru!" Nuriko, Mitsukake, and Chiriko followed close behind. "Quick, we need you two outside the city limits. Kuto soldiers were spotted on the outskirts of the Empire!"
"What!" Tamahome followed them leaving Mirakuru behind.
"A real battle against Seiryu?" Her eyes widened, "People could die..."
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"We're here, Sire," Chichiri said with Densetsu close behind. "What's happening?"
"There's Kuto soldiers on the outside walls of Konan and our soldiers are having a hard time keeping them back," Hotohori said, sword in hand.
"Oh man!" Tasuki cried as Kakusei stood behind afraid of the pending danger. "This is gonna be difficult. We have to be ready."
"Yeah!" Daikonsen now in a determined state.
"Where's Miaka?" Densetsu asked Hotohori.
"She's back at the palace with Tamahome protecting her," Hotohori said sterness in his voice.
"That's very wise." Kakusei said.
"Yes." Chiriko agreed.
"Hmm." Tasuki grinned looking to put some modivation into the groups spirit. "If they really think they can get through us then they're mistaken..."
"They're here too..." Mirakuru's tone changed to ready and willing to fight as she felt the presence of Seiryu. Suboshi, Ashitati, Soi, Nakago... Seiryu... "All of them, all of the Seiryu!" Everyone gasped.
"How can you possibly know that?!" Kakusei's voice shook.
"I don't know, but there's something else here to. Two others." Mirakuru shook her head back and forth and held it tightly. "Uh!"
"Are you alright?!" Hotohori ran to her side. He paused when her hand up went up.
"I'm fine," she said faking a smile. "Now, I know one of the entities is Yui. She loves Miaka, she just doesn't know it. Otherwise she wouldn't have to try so hard to hate Miaka. I'll bet my life on it!"
"Yes, I agree," Chichiri said suddenly feeling the power of Seiryu.
"Wow!" Tasuki exclaimed, "They are all here and they are so much powerful than before... and--"
"Yui has become more in touch with Seiryu and she is much storger now," Nurkio finished.
"Oh God." Densetsu said shocked. "I can feel it now!"
"Me too." Kakusei said.
"Ditto. This not going to be easy." Daikonsen whispered secretly wishing Tamahome and Miaka were here. *Tamahome I'll protect you and Miaka.*
"Ready?!" Hotohori's voice flashed.
*Hotohori?!* Nuriko asked silently. "I'm ready!"
"As well as I!" Tamahome stood there near Miaka, suddenly appearing infront of the group.
"I want to fight too!"
"Miaka!!!!!!!!!!" The group asked fearing for their Priestess life.
Daikonsen glared at her. "You're gonna get yourself killed."
"I wouldn't be talking!" Kakusei shouted at her friend. "Densetsu and Mirakuru are to only ones who have even a slight chance of defending Miaka! And nobody ever asked me if I wanted to protect her and frankly all I want to do is go home and live a normal life!!!!!!!!!!"
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"Nuriko!!!!!" Mirakuru's scream echoed throughout the hills as she saw her friend at the mercy of Nakago's power.
"What's the matter little girl? It's seems that you actually care about this man." Nakago's voice was calm but very sarcastic.
"Don't even--" She was cut off.
"Leave him and the girl alone, Nakago!" Tamahome ordered with no result. (An: girl? I'd say she's more woman than anything else, she's almost sixteen)
"Well, Lord Tamahome we meet again. Brake any girls hearts lately? Bury any family members at all?" Yui stood close to him with Suboshi close by.
"Nakago, don't be so ignorant," Yui said to him her voice stern.
"Yes, Lady Yui," he said without looking back at her. "May I?"
"I don't care," she said without any concern on Nuriko's life. Her thoughts and attention were focused on Tamahome and Miaka.
