Author's Note: This is it, the last chapter, the big chapter! I have to admit, I was really nervous in regard to posting this one up because of what all my radical ideas that I have put in it! Maybe that is going a bit too far, but this chapter does contain a lot of weird ideas, but still, I hope some people would like it. And please review!

There will probably be typos but I have spent a lot of time reading this so it shouldn't be that bad…and if it is, do forgive me, as I have tried to not make it filled with typos.

What Yuri failed to understand, was why Tenkou seemed to be so vindictive to her. Even though he glanced at all of them with a cold dislike, his gaze hardened to a pure loathing once he turned to her.

Feeling Hotohori's arms tightening around her, she knew that he was wandering about the same thing. As for Hotohori…the look in Tenkou's eyes as they focused on her husband was a cruel amusement.

"What do you want?" Miaka yelled bravely beside Tamahome, who immediately shoved her to the safety of his back.

Tenkou ignored her and continued to look at Yuri and Hotohori.

"You present yourself as so noble and tragic, priestess of Seiryuu, but I wonder how you would act if you learn the truth- that every pain which happens to you is something that you deserve."

"Don't listen to him, neesan!" Miaka screamed back. "You know that all he said would only be lies…"

"Is it a lie that you killed the seven celestial warriors of Seiryuu?" Tenkou said evenly, his smirk growing even crueler. "There are many more things I can say to break you, but I have decided to not waste anymore time now."

Saying so he waved his hand slightly, and all of a sudden Hotohori felt Yuri stiffening in his arms. She then turned around and he saw that her eyes were now vacant. He titled her head up, only to find her continue staring at him with that empty expression.

Her lips parted slightly, whispering something…

"Hotohori…" at the sound of his own name he naturally bent his head down to hear what she was saying.

"Hotohori…don't leave me…don't go away"

Saying so she actually pushed him away in order to kneel down, all this time her vacant eyes seemed to be staring hard at something that only she could see, and tears were silently making their way down her face. Kneeling down she stretched her hands out, putting it over something invisible as they were in midair.

As she whispered one more time, he realized what Tenkou must have done.

"Don't die."

"What…what is happening?" he just managed to hear Ryoen muttering behind him, and barely recognized the voice of the person who explained. All he could do was to continue looking at Yuri, even though she was trapped in the illusion that Tenkou created.

An illusionary world where Hotohori was killed.

"So she is weak," Tenkou said, the malicious delight he had in watching Yuri's suffering through his spell made the rest all glare back or fumble with their weapons, although both Chichiri and Mitsukake were trying to maintain control by making everyone calm down.

The two of them just managed to breathe a sigh of relief when even Tasuki put down his fan, only to notice Hotohori-who had drawn out his sword. Seeing this Chichiri acted on instinct, he went up and grabbed Hotohori, as there was not even time for casting any spells.

"You cannot just fight blindly!" he screamed out, his fingers clawing around the other man due to his refusal at being restrained.

"How can I watch this and do nothing?!" Hotohori yelled back, thinking of the pain Yuri would be suffering due to the illusion. There was nothing worse then to see your loved one dying, he would know because that was what he suffered when Yuri summoned Seiryuu.

Everything had happened so quickly for Yuri. She only recollected being in Hotohori's embrace as Tenkou appeared, what he said had made her unfocused as she began to think of all the strange things that had happened, as well as numerous curious words that had been said to her.

It seemed that she had a life before this one, and in that life, she seemed to have committed some sort of crime along with Hotohori.

"Is all that happened to me in this life as a punishment for what I did in my last life?" she asked herself softly.

At this irony, she laughed bitterly. Her past had affected her so much, that she almost risked losing happiness. The truth was that she had fallen in love with Hotohori very quickly, but she had been afraid of loving him due to her mother's numerous failed relationships. For the first few weeks of her marriage she had actually been very afraid that her husband would one day wake up and regret everything.

It was ironic that when she finally achieved happiness by abandoning her past, it came to haunt her again more then once.

As for Tenkou's sneers and taunts, they were not unfamiliar. But the strangest thing was that she could also see an image of that cruel face transforming into a kind one…what would only be done to seduce someone's service and loyalty.

Had she been in such a position in the past?

Suddenly, Tenkou raised his hands. The moment he did so, she felt the arms around her loosening. She didn't want to turn around because she knew that she would see something that she would loath, but nonetheless she still had to turn.

Hotohori was falling down, and as he did so, time literally seemed to stop, although she would have laughed at herself for seeing the world in such a cliché term. She felt that she could have prevented him from falling if she stretched out her hand, but somehow her arms were moving so slowly as well. She could barely hear herself whispering his name.

