(Before we get to the actual story, I want to thank everyone for their kind reviews and patience with me. As I have asked, so you have delivered. Reviews equal chapters. Whew! Now that that's out of the way, let the story continue! ^-^!)

Disclaimer: Would I really be writing this if I owned Fushigi Yuugi? No. I'd be kickin' back and counting all the money I made off of it and the Ceres series.

The Adventures of the Priestess of Byakko

By Mistress Fire-Hazard ^-^!

Chapter Six- From Darkness to Light

Everyone stared at the woman in shock. Her body emanated a great evil aura, black flames licking calmly around her. From the hood, two red eyes glowed like the dying embers of a fire. Not one person could actually see it, but they could feel a wicked smile coming from the cold, black depth of her hood.

The other patrons of the restaurant knew all the signs of an upcoming battle and quietly got up and backed out of the front doors. Even the owner sensed the evil filling his establishment. With a couple of jerks of his head, he silently urged his employees to move on out. Soon the entire restaurant was vacated, save for the presence of Là Tián, Suzuno, her warriors, and the menace that threatened them all.

Tokaki relaxed a bit, giving off the air of someone without a care in the world. Underneath, he was trembling. He leaned back in his chair and smiled languidly at the source of evil. "Wehh-lllll," he drawled. "It's about time our server arrived. We'll need another plate of spring rolls, sesame chicken, and another pot of tea."

"How can you be so laid back, Tokaki?!" Suzuno jumped up and yelled. At least, she would have, if not for the attack that preceded her.

In one swift motion, the cloaked woman brought her hand down upon the table and split it down the middle. All of the food and plates came tumbling and crashing to the floor. Everyone jumped up from their seats. In mere moments, Tatara was shielding Suzuno and Là Tián behind his back. Tokaki lost all humor and warily watched the woman raise her arm like a scythe.

"Speak so to me again, and the next thing I sever shall be your head from your neck. After which, I shall feast on your impudent tongue," she hissed, speaking the latter sentence with evident pleasure.

"What would you want of us, madam?" Tatara asked calmly but sternly through his teeth.

The woman's high, chilling laughter filled the hazy evening air.

"Quite simply," the woman replied, her eyes taking on an extra spark of life. "I want you to DIE!!" And as she screeched the last word, she directed a cutting blow at Tatara. Suzuno screamed out in terror, clutching Tatara from behind.

"AAAAGH!"

Suzuno winced at the cry of pain. She took courage to open her eyes to see what damage had befallen her monk friend.

But the cry had not come from him. In front of Tatara, clutching his bleeding chest, and doubled over in pain, was Tokaki. He had used his teleportation to take the attack for his friends.

"Craaap, that hurt. But it'll take more than that to kill me! Heh, heh, heh," Tokaki growled with a smile. Out of the corner of his mouth, he spoke to Tatara's ears only. "Tatara," he whispered in a low and quick voice. "Get the girls out of here. Find a safe place. I'll keep her busy here."

The woman, who had not heard Tokaki's whispered conversation, raised her hand to attack again. "As you wish," her voice dark with pleasure.

"I can't leave you here! We'll fight her together. We're both warriors, remember?" Tatara insisted.

"Tokaki, you're hurt. You need help," Suzuno insisted, her eyes threatening tears.

Inside, Tokaki was moved by their offers. They were truly his friends, like none he had ever had before. But he had no time to indulge these thoughts. He shoved them to the back of his mind, letting anger rise in their place.

"DAMN IT, MONK!! I can handle this bitch!! Now do your job and protect Suzuno!!!" Tokaki angrily shot back, hoping his foul language would move Tatara into action.

Tatara and Suzuno blanched at Tokaki's words, too shocked to move. But the next blow successfully split them apart. Tokaki took the brunt of it, while Tatara, Suzuno, and Là Tián were knocked aside. Tatara had enough mind to pull Suzuno against him, shielding her as the shockwave from the attack hit his back. Là Tián fell neatly beside them, but was undamaged.

Wasting no more time, Tatara pulled Suzuno and Là Tián to their feet and bolted for the exit. The woman moved to follow them, but was blocked by Tokaki. Lashed with pain and pale from loss of blood, still he grinned like a maniac and raised his hands, ready to fight.