Nuriko scrambled to his feet just in time to catch him off guard. Nakago's blast headed right at him and there was nothing he could do about it. *No!!!*
"Nuriko!!!!!!!!!" The other seishi cried. The girls just stood there stunned. Miaka cried
out his name with them.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
In a brilliant blue blast all hope seemed lost for Nuriko, until a light of red shone on the seishi. His violet eyes widened as the power was so close to him. Fear and helplessness haunted his heart. Letting out a cry for life, he saw a quick flash of black, purple and blue, and long brown hair. The blue eyes he'd become familiar with glared the opposite direction. "Uhh..." *Mirakuru?!*
"No!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!" She searched within herself. *Suzaku... Suzaku... Suzaku... Friendship... Help me protect my friend!* Mirakuru found the strength inside of her to fight. *I can't let this happen! Not after we've fought so hard to maintain peace.* Memories of precious and just plain simple moments flooded back to her. Nuriko's pain from his sister's death, and how she held him all that night. No matter how hard she tried she never could find the strength to fight, with or without hurting someone, and he always told her the reasons she had to fight and that they needed her. He never let her give up and so she never did. A blinding garnet blast left Mirakuru's hands, the small gems on her wrist glowing intensely. Countering his attack wasn't easy and she could see by the look in his eyes that he was shocked at her strength. The attacks clashed and sent a ring of purple for miles.
*Mirakuru!!* Hotrohori's heart pounded and his mouth wet dry. *Be careful!! Suzaku, please protect her. I beg of you.* With wide eyes he was afraid and scared at the same time, unknowing that his heart dreaded a fear of her being hurt, or worse. His body quivered and he found himself having a hard time watching. All he wanted to do was run in there and protect her even though she was doing her best to protect Nuriko. And then it hit him. *She's so devoted to him, and their only best friends. It would be almost unbelieveable to watch her fight for someone she loved... Even though she said that she was sorry about saying she loved me, I know she meant it, but I don't understand what's holding her back.* He saw again her sense of protecting Nuriko and then his questions were answered. Nuriko was almost on his back and she was protecting him with her awakening power, her true strength as well as martial arts. *Nuriko!! That's it. She so worried about hurting or breaking his trust that she would sacrific her true feelings, for him...*
"Mirakuru, you can do it!!" Densetsu said standing holding Daikonsen's hand tightly.
"You've got to!!" Daikonsen cried reaching for Kakusei's hand. She didn't say anything but let sadness build up in her heart. Tasuki took her hand and found her eyes.
*Tasuki.* Her brown eyes burned like fire, as if she were finally opening up to Suzaku's power.
"I'll try," she nodded to him and he returned the gesture. Turning back to the Mirakuru she saw her friend's determination.
*You must fight, no matter how much it hurts,* she heard Daiko's psychic words.
*Never give in and fight with your all, and open up to the world around you. Don't be afraid.*
The Seiryu Seven, (An: or six because of Amiboshi's death, and he was the nice one out of the Seiryu, I almost cried when he fell into the river, or as on tv, I've never read the comics, but the emotion, I bet is protrayed better on tv, am I right?) felt the strength of the girls building up, soon finding its way out. The gems on Kakusei's chest, Daikonsen's forehead, and Densetsu's hands glowed brightly, sending the clear message out that they were finally awakening to the power of Suzaku! (An: Yeah!!!!!!!!! Watch out Seiryu, here we come!! lol aha ha ha ha ha ha aha ha!........... O-kay now I'm scaring myself. Watch out everyone, her comes a crazed writer.... Jk)
*Right.* Kakusei returned to Tasuki's eyes and, while still holding on to Daiko's hand touched Tasuki's lips to hers. "I promise I'll tell you all my secrets soon enough, love."
*Love...* His heart raced. *She loves me...*
"I can't believe this, she's so strong!" Nakago's voice was shaky. His eyes widened.
"Nakago!" Soi cried.
"Nakago!" Yui's voice ran dry.
"Haaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaah!!!!!!!!!!" The symbol of Suzaku appeared on her forehead, proving her destiny. She sent the general hard into a near by wall. It cracked and then shattered but he remaind on his feet.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
As the dust cleared Nakago slowly saw the fighting beauty. Her finger no more than a couple of inches away from his face and Suzaku burned brightly on her foreheand for the first time. She panted wildly, her hair blowing softly away from her face. Blue eyes found that of the enemy, but there was a difference between the two set of twin baby blues. His were cold and gray and her's were almost shinning, as she had just realised her power from deep within her soul. "Don't think you can hurt any of these people, my friends. And I swear don't you dare challenge Suzaku..."