It was like what would happen in a nightmare, only that this was her reality. Smiling at her one last time, Hotohori closed his eyes, and she knew that he would never look at her so lovingly with these golden orbs in this world again.

He…he was dead…Tenkou killed him.

"Hotohori…don't leave me…don't go away" she whispered again.

Someone grabbed her, preventing her from holding her beloved, she angrily shoved him away, even as she began to cry. Kneeling, she rested her hand over his body, finding that she was not strong enough to even wrap her arms around him a last time.

"Don't die." She implored, even though he could no longer hear her.

She didn't know what to do other then to kneel in front of him and cry. She knew that he might die before her, but she had refused to think of how she should grief, as after meeting him in her old world, she always believed that the two of them would reach old age together. If that had happened, then she would not be irrational, she could accept his death and take comfort in knowing that she would soon join him.

When she was the empress of Konan…there had been times when she worried about his heath due to the welfare of the state, but she had always allowed herself be soothed by him whenever he embraced and held her.

Then Miaka had come, and that arrival had resulted in her departure. The one thing she had been certain as she left Hotohori was that she was doing something that should help to lengthen his life.

For the first time in her life she almost regretted having chosen to be the priestess of Seiryuu in order to save Hotohori, because she finally understood the full dept of pain that she had put Hotohori through by choosing to die.

Why was it that she still did not hate this world? It had brought her so much pain…so much despair. They first threw her here to be the wife of one of the few man who could not make her his first priority, even though he love her, then it was this world that snatched her away from him.

This world demanded her to be the priestess of Seiryuu…by doing so it forced her to walk onto a path where all the possible endings were tragic.

The best path was to her own death…

Suddenly, she frowned as she recollected what Seiryuu had told her. The clue to summoning him was related to what had happened last time. Initially she had thought it referred to the celestial warriors and the sacred scroll, but now she was remembering what had happened to her solely when she first prepared to summon Seiryuu.

"A path of despair…" She whispered to herself. "All I wanted was to be with Hotohori, but that was the one thing impossible. Now the same thing is happening, all I want is Hotohori, but he is dead."

She was experiencing the greatest amount of despair that was possible for her.

"I understand now." She realized bitterly. "In order to summon their god, the priestess must know and understand about the maximum emotion her deity is in charge of. Suzaku is in charge of love, and when she first summoned Suzaku, Miaka and Tamahome had declared out their intention of being with each other forever, and this time they have physically loved each other.

"As for me…the deity I serve is in charge of despair. It is this emotion that I felt and is feeling."

I hate you, Seiryuu, for doing this to me, she said inside her mind bitterly as she stood up, even though her face was still bowed down to let her hair conceal her features. I will do what you demand me to do, but I am only doing this because this is what must be done.

I am not destroying Tenkou because you said that it must be done, she continued, taking one last look at the body of Hotohori, but because I want him to pay for Hotohori's death.

"I understand what I must do now." She repeated, and with that she stopped her wild sobbing and turned to look at Tenkou straight in the eyes without flinching. Her mind now very clear.

"Do you really actually think that what you have done ensured your victory?" she hissed softly.

"You can never summon Seiryuu now, you are truly a weakling, to let such petty emotions affect you again." Tenkou taunted back, still thrilled at the disarray her emotions had been.

"You are a fool, Tenkou! For that you will be sealed once again." Yuri spat back, and the confidence in her tone surprised every one. "You have just helped Seiryuu to come out."

Tenkou was preparing to laugh again when he suddenly saw the blue light that began to surround her, they gathered themselves around her and began to grew brighter and brighter. For the first time since he started his plans he saw the possibility of failure. Strangely, there was also a soft red light that appeared from the stone that she clutched in her hand.

"Neesan…" Miaka began.

"The last of the seven stones that represent some sort of love all the celestial warriors of Suzaku feel." With what appeared as great anger Yuri threw it to Mika. "The truth is, Miaka, I really resent you sometimes. Being love by everyone, by our father and our brother, by your seven celestial warriors." Here she chuckled and glanced at her hands. "I did not even obtain the lightest affection from any of the seven celestial warriors of Seiryuu, they only used me just as I used them. And I killed them…1

"But until today I didn't care that much, because I wanted you to love me as a sister. I wanted another person's love. But today, I realize that I almost hate you!" at her scream the blue light around her brightened and there seemed to be a wind blowing from within her body as her garment and ribbons were flapping to every single direction and her hair was snaking themselves around her throat.2

"Why is it that you are the priestess of Suzaku, while I am the priestess of Seiryuu?!"