"One to a customer, now. If you want more, you'll have to finish me first, like a good girl," Tokaki smiled, goading the woman in front of him.

*---*

People had gathered outside of the restaurant to observe from a safe distance the fight taking place within. They gasped as one when wood splintered and crashed within, taking part of the roof with it.

Tatara fought his way through the crowd, trying to warn everyone to flee. "Please leave! Save yourselves and get out of here! Run, good people, RUN!!"

Though he fervently pleaded with them, only a few heard, and fewer actually took his advice. He could hear Suzuno pleading for them to go back and help Tokaki, but Tatara would have none of it.

"Tokaki is buying us time while we find a safe place! We cannot waste this chance!" he insisted. "Là Tián!"

Là Tián perked up at her name as she ran beside Suzuno.

"Do you know of any safe hiding places near here?" Tatara asked.

She shook her head. "I'm sorry, no. I haven't been in the city for very long."

"You should go home," Suzuno insisted. "It must be safer there. And that woman isn't after you!"

"Huh? What are you talking about?"

"I'm sorry we couldn't help you. Here," Suzuno reached into her pocket. She put the hand mirror in Là Tián's hand. "Use that to pay for a doctor to help your father."

"B-but. I stole it from you and now you're giving it to me? Why?"

"Because you need it more than I do," Suzuno gently insisted. "Now go! I don't want you to get hurt!" With those last words, Suzuno squeezed Là Tián's hand and let it go, running off with Tatara toward the high walls marking the border of the city.

Là Tián was dumbstruck as she watched them run off. She clutched the mirror in her hands and with one last look, ran off down a side street.

*---*

"We need to find a place with no people around! We can't let anyone get hurt!" Tatara yelled at Suzuno behind him. Suzuno nodded in agreement.

"Why do you think she wants to kill us?" Suzuno asked, looking at their surroundings. They were heading back into the desert. "What could we have done?"

Tatara breathed heavily, but gave no answer. He could do no more but wonder himself. Suddenly, his attention was again caught as he sensed that familiar black presence just behind them.

Above them, cloak billowing around her like leathery wings, the evil woman cackled and aimed. Tatara whipped out his vines and succeded in entangling the woman within them. His jaw clenched in triumph, Tatara jerked the writhing mass of vines toward him, tightening the hold. The mass went rigid and suddenly still.

Then a dark mass of purple chi surrounded the vines and traveled down to their source, Tatara. As if he were struck by lightning, the purple chi crackled around Tatara's body, sending him into a blindingly bright pit of pain.

"AAAAAAAAAAAGH!" Tatara experienced the most excruciating pain of his life for a few moments and then convulsed and fell, his body cindered and wisps of smoke rising from him.

As Tatara fell, the world seemed to slow down. Time dragged, making each second feel like a minute. The vines retracted, reflecting their creator's agony, and Tatara turned to face Suzuno, reaching for her as he fell.

"TATARAAAAAAA!!!!!" Suzuno cried out, anguish etched into her face and body. Her arms reached in desperation to catch him, keep him safe, make him well, if she could do any of those things.

Suzuno slumped to the ground, clutching Tatara and weeping into his hair as it spread across her lap. "Please be all right," her muffled voice pleaded. "Please don't go away. Don't leave me!"

Drawing breath was excruciating, Like trying to drag an embedded bicycle out of thick mud. Pain lashed at his lungs as he coughed. She was begging, pleading for him to stay. He had no choice but to obey as best he could. It hurt so that tears escaped his eyes.

"I'm sorry Suzuno. I couldn't protect you. I-I'm so sorry," Tatara wanted to say. But all that came out was, "cauk! S-sorry Suzu-cauk!" With those words, his eyes closed and his voice fell silent.

Suzuno dragged his face up to meet hers. "No," she begged, kissing his forehead over and over. "No. You can't go. I've only just found you!" She thought about their journey together. Crossing the desert, laughing at their thoughts, watching the sunrise, the all-consuming love of the dream ball. It may have been fake, all in a storybook, but it was real to her. And that was what mattered.

"You may not feel that way about me, but I love you!" she whispered, tears spilling. "You're my first. My first kiss, my first love! Please don't go! Please!! Tatara!!"