Nakago grinned and hid a chuckle. "Really?"
"Hmm..." She nodded, and then came close enough to kiss him. "You know what they say... when you play with fire, your going to get burned..." She smirked and then turned back the other way, glacing at Yui. *I know you don't hate Miaka...* And then the tears came, spreading across her cheeks and down to the ground. Suzaku faded only to have her gems glowing brighter than ever. They were reacting to her emotion, her very soul. "Nuriko!" *I almost lost him!!* "Nuriko!!"
Instantly he ran to her finding her willing and ready to be held, but confused by her actions. "What's the matter?!"
"I..." She choked on her words. "I almost lost you..."
"Oh Mirakuru," he smiled. He let her head up to see him and wiped away her tears. He let out a
little chuckle and smiled again. "Well, you don't have to worry about anything now, I'm perfectly fine, thanks to you."
She tried to smile. And then hugged him tighter to her. "So glad I finally woke up..."
"Tamahome!" Mirakuru glared at him. "Fight me!" He froze in place, suprised at her strength.
"Tamahome!" She clenched her hands into fists. "Forget I'm a girl."
"That's not easy." He grinned at her, feeling very uncomfortable because of his partner's sex.
"Just fight me!" She urged him to fight her and soon he did.
"Fine!" He lunged at her catching her off guard. She fell to the ground with a thud.
"Where did that come from?" She smiled standing up.
He shrugged and then through a fist at her. Mirakuru ducked, then, hands on the ground, balancing on one foot, she straighted her left leg tripping him and sending him to into the grass. His eyes clenched tight as he skidded atleast 15 feet away. After a moment or so, Tamahome's eyes flickered open and Mirakuru was standing over him. "Wow! That was amazing."
"You haven't seen anything, yet." She half smiled.
"What's that suppose to mean?" He got up.
"Oh nothing." She began to walked away from him. He looked at her with a longing to know what she meant.
*What does she mean? Mirakuru?!*
"Haaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa!" She whirled around and let out a fiery red blast of power aimed right for Tamahome.
"What the hell?!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!"
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Mirakuru chuckled at him and then broke out in a hysteria of laugher. Tamahome looked up her from his place on the ground. There was a hole about 10 feet around and about 5 feet deep in the ground.
"Watch it!!!!!!!!" He growled at her.
"Sorry!" She laughed. "I knew you'd dodge it." He quickly came back with a playful attack of his own. He through her and she fell in a whirl to the ground. "Tamahome!"
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
They continued for a while and then Hotohori appeared. "Tamahome! Mirakuru!" Nuriko, Mitsukake, and Chiriko followed close behind. "Quick, we need you two outside the city limits. Kuto soldiers were spotted on the outskirts of the Empire!"
"What!" Tamahome followed them leaving Mirakuru behind.
"A real battle against Seiryu?" Her eyes widened, "People could die..."
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"We're here, Sire," Chichiri said with Densetsu close behind. "What's happening?"
"There's Kuto soldiers on the outside walls of Konan and our soldiers are having a hard time keeping them back," Hotohori said, sword in hand.
"Oh man!" Tasuki cried as Kakusei stood behind afraid of the pending danger. "This is gonna be difficult. We have to be ready."
"Yeah!" Daikonsen now in a determined state.
"Where's Miaka?" Densetsu asked Hotohori.
"She's back at the palace with Tamahome protecting her," Hotohori said sterness in his voice.
"That's very wise." Kakusei said.
"Yes." Chiriko agreed.
"Hmm." Tasuki grinned looking to put some modivation into the groups spirit. "If they really think they can get through us then they're mistaken..."
"They're here too..." Mirakuru's tone changed to ready and willing to fight as she felt the presence of Seiryu. Suboshi, Ashitati, Soi, Nakago... Seiryu... "All of them, all of the Seiryu!" Everyone gasped.