"Yuri, be…reasonable…" Chichiri began rather worriedly.

"Reasonable when my fate makes me serve a god whose will is for me to suffer?" she snapped. "Suzaku wields the power of love so all Miaka have to do to summon Suzaku is to love someone with the ultimate love, her lessons in understanding this was to first find the one she love, then to experience love physically. But I can only summon Seiryuu if I taste the maximum emotion Seiryuu is in charge of, and he wields the power of despair!

"When I first summoned Seiryuu the only ending I had was death, and now Hotohori is killed because I…

"I...I don't believe…I can't believe that I could have committed any sort of sin in a past life to be in this position." At this sentence her voice dropped to a very soft whisper, allowing others to quickly butt in.3

"What about little Boushin and Seihana, you have your children to think of!" Mitsukake pointed out.

"I am not saying that I have nothing to live for due to his death as I do love my children, but with his death I cannot be happy again!"

Hotohori wanted nothing more then to go up and embrace her, but he did not as the alien look in her eyes hurt him so much.

He did not blame her one bit, as he understood how her past actually hurt and haunt her even now. After all these years of being lonely she was paranoid of being alone again when she finally found someone, and so she had held onto him tightly just as he clung onto her. They were so similar.

Unknown to Miaka, Hotohori also knew that Yuri was a bit angry at the altered past, because she did not felt that Miaka made any sacrifice at all. Also, Miaka had constantly been protected by her warriors, someone-usually Tamahome- would always be reassuring her that everything was alright, and that whatever happened was not her fault.

But because she was so eager for Miaka and her to have a loving relationship, she only whispered those doubts to him once, on that night. Just as he was, she was so desperate to be loved!4

Yuri knelt down and stretched her hands out, her face completely emotionless despite the tears that continued to stream down. Very softly she began to chant the summoning of Seiryuu again, now knowing all the words. The flat chanting seemed more haunting then the loud screams she had as it seemed to be devoid of any emotions.

She would have given it all up if it wasn't for the sake of her two beautiful children. Part of the reasons she loved her children was naturally because they were Hotohori's children as well, but she would have loved the children anyway just for the sole sake that they had been in her womb. For the unique wonder that her children was borne from her, an emotion all mothers feel, no matter how the children were conceived.

"Seiryuu come to us." She whispered. "We need you now."

As she finished speaking, the light around her shifted from her body to being in front of her, and her flapping garment and hair finally became still. Her outstretched hands remain stretched, as someone was holding onto them.

"Seiryuu." Yuri said softly, as he now stood in front of her, his clawed hands around her's. "Seiryuu, I have done as I was asked."

He nodded, and stepped forward so that he was directly in front of her. But it was to Miaka that he spoke first, although he did not shift his gaze away from his priestess.

"Summon Suzaku now, we cannot waste time."

As Miaka nodded and began to chant to Suzaku, he finally spoke to Yuri.

"Are you willing to lend me your body again?"

"I wish for Tenkou do die." She said firmly. "I will do anything."

He pulled her to him, and as their skin touched she felt his body being pressed into hers. He was entering her body a second time, and like the first time she summoned him, she would be a vessel that channelled his powers.

This would be different from the time that he possessed her body that night in Kutou, as it had been a moment when he temporarily controlled her body due to her state of mind. A method that could never be long, as giving her body to the god completely could result in the death of the priestess.

"Then summon Genbu and his priestess." He ordered.

Closing her eyes, she took off the necklace and held it in front of her, and began to whisper what Seiryuu was telling her. A few steps beside her, Miaka was doing the same with the mirror that was the shinzaho of Byakko.

Yuri felt her whole body shaking slightly while her hand was getting sweaty, as the chain seemed to be slipping slightly. This was natural, to summon a god was a very demanding task, and trying to call out another deity immediately after the first act was naturally even more hard.

That was why the priestesses need to have a very strong will, as the tasks require all their concentration. Tenkou's plan might have worked as Yuri would have been in a state of shock that prevent her from doing anything, especially an activity that was very difficult.

Once again, Yuri felt hands closing over her own hands. Opening her eyes, she saw her, Takiko, the priestess of Genbu. The younger woman smiled at her as she took the necklace out of Yuri's hold and placed it around her neck.

"So this day has finally come." Takiko said softly. "And so we finally meet again…" she was probably going to say more when she suddenly halted, a frown appearing on his face and it seemed as if she was listening to some one else speaking.

