Author's note: I had a whip master this time, two of them. Someone stood behind me with a belt as I wrote this chapter, and though it's short, it's finished! I also have two pages of chapter 81 done. Shakes fists at the battle scenes I've been reading this unbelievably well-written story on ffnet lately, and as I checked through my chapter, I realized how poor my writing was compared to their's, and though I made several adjustments, it's still not as good. I will get there though! Only one or two more chapters after this, then I have to get myself to write that sequel… sigh
To ScarletMiaka: Wow, Miaka fan. That's rare. Thankyou for your review and opinions, I actually do take them seriously! I'm glad you like the Genbu-tachi, but there won't be a lot more revolving around them.
To Delphine: Saori does deserve a big "wow", doesn't she? Big goodbye scene… it's coming. By that, I mean, don't think that what happens in this chapter is the end. Is that a spoiler? Oh well. I know I have the usual romantic plot line, that's why someday I may revise the whole story and work some better things out. Ha ha, I actually used that spelling lesson of yours in this chapter!
To MaryDFair: Saori dying… hmm… well, I haven't murdered anyone for a while, I think it sounds good. Besides, I don't know if there's time for her and Suboshi, so killing her wouldn't be too bad, ne?
To Crazy-VampireSlayer: Will our deceased come back? I can't tell you, but I will say this: You'll find out pretty soon. Ha ha, I had so many reviews about Saori and Suboshi! Do things get hottie? I don't know if there's time in the story for that… but hey, that's what sequels are for.
To Metajoker: You'll see if your hunch about Miaka's wish is right in this chapter, though I can tell you she doesn't actually make it. Uruki's back story is a pretty dramatic one, and if I find a good spot to put it in, I will. However, I have a feeling I won't be able to… until the sequel! (I keep bringing that up… I'm signing my soul away to write it…) Dark Past, got it. Sorry, the title keeps slipping my mind.
Thank you to everyone else who reviewed!
Chapter 80 : I Am Not an Enemy
"INTRUDER! INTRUDER!"
Three guards burst into the throne room of the palace, each panting wildly and red-faced.
"Highness!" One called as the other two ran to guard him with their swords drawn, "Someone has penetrated our gates, I found six men dead on the ground!"
Horror struck Boushin. "Six men?! Who is this intruder?!"
"Seishi." Chichiri materialized near Boushin--startling the guards--his staff up and ready. "I sense the presence of a Seiryu warrior."
Miaka ran into the room with Tamahome close on her heals, and apparently she had heard Chichiri's message. "Seiryu?!" She exclaimed.
"Priestess," The first guard spoke, recognizing her, "Please, I beg you to retreat!"
More guards ran into the room, a handful still visible outside the near railing surrounding the section of the palace, the word of the intruder spreading like fire. Suddenly, several guards outside the fine walling of the front of the room raised their swords in noisy clamor. "THERE HE IS!" One bellowed. "ATTACK!"
Boushin darted forward, but was stopped by the guards at his side. They would not allow their emperor to be harmed, even if it meant giving their lives to an enemy seishi.
A gut-wrenching sound from one of the soldiers was heard, and the shadows of Konan men fell to the ground. With that, the remaining men in the thrown room charged for the front exit.
"For the emperor!" One shouted out his battle cry.
However, before the men were able to break free of the palace confinements, a large, blue phoenix suddenly appeared in their midst, stretching from floor to roof. Though having an unbearable resemblance to Suzaku, the bird was only a silent outline of blue light.
Chichiri suddenly stiffened, lowering his staff.
"Chichiri, what is it?" Boushin questioned urgently.
Chichiri stared at the bird. "Suzaku... I sense the presence of a Seiryu warrior, but with it is the strong aura of Suzaku..."
With the guards halted, the bird flapped its wings once and flew into the air, fading into nothing. In its place two figures stood, one in the arms of the other.
It took a moment for the blindness caused by the light to fade and the figures to be clearly seen. Boushin gasped and pushed his protectors aside, taking several steps forward.
His face was pale, his brown eyes wide. "Sa... Saori..."
"Amiboshi?" Tamahome gaped.
A very calm smile caressed Amiboshi's tan face as he held the unconscious girl. "I'm very sorry for the fuss I've caused you, but I'm afraid your guards wouldn't let me in any other way... they'd sooner label me a kidnapper." He spoke very sincerely.
--- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- ---
"So at the time, I had already been living in Konan for a while, near Rekishan." Amiboshi explained outside Saori's room. The door was shut, and a physician as well as Nuriko and Chichiri were tending her to. Amiboshi spoke to Tamahome, Miaka, Tasuki, and Boushin, explaining the long trail of events that had lead up to his possession of Saori. He had to start back to the time where he had left the Seiryu seishi.
"Shun… Suboshi left during the night, Nakago was away, I believe. I met up with him outside the Kutou gates about three hours before dawn. She was still in her current condition when I had her, and I haven't seen her conscious yet." Amiboshi took a long breath. "Again, I apologize for my interference."
