"Just how did you obtain this so called sixth sutra old man?" Sanzo questioned as the followed the man from the room down a long hall that seemed to stretch forever.
Like the main room had been the floor was made of green crystal shot through with gold and the walls were white sandstone. The ceiling, however, was not the golden dome but a lower, flat ceiling of more white sandstone so the hall was more like a tomb then anything. No windows decorated the walls so the only light was given of by the flicker of the flames inside more of the glass lamps hanging on the walls.
"That sutra? Oh well She's been passed down through out families for generation after generation."
"She?"
The man cleared his throat nervously. "Did I say she? It. Very sorry. I meant it. This temple was built with the purpose of protecting the sutra. Those of this temple are the many times great grand children of the first who devoted themselves to it protection and secrecy."
"Apparently you didn't do a very good job with the secrecy part." Sanzo commented.
The man threw him a mild look. "It was fate that led you here. Indeed."
"You say the first who devoted themselves." Hakkai spoke up. "Has this temple been here for very long?"
"Oh yes. It was once a village till...the sutra was given to us. The stories of the exact events that occurred have blurred and been corrupted so the truth is lost to the sands of time. However the village was attacked by those who wanted the sutra and when many were killed this temple was constructed and the survivors pledged themselves and their children and their children's children to guarding the sutra until that time which it may be sent back out unto the world."
"Very nice bed time story." Sanzo said dryly.
The man didn't reply and Goku stretched lazily. "This tunnel goes on forever. I'm getting tired."
"Lazy lil monkey." Gojyo muttered.
"What did you call me?"
"I called you a lazy monkey. What? Is all that fur clogging your ears?"
"You take that back!"
"You take it back!"
"No you take it back!"
"Both of you shut up!" Sanzo snapped suddenly.
"Ah. Here we are." The man spoke as if he hadn't heard the arguing at all.
The hall ended at a heavy door of simple iron, unfurnished, un decorated, just plain. Most likely the only plain thing in the whole temple. And for that reason it seemed grander then everything else. Gold was only stunning for so long. Once you had seen so much of it, it got tedious. The plain, ugly, steel door was a welcome relief from the beautiful glitter.
The man dug into his robs till he produced a simple key made from the same rough material as the door and slipped it into the narrow key hole twisting once forward then backwards before laying a hand on the door's latch and pushed it open.
The room they entered into was another with a huge dome ceiling. However the floor had changed. Instead of crystal, or marble, or even simple gray stone what stretched before them beyond the door was fresh, grass that looked as if it had just sprouted. Yellow dandelions grew rampant, tiny yellow suns among the field of green. The very center of the ceiling was a break in the gold, where was set a huge circle of glass. And through it a thick shaft of light fell straight downward to engulf a woman who floated about a 15 feet of the ground.
Her hair fell down past her knees in a torrent of pale, snowy white. Tiny golden bells had been woven into her hair and they stirred in an unfelt breeze sending a comforting tinkling sound through the chamber. Pale eyelashes like woven moonbeams stood out against her cheek, her flawless skin a dusty honey gold color. She was naked, the only thing preserving her modest was a long sutra that curled around her like a serpent.
"Sanzo..." Hakkai said quietly.
"Yea. I know."
"Whoa!" Goku spoke. "She's beautiful."
"This our lady." The man spoke. "We call her Amunisis. She is the Keeper and Guardian of the sutra."
"You mean I have to take it of her?" Sanzo asked, tone suggesting the man told him he had to stick his hand in a vat of poisonous snakes.
The man frowned. "No. You may not. It is impossible to steal the scripture from her. First she must be awoken from her slumber."
"Alright then. Wake her up."
"It is not as simple as that?"
"Then what do we have to do?" Sanzo snapped impatiently.
"To wake Holy Maiden Amunisis from her sleep you must kiss her."
"Kiss her!" The four chorused in unison.
The man nodded once. "That is correct. The only way to break her from her centuries of dreams it with a kiss."
"Well then." Gojyo grinned. "Sounds like I'm just the man for the job."
The man bowed. "I'm sorry. The only one who can wake Amunisis is another guardian of a sutra." He looked at Sanzo "Genjo Sanzo you must be the one to wake the Holy Maiden with your kiss."
