Chapter 23

At night, after everyone got rest everyone divided.

"Okay, is everyone ready?" Aoi asked. Aoi, Chichiri, Miaka, Hotohori, Mitsukake, and Nuriko all rode horses to the Qu-Dong Empire to find and fight Nakago. It was the last battle against the Seriyu warriors. Houki stayed at the palace with Chiriko to guard her. Everyone nodded and they went on conspicuously. They made it to the door without any guards seeing them and slowly they opened the door. As soon as the door was all the way open, something swept Aoi away from everyone else into the darkness.

"LET ME GO!!!!!" She screamed.

"JEN!!!" They all yelled.

The lights came on blinding everyone.

"So nice of you to come to my palace. Oh, but I have not made anything for you, I did not know of your arrival." Nakago was hovering over them like a ghost.

"Give Jen back to us!" Chichiri exclaimed.

"Jen? Oh, yes, my priestess. I'm sorry; I can do no such thing. She and I must get reacquainted. After all I haven't talked to her for a while now. We are soon to get married and we have to know each other before we do so, right?" Nakago leaned in close to Aoi's face about to kiss her.

"NO!! Get away from me!" She kicked and fought him away. She hit him in the face and she was let free. Falling from his grip she let out a cry.

"Jen!" Nakago and Chichiri yelled at the same time. Chichiri ran to try and catch her and Nakago flew down from his current position to try and catch her before Chichiri. Aoi's stone lit up, knowing that she was in danger and stopped her in mid air. Some pearly substance covered her and when she emerged from it, she had on her Chinese outfit ready to fight.

"What's going on?" Miaka asked. Everyone turned to look at her. A stone had appeared in front of her as well and a pearly substance was now covering her. When she came out she had on a red Chinese dress and gold embroidery with gloves and gold jewelry. She had red high heels and a choker that had rubies in it and one hanging from it. Her hair was up in a side ponytail hanging and dangling back and forth. She had big hoop earrings on and bracelets plus an anklet. She had rubies hold back her pieces of hair that wouldn't stay back like clips. Her stone floated in her hand. She looked at it.

"Miaka?" Miaka's eyes turned fierce. She jumped in the air and floated towards Aoi.

"Oh this is nice. You get to get your butt kicked twice as hard this time Nakago, hope you're looking forward to it." Aoi smiled evilly. Her eyes as well turned fierce. (A/N at this point I totally forgot what I was going to write so my friend gave me great advice, that advice was 'keep on dancing.' so if u don't mind, I will go do that now!)

Nakago saw their glares and he actually looked scared for one moment in time. He kept his head high and glanced over at the other warriors. He shot his arm out and a blast of chi slammed into Mitsukake, throwing him against a wall of spikes and grooves and killing him instantly. He disintegrated before he had a chance to hit the ground. Everyone except Aoi and Miaka were shocked.

"Now that your doctor is gone, this should be a more fair fight." Nakago claimed.

The girls clenched their teeth together.

"But you know, I think I should kill another befo-"

"No you won't!" Aoi jumped into the air kicking Nakago in the face. Miaka followed and blasted him away with her chi. He stopped himself before he hit the grooved spiked wall. He smiled viciously.

"That was actually a pretty good attack but I got stronger since last time so it wont be so easy to defeat me this time." Nakago powered up and sent a huge blast of chi at the other Suzaku warriors, it was aimed at Hotohori. "And now, with no king to take your place, I will take over Hong-Nan as well!" Nakago laughed. It was too fast for him to get out of the way now. His Holy sword wouldn't protect him from that either. What was he going to do?! He unsheathed his sword and closed his eyes. He waited but didn't feel any force. When he opened his eyes, he saw Nuriko, protecting him.

"Nuriko! What are you doing?!" He asked.

Nuriko looked back at him for a split second. "What does it look like?! I'm saving your life! Get out of here!" He yelled.

"Nuriko!"

"Go now!" He pleaded. Hotohori's eyes lit up. He realized even as a man and exposed as one, he still acted as if he loved him. Hotohori walked up next to Nuriko and tried to fight the wave of chi off with him.

"What are you doing?!"

"I'm not letting you die for me! I'm not leaving you Nuriko, we're doing this together!" Hotohori exclaimed. Nuriko's eyes widened and he nodded. They fought off the chi but it was a constant no win situation. Nakago was getting bored by now.

"How touching, maybe I should make this a little more dramatic." Nakago send another wave of chi at them and their concentration broke. Their bodies were ravaged and pulled apart. Nuriko and Hotohori fell to the ground scratched, bruised and scarred. Aoi, Miaka and Chichiri ran over to them. Miaka held Hotohori's hand and Aoi held Nuriko's. Nuriko and Hotohori were breathing hard.

"Are you guys okay?" Chichiri asked.

"Yeah, I'm fine, I think it was exhilarating!" Nuriko exclaimed.

"The time of my life." Hotohori agreed.

"Just hang on please."

"Don't leave us, please!"

Nuriko's and Hotohori's hands met up and gripped each other tightly.

"Sorry..."

"We can't promise that..."

After that, they disappeared together. Aoi was crying and Miaka, balling. They all huddled together and comforted each other.

"Oh me oh my. What will you tell the king's wife? What was her name? Houki? Yes she would make a nice wife." Nakago was slowly walking closer and closer. "But of course, she would be nothing compared to your smarts or beauty, especially during a fight!" Aoi glared up at him, sending daggers at him with her eyes. Nakago stopped in his tracks.

"You bastard... You will pay for this!"

TO BE CONTINUED