A Life of Adventure …Not!

By: Michiru Lee

Disclaimer: Michiru: I do not own Saiyuki! But remind me never to fall for the free meat buns sign again…

Werecat Rei- You'll be surprise as you will find out as soon as you read.

Chapter 16: Alive or Dead?

BlahThinking, dreaming, or backtracking

BlahChange of scene or point of view.

"Shh… They'll here us if you don't shut up. You don't want Nero to kill you Michiru," the figure said.

"How do you know my name?" Michiru asked.

"Did you forget the secret of the Ryushiros already Onee-chan?" the figure said as they removed the hood.

"But your dead! We burned your body!" Michiru said.

"Yes Dragon did die to save you Onee-chan, but I'm not fully Dragon. I'm Ryu, Dragon's dark-self. Why do you keep forgetting what I told you all those years ago?" Ryu said.

"Wait I thought you were working with Nero?" Michiru said.

"I was until Dragon died ya stupid Baka. I guess I have to make you remember the hard way," Ryu replied. She hit Michiru over the head and knocks her unconscious.

Hyo's POV

Hyo looked at the deserted town ahead of them and felt something hidden beneath the small town of Altarian. The sense of dread pin pricked the back of his neck so he shook it away.

"I smell blood," Kujo said.

"I smell blood as well," Goku agreed.

"Then this isn't good. Nero must have somehow got the demons to work with the humans here," Xaid said.

The drove up onto the main street to see only emptiness in the alleys and houses, even the shops had closed signs over them. Wood was rotting away from the foundations, which threaten to topple the buildings like dominos on top of the two groups.

The dread was now beginning to do it's work on all of the groups as a howl of pain came from somewhere in the village. Ryo and Hakuryu changed back into their dragon forms and took their positions on Hakkai's and Xaid's shoulders. They both chirped their uncertainly of the town and urged them to move on.

"Hush Hakuryu, everything will be fine," Hakkai reassured.

"I'm hungry," both monkeys said.

"Don't even start you two," Hyo ordered. "This is not the time to complain about an empty stomach."

"I'll agree to that," Snowfire Fox said.

"But we are hungry. I guess we will eat you guys for lunch," a voice said behind them.

The group turned around to see about the whole town staring at them with menacing eyes. They also saw some of the humans that were covered in blood of the many demons and humans they slaughtered over the years and never bothered to clean themselves.

"This is sicken…" Sanzo said disgusted. "Is the fights always like this?"

"Just about," Yuki replied, "It really pisses me off to the extreme."

"Well looks like we have no choice but to fight," Nina said.

"You got that right," Snowfire Fox replied.

Michiru's POV

"Dragon! Dragon! Come on! We are almost to the shrine!" Michiru, 12 years old, called out as she ran towards the Ryushiro shrine.

"I'm coming Onee-chan! It's not everyday we have to take offerings to the shrine," Dragon, 10 years old, replied.

The two girls reached the top of the winding stairs to see the odd shrine ahead of them. The shrine was about ten feet in height and six feet in width. A figure of the founding Ryushiro, Mystra Ryushiro, stood there with a smile on her face.

"Some people say that Mystra was a vampire," Dragon said as she places the offerings in the shrine.

"Do you really think she was?" Michiru asked. She placed her hand on the hand of the statue and looked into the face. The eyes seemed to be glaring down at her.

"No she isn't a vampire, it only seemed that way because of our curse," Dragon said in a hushed tone.

"Curse?" Michiru asked.

"My mother told me that when a female Ryushiro dies we merge with our other half of our souls, unable to die until we repent for our sins of being a Ryushiro. From what I learned from you, I'm thinking that the other half of our soul is our dark selves, but she also said that we wouldn't be who we were anymore either, we would be whole. I still think it's strange since our dark self is suppose to die when we die," Dragon explained.

"I wouldn't know. I heard that there are a few people who die in the light world and their dark self lives, but merging with them is a whole new thing to me," Michiru said.

"Michiru can you promise me something?" Dragon asked.

"What?"

"If I die, would you find my dark self and see what happens when a female Ryushiro dies?" Dragon asked.

"I promise Dragon. I promise…"

Michiru opened her eyes with a bump on her head. She rubbed it and looked over at Ryu who was deep in thought.

"I remember now… The promise…" Michiru said.

"I remember that memory as well though it is not my own. Half of me want to kill you, but the other half wants you to live. I think I understand the curse now. It was said that the females Ryushiros were more cold-hearted so they merge with their dark self since their dark self is the good side to them. With Dragon it's different since she was already good," Ryu said.

"What are you going to do when Gojyo sees you?" Michiru asked.

"I don't know… I still have feelings for Nero as well of you recall," Ryu said.

"Ah… Yes you were his bride-to-be as he claimed if I recall," Michiru said.

"Well, I guess I can't go back to him now. He would kill me for helping you."

A rumble came from above as the ceiling shook and the breaking of rotting wood could be heard. The girls looked up as the ceiling broke to revealing someone falling though.

"Hyo?" Ryu asked to the injured figure.

Note: Before you start throwing your boos I would like to say that this story is coming to a close. Altarian will be the final battleground. This will be my second completed fanfiction and I'm happy to all the readers who enjoyed my story.