And as Suzuno wept and clutched Tatara's limp body to her shaking one, the cloaked woman descended, landing lightly on the ground a few feet away.

"And now you," the woman whispered, the vile words falling from her lips like sweet blood.

Suzuno didn't hear her. She raised her head, eyes closed, wishing for Tatara's life or her death. Whichever would reunite them quicker.

The woman took Suzuno's gesture as a blatant invitation to finish her off, exposing her neck to any threat. She carefully aimed her chi and let out a blinding blast!

Oh, the blow! The impact was horrific. But why was she feeling pain? Shouldn't it be the other way? She only felt satisfaction when her enemies were hit. She never felt their pain before. But here it was!

Her eyes opened to an astonishing sight. In front of the priestess and the fallen warrior, was the girl who was with them earlier. She held Suzuno's mirror in front of her face and the woman understood.

"So," she choaked out. "You reflected my attack. Clever little girl."

"I am more than that," Là Tián stated proudly. "You hurt my friends. And now you'll pay." Là Tián closed her eyes and her body began to crackle with furious chi. Her eyes opened again, not their usual chestnut brown color, but pure white.

"The Byakko warriors are not to be harmed," Là Tián stated in a deep voice, quite unlike her normal one. "I purge you of the evil possessing your body and heart. I am Kokie of the Byakko Seven." As she spoke those words, the character of Stomach lit an angry yellow on her left ankle. A ray of pure white chi shot from Là Tián and enveloped the cloaked woman before her.

As the chi absorbed into her body, the dark magic that had locked away her mind and soul, dissipated and was replaced with white magic. The woman was awakening and her dark cloak of evil fell. Spread around her lovely heart- shaped face was a long mane of pearly-white hair.

"Now, awaken," Kokie demanded gently as her chi began to fade. "Awaken and take your place. Subaru, celestial warrior."

Subaru's eyes opened and started at the young girl in front of her. Kokie's pure white eyes smiled gently.

"Welcome back, Subaru. As I have freed you, now you must help me. Use your skill and power to save my parents." With those final words, her white chi faded and Kokie fell to the ground. She quickly looked around at Suzuno and crawled to her side.

"Suzuno! Did you see what I did?! Did you see? I never knew I could do that! My gods! And I'm a celestial warrior! Wait until I tell my parents!" Kokie sputtered out all at once in her excitement.

Suzuno had witnessed the entire process and could hardly believe what had happened. "K-kokie? What about Tatara?"

Kokie bit her lower lip gently and pushed her sleeves away. "I'll see what I can do." Her hands glowed gently as she used her chi to examine him. Suzuno held her breath.

Kokie looked up at Suzuno with a smile. "He's still alive. I think he's just in shock. He needs a doctor. But I think he'll be fine."

Suzuno shed tears of relief and clutched Tatara to her again. "Thank you, Byakko. Thank you so much!"

"Come on," Kokie smiled and offered her hand. "I'll take you to my home. But first, let's go find Mr. Slap-Happy Tokaki! I'll explain everything when we get home."

Continued in Chapter 7

(Okay, how many of you saw that coming? Surprise!! I love surprising my readers! It's such fun! ^-^! Now I bet you're all wondering just what posessed Subaru to attack her fellow warriors? And why Là Tián wasn't aware until now that she was a celestial warrior as well? Why is her name Là Tián? Well, the first two will be answered in the next couple of chapters. The third I can tell you about now. Everybody in this world has regular Chinese names as well as their celestial names and I wanted to keep the fact that she was a warrior a secret for purposes even I can't fathom. Things just work out that way when I write. I will tell you that Là Tián means Spicy Sweet in Chinese. I'm not sure of the dialect. I wanted to give her a name that matched her character. She has both a spicy temperament and a sweet side, so I thought that name worked out well. In truth, I have no idea what the Chinese names of Tatara, Tokaki, and Subaru are. If you know, could you e-mail me and tell me? I'd appreciate it. I've got to stop writing now since my headache feels like it's gonna explode out of my head and I'll become a vegetable if I keep writing! So for the sake of the story, I have to stop and rest. I will write more later. Promise! ^-^!)