"How can you possibly know that?!" Kakusei's voice shook.
"I don't know, but there's something else here to. Two others." Mirakuru shook her head back and forth and held it tightly. "Uh!"
"Are you alright?!" Hotohori ran to her side. He paused when her hand up went up.
"I'm fine," she said faking a smile. "Now, I know one of the entities is Yui. She loves Miaka, she just doesn't know it. Otherwise she wouldn't have to try so hard to hate Miaka. I'll bet my life on it!"
"Yes, I agree," Chichiri said suddenly feeling the power of Seiryu.
"Wow!" Tasuki exclaimed, "They are all here and they are so much powerful than before... and--"
"Yui has become more in touch with Seiryu and she is much storger now," Nurkio finished.
"Oh God." Densetsu said shocked. "I can feel it now!"
"Me too." Kakusei said.
"Ditto. This not going to be easy." Daikonsen whispered secretly wishing Tamahome and Miaka were here. *Tamahome I'll protect you and Miaka.*
"Ready?!" Hotohori's voice flashed.
*Hotohori?!* Nuriko asked silently. "I'm ready!"
"As well as I!" Tamahome stood there near Miaka, suddenly appearing infront of the group.
"I want to fight too!"
"Miaka!!!!!!!!!!" The group asked fearing for their Priestess life.
Daikonsen glared at her. "You're gonna get yourself killed."
"I wouldn't be talking!" Kakusei shouted at her friend. "Densetsu and Mirakuru are to only ones who have even a slight chance of defending Miaka! And nobody ever asked me if I wanted to protect her and frankly all I want to do is go home and live a normal life!!!!!!!!!!"
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"Nuriko!!!!!" Mirakuru's scream echoed throughout the hills as she saw her friend at the mercy of Nakago's power.
"What's the matter little girl? It's seems that you actually care about this man." Nakago's voice was calm but very sarcastic.
"Don't even--" She was cut off.
"Leave him and the girl alone, Nakago!" Tamahome ordered with no result. (An: girl? I'd say she's more woman than anything else, she's almost sixteen)
"Well, Lord Tamahome we meet again. Brake any girls hearts lately? Bury any family members at all?" Yui stood close to him with Suboshi close by.
"Nakago, don't be so ignorant," Yui said to him her voice stern.
"Yes, Lady Yui," he said without looking back at her. "May I?"
"I don't care," she said without any concern on Nuriko's life. Her thoughts and attention were focused on Tamahome and Miaka.
Nuriko scrambled to his feet just in time to catch him off guard. Nakago's blast headed right at him and there was nothing he could do about it. *No!!!*
"Nuriko!!!!!!!!!" The other seishi cried. The girls just stood there stunned. Miaka cried
out his name with them.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
In a brilliant blue blast all hope seemed lost for Nuriko, until a light of red shone on the seishi. His violet eyes widened as the power was so close to him. Fear and helplessness haunted his heart. Letting out a cry for life, he saw a quick flash of black, purple and blue, and long brown hair. The blue eyes he'd become familiar with glared the opposite direction. "Uhh..." *Mirakuru?!*
"No!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!" She searched within herself. *Suzaku... Suzaku... Suzaku... Friendship... Help me protect my friend!* Mirakuru found the strength inside of her to fight. *I can't let this happen! Not after we've fought so hard to maintain peace.* Memories of precious and just plain simple moments flooded back to her. Nuriko's pain from his sister's death, and how she held him all that night. No matter how hard she tried she never could find the strength to fight, with or without hurting someone, and he always told her the reasons she had to fight and that they needed her. He never let her give up and so she never did. A blinding garnet blast left Mirakuru's hands, the small gems on her wrist glowing intensely. Countering his attack wasn't easy and she could see by the look in his eyes that he was shocked at her strength. The attacks clashed and sent a ring of purple for miles.
