Disclaimers: I don't own Fushigi Yuugi.
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Narrator's POV
Uruki surveyed the seen before her. She felt a chill go down her spine as she looked at all of the destruction and death. They had just arrived at the gate.
We should probably split up into groups of two. That way we can get more people at one time, and still have backup, said Namame. Hikitsu, you go with Uruki. Tomite, you can come with me. The others nodded but Tomite looked as though he would rather be with Hikitsu. Before Uruki could suggest that they switch partners, he had left with Namame. She looked up at Hikitsu and felt a twinge of guilt. She still hadn't apologized to him for yelling at him the day that Tomite had waken up and telling him that he was only a bother and that she didn't need him. None of these things where true. She loved him. She wasn't afraid to admit it to herself any more. She loved him with all of her heart. The last thing that she wanted to do was hurt him. Yet, she knew that she had. She sighed and plunged into the fight with Hikitsu at her side.
Meanwhile, Takiko was in the infirmary talking to the main healer, an old man who leaned on a crooked cane for support. She was told that she could carry things for the other healers, such as hot water and medicines, and that she could also bandage some wounds and heal people to the best of her ability. She silently thanked Genbu that she had been volunteering at the hospital in her town since she was little and knew some things about medicines and healing. Then, she quickly got to work, wanting to help as many people as she could. She could see that the place was already very busy and was only going to get busier. Soon she had seen horrid injurious and brave men die. Half of her wanted her to stop. It told her to go back to her room where she would be safe. But the other half told her that she couldn't stop and let these men die without trying to help at all. She had saved several men and couldn't stop now no matter how tired she got or no matter how many men died with her able to do nothing but make them comfortable. The second half won. She looked around for her next patient. She spotted a man lying in a bed by the corner who looked like she had enough skill to heal. She quickly went to him and began to work on bandaging his wounds. He groaned as she applied pressure to a particularly gruesome one so that the bleeding would stop. She finished and once again began to looked around for her next patient...
Tomite and Namame fought together. They made a good team. Tomite would shoot people that where far off, and Namame would take care of anyone that got to close with his knife. Also, Namame could spot any people that where hiding form them because he could sense there emotions and there for know that they where there and there exact location. He would then point them out to Tomite who would shoot them. However, there where only two of them, and they where outnumbered. Even with their powers as seishi they could not beat those odds. They where slowly being pushed back by the many Kutou solders who had seen that they where Genbu seishi and knew that if even one of them died then they would not be able to summon Genbu. Tomite cried out and fell, an arrow embedded in his right leg. Namame leaped to cover his flank, but both of them knew that they probably wouldn't last much longer. A swords man cut a long gash in Namame's right arm and he dropped his knife. He looked around helplessly for a weapon, and found none. The swords man who had hurt Namame's arm held his sword up high, ready to strike. Namame closed his eyes, waiting for the end and offering one last prayer to Genbu...
Uruki and Hikitsu fought back to back. It was extremely hard, but they where keeping the enemy at bay. Barley. Both of them where standing over six our seven wounded Hokkan solders. Hikitsu could feel the sweat running down his face and neck and the blood gushing from my many cuts and scraps. He could also feel Uruki breathing very hard. The cuts and scraps weren't serious wounds, so he wasn't very worried about them. He just hoped that they could hold the Kutou solders off for long enough for help to come and get the Hokkan solders to the infirmary. It was about five minutes later, when he had just sent out another one of his ice dragons, when another nine Hokkan solders ran over to them. While some began to help them hold off the Kutou solders the others helped the wounded that they had been guarding to the infirmary, where they knew Takiko was. Hikitsu breathed a huge sigh of relief and he and Uruki thanked the nine solders breathlessly and then plunged into the middle of a particularly large group men wearing the blue armor of Seriyuu.
Hikitsu sent three of his ice dragons ahead of he and Uruki and froze several Kutou solders. They where so close together that the dragons hit three or four people at the same time making them into ice statues. He smirked thinking that they where foolish to stand so close to each other and saw Uruki grin out of the courier of his eye. Then, they where all around them. Uruki killed or seriously injured anyone that wasn't already frozen with her sword, while Hikitsu froze as many as he could at once. The Kutou solders didn't know what had hit them. They quickly ran into the city, away from them. Both of them knew that once they knew that once they thought that they had lost them, they would begin to murder anyone who they ran into. That included the old, the young, woman and children. Anyone that they saw. They looked at each other and made a decision in a split second. Both of them ran after the soldiers at the same time, Uruki a little bit behind Hikitsu because she couldn't run quite as fast. They ran together for about five minutes when the worst possible thing happened. Suddenly, Hikitsu heard a scream of pain from behind him. He turned around just in time to see Uruki begin to fall, an arrow embedded deep into her back, the red blood gushing from her wound...