Like the main room had been the floor was made of green crystal shot through with gold and the walls were white sandstone. The ceiling, however, was not the golden dome but a lower, flat ceiling of more white sandstone so the hall was more like a tomb then anything. No windows decorated the walls so the only light was given of by the flicker of the flames inside more of the glass lamps hanging on the walls.
"That sutra? Oh well She's been passed down through out families for generation after generation."
"She?"
The man cleared his throat nervously. "Did I say she? It. Very sorry. I meant it. This temple was built with the purpose of protecting the sutra. Those of this temple are the many times great grand children of the first who devoted themselves to it protection and secrecy."
"Apparently you didn't do a very good job with the secrecy part." Sanzo commented.
The man threw him a mild look. "It was fate that led you here. Indeed."
"You say the first who devoted themselves." Hakkai spoke up. "Has this temple been here for very long?"
"Oh yes. It was once a village till...the sutra was given to us. The stories of the exact events that occurred have blurred and been corrupted so the truth is lost to the sands of time. However the village was attacked by those who wanted the sutra and when many were killed this temple was constructed and the survivors pledged themselves and their children and their children's children to guarding the sutra until that time which it may be sent back out unto the world."
"Very nice bed time story." Sanzo said dryly.
The man didn't reply and Goku stretched lazily. "This tunnel goes on forever. I'm getting tired."
"Lazy lil monkey." Gojyo muttered.
"What did you call me?"
"I called you a lazy monkey. What? Is all that fur clogging your ears?"
"You take that back!"
"You take it back!"
"No you take it back!"
"Both of you shut up!" Sanzo snapped suddenly.
"Ah. Here we are." The man spoke as if he hadn't heard the arguing at all.
The hall ended at a heavy door of simple iron, unfurnished, un decorated, just plain. Most likely the only plain thing in the whole temple. And for that reason it seemed grander then everything else. Gold was only stunning for so long. Once you had seen so much of it, it got tedious. The plain, ugly, steel door was a welcome relief from the beautiful glitter.
The man dug into his robs till he produced a simple key made from the same rough material as the door and slipped it into the narrow key hole twisting once forward then backwards before laying a hand on the door's latch and pushed it open.
The room they entered into was another with a huge dome ceiling. However the floor had changed. Instead of crystal, or marble, or even simple gray stone what stretched before them beyond the door was fresh, grass that looked as if it had just sprouted. Yellow dandelions grew rampant, tiny yellow suns among the field of green. The very center of the ceiling was a break in the gold, where was set a huge circle of glass. And through it a thick shaft of light fell straight downward to engulf a woman who floated about a 15 feet of the ground.
Her hair fell down past her knees in a torrent of pale, snowy white. Tiny golden bells had been woven into her hair and they stirred in an unfelt breeze sending a comforting tinkling sound through the chamber. Pale eyelashes like woven moonbeams stood out against her cheek, her flawless skin a dusty honey gold color. She was naked, the only thing preserving her modest was a long sutra that curled around her like a serpent.
"Sanzo..." Hakkai said quietly.
"Yea. I know."
"Whoa!" Goku spoke. "She's beautiful."
"This our lady." The man spoke. "We call her Amunisis. She is the Keeper and Guardian of the sutra."
"You mean I have to take it of her?" Sanzo asked, tone suggesting the man told him he had to stick his hand in a vat of poisonous snakes.
The man frowned. "No. You may not. It is impossible to steal the scripture from her. First she must be awoken from her slumber."
"Alright then. Wake her up."
"It is not as simple as that?"
"Then what do we have to do?" Sanzo snapped impatiently.
"To wake Holy Maiden Amunisis from her sleep you must kiss her."
"Kiss her!" The four chorused in unison.
The man nodded once. "That is correct. The only way to break her from her centuries of dreams it with a kiss."
"Well then." Gojyo grinned. "Sounds like I'm just the man for the job."
The man bowed. "I'm sorry. The only one who can wake Amunisis is another guardian of a sutra." He looked at Sanzo "Genjo Sanzo you must be the one to wake the Holy Maiden with your kiss."