*Mirakuru!!* Hotrohori's heart pounded and his mouth wet dry. *Be careful!! Suzaku, please protect her. I beg of you.* With wide eyes he was afraid and scared at the same time, unknowing that his heart dreaded a fear of her being hurt, or worse. His body quivered and he found himself having a hard time watching. All he wanted to do was run in there and protect her even though she was doing her best to protect Nuriko. And then it hit him. *She's so devoted to him, and their only best friends. It would be almost unbelieveable to watch her fight for someone she loved... Even though she said that she was sorry about saying she loved me, I know she meant it, but I don't understand what's holding her back.* He saw again her sense of protecting Nuriko and then his questions were answered. Nuriko was almost on his back and she was protecting him with her awakening power, her true strength as well as martial arts. *Nuriko!! That's it. She so worried about hurting or breaking his trust that she would sacrific her true feelings, for him...*
"Mirakuru, you can do it!!" Densetsu said standing holding Daikonsen's hand tightly.
"You've got to!!" Daikonsen cried reaching for Kakusei's hand. She didn't say anything but let sadness build up in her heart. Tasuki took her hand and found her eyes.
*Tasuki.* Her brown eyes burned like fire, as if she were finally opening up to Suzaku's power.
"I'll try," she nodded to him and he returned the gesture. Turning back to the Mirakuru she saw her friend's determination.
*You must fight, no matter how much it hurts,* she heard Daiko's psychic words.
*Never give in and fight with your all, and open up to the world around you. Don't be afraid.*
The Seiryu Seven, (An: or six because of Amiboshi's death, and he was the nice one out of the Seiryu, I almost cried when he fell into the river, or as on tv, I've never read the comics, but the emotion, I bet is protrayed better on tv, am I right?) felt the strength of the girls building up, soon finding its way out. The gems on Kakusei's chest, Daikonsen's forehead, and Densetsu's hands glowed brightly, sending the clear message out that they were finally awakening to the power of Suzaku! (An: Yeah!!!!!!!!! Watch out Seiryu, here we come!! lol aha ha ha ha ha ha aha ha!........... O-kay now I'm scaring myself. Watch out everyone, her comes a crazed writer.... Jk)
*Right.* Kakusei returned to Tasuki's eyes and, while still holding on to Daiko's hand touched Tasuki's lips to hers. "I promise I'll tell you all my secrets soon enough, love."
*Love...* His heart raced. *She loves me...*
"I can't believe this, she's so strong!" Nakago's voice was shaky. His eyes widened.
"Nakago!" Soi cried.
"Nakago!" Yui's voice ran dry.
"Haaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaah!!!!!!!!!!" The symbol of Suzaku appeared on her forehead, proving her destiny. She sent the general hard into a near by wall. It cracked and then shattered but he remaind on his feet.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
As the dust cleared Nakago slowly saw the fighting beauty. Her finger no more than a couple of inches away from his face and Suzaku burned brightly on her foreheand for the first time. She panted wildly, her hair blowing softly away from her face. Blue eyes found that of the enemy, but there was a difference between the two set of twin baby blues. His were cold and gray and her's were almost shinning, as she had just realised her power from deep within her soul. "Don't think you can hurt any of these people, my friends. And I swear don't you dare challenge Suzaku..."
Nakago grinned and hid a chuckle. "Really?"
"Hmm..." She nodded, and then came close enough to kiss him. "You know what they say... when you play with fire, your going to get burned..." She smirked and then turned back the other way, glacing at Yui. *I know you don't hate Miaka...* And then the tears came, spreading across her cheeks and down to the ground. Suzaku faded only to have her gems glowing brighter than ever. They were reacting to her emotion, her very soul. "Nuriko!" *I almost lost him!!* "Nuriko!!"
Instantly he ran to her finding her willing and ready to be held, but confused by her actions. "What's the matter?!"
"I..." She choked on her words. "I almost lost you..."
"Oh Mirakuru," he smiled. He let her head up to see him and wiped away her tears. He let out a
little chuckle and smiled again. "Well, you don't have to worry about anything now, I'm perfectly fine, thanks to you."
She tried to smile. And then hugged him tighter to her. "So glad I finally woke up..."