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Tomite's POV
I waited for the blow. The blow that would kill me. I thought of Takiko. Of how she had made me promise not to die before she was able to say goodbye. Forgive me, Takiko. It looks as if I won't be able to keep my promise to you after all, I thought. The blow would come soon. It would all be over for Namame and I in just a second.....
I waited...
And waited...
And waited...
But the blow never came. Slowly, I opened my eyes. Beside me, Namame was muttering a prayer to Genbu. But in fount of me, there was a light, almost see through, green barrier. On the other side of it, I could see the Kutou solders, that had seconds before been attacking us, looking frightened. They began to run. All except one of them. He was a young boy, that was also surrounded in green light, even though his armor was blue. The source of the light surrounding him came from somewhere on his back, or maybe a little below that. Suddenly, I understood. I tried to stand, but found that I couldn't because of my leg. Instead, he came to us, as the green lights each all of us faded. He bent down next to me.
You're a Genbu Seishi, aren't you? I said. By that time, Namame had realized what was going on and nodded his agreement.
Yes. my name is Dugureng Zaan but you may call me Iname, he answered.
Um... May we see your seishi symbol? Asked Namame. I had been wondering the same thing.
Um... Er.... Well... He blushed deeply. It's not in a place that I usually show to the public... This confused me.
Well... Where is it? I asked.
His blush deepened. My right buttock... That surprised me. No wonder he didn't want to show it...
W-well then... W-why are you in Kutou armor? Judging by his face, Namame was also surprised. Iname sighed.
I knew that that question would come soon. You see..... How should I say this? I wasn't born in Hokkan. My birth place and all my family is in Kutou. My parents found out about me being a Genbu Seishi when I was very young and didn't want me to help you defeat Kutou and summon Genbu. They told me horrible stories about the Genbu no Miko and her other seishi, but I didn't believe them. I knew about my destiny and couldn't believe that the people that shared it could be that bad. Still, there was no way for me to get across the border and find the Genbu no Miko or any of her seishi that I had heard about. And the war didn't help either. Nobody could cross the border unless they where a soldier and had specific permission from the emperor. So I made my parents think that I believed them and signed up for the army, so I could get into Hokkan. While he had spoken, another one of the green things had surrounded us.
What's your power? And what are those green things? I asked. At this, he smiled.
My power is making magical shields. And the green things, are the magical shields that I create. Nothing can break them if I am completely healthy and not tired or drained when I make them. Now, we need to get both of you to the infirmary. I just hope that your solders won't shoot me down as soon as they see me...
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Hikitsu's POV
I quickly ran up to Uruki and caught her. She was already passed out. Or dead. I wasn't sure witch. I wasn't sure if I wanted to find out. I held her in my arms, moaning. The person who did this would did. I felt my symbol blaze to life. They will die! I thought, blinded by anger and grief. I thought that she was dead. Her warm blood was seeping into my cloths. I didn't care. All that mattered was that she was dead, and whoever killed her would pay. I looked around and saw an enemy archer on top of a roof. Yes. He was the one who had killed Uruki. He was the one who would pay. The archer aimed an arrow at me and shot. I froze it in mid air, and hear it drop harmlessly to the ground in front of me. One of my ice dragons shot tours him. He didn't even have time to scream, before he was frozen and dropping to the ground. stopped watching him as soon as I knew that he was dead. I looked back at Uruki, and to my amazement I saw her chest moving up and down very slowly. She was breathing! Relief flooded me. I knew that I had to get her to the infirmary or she would die. But that was at least a mile away. She would never make it!
You look like you could use some help, said a voice from behind me. I turned quickly, half expecting it to be another Kutou soldier. But it was just a villager. A boy, who looked about my age.
Y-yes. It's my companion. She was- I began.
I know. I saw the whole thing, he interrupted me. Then he knelt next to me and pulled a knife out of his belt.
What are you doing? I almost yelled, afraid that he was some crazy person and was going to hurt Uruki more. He didn't answer me. Instead, he made a long gash in his left arm and began to mutter things under his breath, letting his blood fall onto Uruki's wound. As he muttered, a green symbol appeared on his elbow, just visible through his thin shirt, filling the street with a bright green light. Then I understood who he was, even if I didn't know what he was doing. He had to be one on the other Genbu Seishi. Still, I had to wonder if he was crazy. Then, before my eyes, Uruki's wound began to close. It was healing! The man stopped and looked worn out. He quickly bandaged him self.
A-are you one of the Genbu Seishi? I asked.
Yes. I am, he said tiredly. My real name is Shi-Hsiu, but my seishi name is Hatsui. You are also a Genbu Seishi, aren't you?
Yes. My real name is Chen Entato, but you may call me Hikitsu. And my companion is Uruki, but her real name is Bai-Ling Soo.
I see. That explains everything...
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~End of Chapter 17~
Wow! Two seishi at once! Now there's only one more to go. Umiyame. And It's my B-day tomorrow! I'm so excited. August 18th! I can't wait! More coming soon. Don't forget to review!