"Very well, Genbu, I will not waste anytime." Takiko said with a slight nod, before she turned around so that she stood beside Yuri, instead of being in front of her. "Together, we will summon our celestial warriors to us."

Yuri did not ask any questions, she only know that she must do what she was ordered right now.

Meanwhile, Tenkou launched another attack, only to have it deflected back due to the gods that were now presented in all four priestesses. Without meaning to, he recollected the day that he was first sealed: it was exactly like this day. The four gods standing around him in a circle with that haughty expression on their faces…

It became worse when the twenty eight celestial warriors were all present, symbolising the day when he thought that he would never be free again. He had been in his prison when he looked up to see the four priestesses around the seal, with their seven celestial warriors beside them- strengthening his seal.

"I refuse." He clenched out. No matter what he wanted to break free of his seal, to take all that he rightly deserved.

"The four gods gave you a chance, Tenkou," Suzuno stated quietly. "They sealed you instead of killing you, hoping that you would one day change. But not only did you not try to redeem yourself, you even attempt to break free of your seal to do destruction upon this world."5

"For that, you will now die." Takiko said firmly.

The priestess of Genbu had so many things that she wanted to say to the priestess of Seiryuu, starting with an apology for all that had happened on that day, as she now knew that she might have easily done all that Yuri had.

Now is not the time, Takiko, Genbu told her firmly, as she turned to look at the priestess of Seiryuu once again. The other woman was slightly pale, but her face was determined: she would carry out her duty.

Tenkou would be destroyed forever when the four gods combined their power through their priestesses with their celestial warriors. This was what should have been done when Tenkou first gained his dark powers.

Yuri closed her eyes again, ready to perform the final step. She closed her eyes because she could not bear to look at the faces of those whom she betrayed: her celestial warriors, along with the face of those whom she had hurt: the priestess of Suzaku and some of her celestial warriors.

The moment Seiryuu entered her body, she was freed from the illusionary world which she had been trapped in. She knew that Hotohori was alive, and could not help but to feel slightly ashamed at all that she had expressed due to thinking that he had died.

But now was not the time to think about such things, she must only concentrate on this one thing.

The chanting of the four priestesses grew louder as they all began to release their words together, as well as receiving the energy their celestial warriors were giving to them to increase their powers.

"With the power of Seiryuu…" Yuri cried out loudly, even as the others stated the names of their own god, "Let the being Tenkou be destroyed forever."

The blue light shoot out to mingle with the other three lights, piercing right through Tenkou's shield. Cursing, he fell down, only to quickly raise his hand in disbelieve.

It was bleeding, what had not happened since the day he was killed in front of the people he was meant to one day rule, the execution ordered by the man who had been his own father. The very same city would end up being ravaged so much that it end up as only a piece of wild lands, as even the ruins of the once magnificent palace disintegrated completely, while every single person had died.

He had personally made sure that no one would survive, especially the one he once called father.

The four priestesses were no long visible, instead, he was kneeling in front of the executioner's block once more. He had been forced to be beheaded on the very top of the city, so everyone could witness the deed.

He saw the numerous faces below him again, some were jeering, others averted their gaze while the last group were muttering some sort or prayer in hope that this would be the last time they would hear of him.

There was not a single face that was filled with sadness or pity.

Even his own father, who stood right in front of him, was looking at him with nothing but disgust at what he had ended up as. He found it so hard to believe that this was the same man who used to smile whenever he saw his third son: the son he made into his heir despite many protests.

His father was saying something to his people…the same thing he had said on that day, a speech of apology at what the son he had once been so proud of had committed, there were no words of sadness, or even regret at all.

How could I have found peace with such a death? He said to himself angrily, as he saw the axe rising once more.

I will…I will find a way to have my revenge on them all! He repeated these very same words but unlike last time, the final thing he saw was the descending axe.6

Now that Tenkou was finally destroyed forever, each of the four priestesses turned to their warrior, in relief, in happiness and even just because they were there.

Unlike Takiko, Suzuno and Miaka, Yuri did not receive any embraces from her seven celestial warriors. They still stood a few paces apart from her, surrounding her in the circle of seven as everyone did in the ritual.

Not that she wanted to be like the other three priestesses, she only looked at them, just as they observed her. She did not even realize their presence until she began to feel the presence of their spirit as the four priestesses began to chant with the god that they served. At that time, she was unable to spare any attention, and if she could-she would be looking at Hotohori.

She had only seen these seven who were meant to protect her once, just before Seiryuu was summoned. Then…she had ended all of their life with her own hands, all for the sake of Hotohori, a celestial warrior of Suzaku.