"The guards," Boushin said seriously, "Why did you..."
Amiboshi nodded a short bow to the Emperor of Konan. "If I may speak again, Sire, they are merely unconscious. I didn't kill any of them. The worst injury sustained would be a headache."
Boushin sighed in relief. He stared straight into the blue eyes of the Eastern man for a moment before continuing. "I have heard many stories about you, Amiboshi. And though you are a Seiryu warrior, I do not see you as my enemy, and you have my deepest gratitude for returning Saori safely here.
"There... is one more thing." Amiboshi began again, sympathy suddenly deeming on his face. He turned towards Miaka and Tasuki. "Saori, I believe strongly that her ailments are caused by Suzaku."
"Suzaku?" All four said in unison.
"What the hell are ya talkin' about?" Tasuki inquired, arms folded.
Amiboshi shook his head. "I'm afraid I may know less than you, Tasuki."
--- --- ---
The red light emanating from Chichiri's hand faded and he stepped away from where the unconscious Saori lay, resting the butt end of his staff back onto the floor.
"Anything?" Nuriko asked, sitting at Saori's side on the mattress.
Chichiri reached his free hand up and removed the oval mask from his face, looking at Saori with a sad, mahogany eye. "I think, she's possessed by Suzaku, no da."
Nuriko stood up at the magician's remark. "What? But how... Miaka is the priestess..." He hesitated. "Right?"
Chichiri nodded. "I believe Miaka is as much a Miko now as she always has been, na no da. However, I think for some reason, Suzaku is inhabiting Saori's body instead of Miaka's."
Nuriko slowly turned from the taller man and scanned over Saori slowly. A tired, sleeping expression wore on her sweat-covered face, a very mild red glow encircling the features not covered by a thick blanket.
Chichiri stared to the ground solemnly as he searched his memory, recalling something that his mentor, Taiisukun, had said. At the time, Chichiri wasn't sure what she meant, but now he understood.
"Saori is involved in things that even you are not aware of."
"What... should we do?" Nuriko asked quieter.
Chichiri palmed his mask and replaced it on his face, smoothing the edges around his cheekbones. "We won't tell the others, at least not Miaka, no da. She has too much to worry about, no da, and whether or not I'm correct, I don't think there's anything we can do to stop what's happening to Saori. We can't let it affect Miaka's judgment, no da." The monk sighed and watched Saori with pity in his hidden eye. Saori's chest rose and fell to an extreme, her lungs trying to get the oxygen needed to compensate for Suzaku's fever. "Whatever the reason is, no da, Saori's bravery far surpasses our own."
--- --- ---
"Highness."
The group turned to face the tall imperial guard who had addresses Boushin.
"Highness, the man called Tomite has asked to see you and the Suzaku warriors in the throne room. He and his party are assembled there."
"Tomite?" Tamahome repeated.
"I'll stay with Saori." Amiboshi offered. "I'll make sure nothing happens to her."
Boushin nodded his consent. "Very well. Tasuki, please inform Chichiri and Nuriko. We will head to the throne room."
--- --- ---
"You're leaving?!" Miaka exclaimed.
"Already?" Chiriko added.
"The bodies provided you by Taiisukun will remain intact, do not worry." Hikitsu said.
"Demo..." Miaka trailed off. She looked towards Inami. "Are you coming back?"
"You don't really need us, do you?" Tomite questioned. "Anyway, all that's left here is your battle with the Seiryu Seishi, and it is not any of our business to help you fight that."
"Ne, it's been fun no da!" Uruki giggled, clasping her hands behind her back. "You guys will beat them for sure!"
Tasuki felt something catch in his throat as he watched the seven solid-bodied Genbu seishi. He knew they would leave, he knew she would leave, again. Maybe it would have been easier if they have never shown up in the first place… never rekindled a false hope.
"We must go." Hikitsu spoke up. "We will return to Taiisukun's mountain, then back to our place of rest."
A few individual goodbyes were said, mostly to Miaka, Tamahome, and Chichiri. Hotohori and Mitsukake were present as well, of course, though only Mitsukake inhabited a nyan-nyan body.
Inami stepped up to Tasuki, who had remained silent during the whole duration. She smiled at him.
"Do your best, Tasuki." She said quietly. "I'll come back to haunt you if you screw up."
"Aku..."
Inami slowly put her arms around Tasuki before he could finish her name, and carefully pressed her head against his collar. The others in the room didn't seem to matter at that moment, and none of them did anything to notice, which was for the better.
Tasuki closed his eyes and touched his face to Inami's hair, realizing now that it was the hair of a nyan-nyan. He could just barely feel her spirit through the temporary shell.
Inami loosened her hold on the bandit and avoided his eyes purposely. "Sayonara... Tasuki." She whispered.
Tasuki let go of her and stepped back, halfly concealing the hurt in his amber eyes. Without looking at him again, Inami hesitantly turned around and walked back to her ranks.
"You have your abilities as Seishi back," Tomite said, his body starting to glow yellow and green, "do not waste time idling here."
Tomite's body evaporated into a glimmer of colored sparkles and rose up towards the ceiling, disappearing before actually reaching it. With a nod and a wave, Hatsui and Namame did the same, vanishing from sight.
"Bye Inami!" Miaka said with tears, waving her arm at the warriors as though they wouldn't see it. "Arigatou!"
Inami timidly waved and became transparent, transforming into the same glitter. Hikitsu did so as well, and they disappeared.
"Ja na, Minna-san!" Uruki waved giddily as she too turned see-through. "Tell Saori-chan I said good bye! Do well in your battle!" Her body began to fade into glitter. "And kick ass." The last words were hushed as the remaining glimmers of Uruki disappeared above everyone's heads.
Several of the remaining people found themselves waving to an empty room, Nuriko with a stupid smirk on his face after hearing Uruki's last words of endearment.
"So..." Miaka finally lowered her hand, her face falling into a sadly serious expression. "What... do we do now?"
Hotohori looked over the faces of all the seishi, but no advice came from his lips.
Tamahome glanced to Miaka.
"I'll tell ya what we're doin'."
The room turned to Tasuki, who had finally spoken, and quite confidently.
"We're gonna fight 'em, and we're gonna win."
An orb of blue light curved in flight in a large hallway of the Kutou palace, just barely missing its target and crashing loudly into a marble wall.
Suboshi had barely dodged in time, and clutched onto the left shoulder than had already suffered burns from one of Nakago's chi blasts. The general had returned home and had tracked down Suboshi, a flame of anger in his cold blue eyes.
Suboshi leaned against a far pillar, watching the much taller man slowly walk towards him. "How did he know?" His mind raced. He cursed. "Damnit Miboshi...."
Another chi blast flew with speed towards Suboshi, and he leapt out of the way as it obliterated the pillar.
"Do you know how much that girl was worth to us, Suboshi?" Nakago asked calmly, charging another orb in his right palm.
"Heh." Suboshi wiped a small trickle of blood from his lip with the back of his hand. "Better not let Mayo hear you say that."
Nakago's eyebrow creased as he sent the blast off at Suboshi again. Suboshi ducked into yet another large, empty hallway, but the blast still scraped the side of his knee, searing through his pants and onto his skin. He barely got his balance when the sharp kick of Nakago's boot hit his jaw and sent him flying further across the tiled floor.
"Impudent fool." Nakago spoke in a monotone. "You're the weak link of Seiryu that keeps us from completing the easy task of destroying the Suzaku Seishi."
Suboshi forced himself onto his feet, though he was crouched. He winced slightly, but then smiled. "I don't give a damn about the Suzaku Seishi." He slowly started to stand, "But I would definitely take that ride to the Kutou wall again, even if you were still in the palace."
A life force blast flew past Suboshi's ribs, and what it didn't hit Nakago made up for with his fist, sliding the young boy's body into a corner. Suboshi was right, it would be rather unlucky for Mayo to be there.
"Spirit" gleamed on Nakago's forehead as his hand charged up again. "Last strike, boy. You'd do better out of our midst."
The sphere of light around Nakago's hand grew and shook as it flew into Suboshi's corner. However, it collided with another, one strong enough to not only reflect it, but push Nakago back as well. The light brightened to a near blinding white before fading into the air.
Suboshi stood again, blood still on the corner of his mouth, but his fists up in the air, a blue symbol radiating on his injured shoulder.
"You forget, Nakago." He said, lowered his fists and spitting onto the floor. "I benefited from Mayo's wish too, remember?" He smiled once more. "I'm just as strong as you are now, or at least strong enough to keep you on guard."
Nakago frowned for a moment, but then his pale lips curved upward ever so slightly, and he closed his eyes. "Hm. I think you take me too lightly, Suboshi. I could easily kill you with the power I already have. However," His eyes opened, "It is power I do not wish to waste if you so foolishly want to continue living."
Suboshi's fists and shoulder relaxed a bit.
"But try one more thing against me, one insignificant detail, and you'll wish you had followed that coward brother of yours to Konan." With a turn of his cape, Nakago walked back down the hall.
Suboshi sneered at Nakago's last comment. That man better be glad that Suboshi didn't favor the Suzaku warriors, or else Nakago would have stopped seeing day a long time ago.
--- --- ---
Chiriko held a scroll tightly in his hands as Tasuki tied on his last piece of armor, a jade-tinted breastplate that looked rather lightweight for what the bandit was getting himself into. Chiriko and Yui were staying behind, and though Mitsukake was going, he wouldn't be in combat. The seishi weren't just going into a war, but so was the entire offensive Konan army. It had been decided by Boushin earlier that if the Seishi were going to risk their lives in this final battle, then Konan's people would too. This would be the end of bloodshed and turmoil. The seishi's battle would prove a major outcome for the victory of either Kutou or Konan, and would decide whether or not Konan would stay an independent nation... or would become known as Southern Kutou.