He was alive, she knew that now, she also knew that as soon as she turned her gaze to look at him, he would notice her eyes resting on his immediately and he would run to her to gather her in his arms.

But she did not fix her gaze on Hotohori, she continued to look at her seven celestial warriors. Strange as it was, they all seemed to be watching her with smiles in their eyes, if they were not smiling already. She was deeply surprised as she could still recollect the anguish and curses they had possessed and hurled just before she ended their lives.

Nakago, with a strange gentle smile, was probably the celestial warrior that she knew the most, the one who sought to manipulate her completely, but it was the woman beside him: Soi, who haunted her the most. Were they really different? The woman she had become in the very end was not unlike Soi, who would sell her own soul to do anything for the one that she love. Yuri could not help but to laugh as she recalled how she did not become the priestesses of Suzaku because she had been afraid of dying.7

Strangely, Soi was not what she had remembered, instead of armours the woman was in a rather fancy dress with her long hair decorated by flowers.8

On the other side of Nakago was a barely recognizable man, he was a rather young man with long dark hair that was rather similar to Hotohori's hair in texture, colour and length, the main difference was that he gathered it up in a high pony tail instead. Yuri could barely recognize him as Tomo, who had painted a strange mask on his face.9

Then she saw the twins, probably the only unchanged face, although they were more happy as they were together again. Ashitaire was beside them, with his death he finally escaped the beast part in him that always haunted him.

But it was the last man, she truly could not recollect having seen him before. By default, she worked out that he was Miboshi, but there was not a hint of similarity that everyone else possessed, however little.

He seemed a man who almost escaped his teens, no more then nineteen, but certainly above eighteen. He was actually a rather striking man to look upon with relatively attractive features. Strangely, his hair was the same unusual shade of light blond like Nakago's, but his eyes were a very dark brown that almost seemed black.

Looking at him made Yuri thought of Hotohori, there seemed to be something similar in their bearing and posture.10

Unable to bear this silence anymore, she finally spoke.

"I am sorry for what I did, but I do not regret it, so I cannot apologise." She finally stated softly.

Much to her surprise, those that she killed answered by a laugh, or a smile.

"It is true that we hated you, and cursed you even as you killed us." Nakago began, speaking for his following companions. "But with our death, we gained the peace that we lost long ago. We are happy in death, what few of us actually possessed when we lived. This happiness is given to us by you, even though you didn't intend it, but we still thank you nonetheless.11

"Without you," at this point Nakago actually knelt down, but Yuri knew that this time, he was sincere instead of doing the action as a way of controlling and deceiving her. "We would not be able to find this peace even though we would still die. You are our priestess and only you could help us. You did help us, so I thank you for what you did.

"You all are happy then." Yuri finally said. "But why…why is it that we had to meet that way?"

"It was our fate for what we had done." The strange man who was Miboshi spoke rather sadly, at the recurring look of disbelieve from Yuri he smiled and assured her: "I am Miboshi, priestess, this is what I truly looked like, this is my true body.

"It seems that all the celestial warriors as well as the priestess of Seiryuu are cursed with knowing great despair." He continued sagely, despite the seemingly youthful experience, he was well over two hundred when he died. "But most of us ended up wanting to repay the world back for what it inflicted on us, or at the very least we ended not caring.

Soi and Yuri were probably the only ones who managed to not fall as deep as the rest, but their lonely childhood made them loving the one that they love with an additional almost frightening gratitude, that they would literally do anything for the sake of the one they love if they needed to. The twins were rather similar to them too.12

Nakago did not want to be a god for the simple sake of power, he did it because he wanted revenge; Ashitaire was so cruelly treated that he really believed everyone deserved to die; likewise Tomo had little scruples in harming another; while Miboshi was perhaps the very worst.

"Who are you then?" why was it that she was possessed with the desire of wanting to know more about them, instead of going to Hotohori? Maybe it was because she finally had the chance to be what Miaka was to the celestial warriors of Suzaku, with her own celestial warriors.

I rather have love from a few, instead of being worshiped by a whole kingdom, she realized, I always want that.13

Miboshi smiled and he turned to look at Takiko and the warriors of Genbu. Somehow, Uruki happened to catch his gaze, and his eyes suddenly widened and he even raised a hand to rub them.

"He is seeing my father's image in me." Miboshi explained. "My father was Hakei, during the arrival of the priestess of Genbu he was the future emperor of Kutou and he sought the destruction of Hokkan. He also wanted to kill me."

As Hakei told Uruki, he would never accept the arrival of the priestess of Seiryuu, or any of her celestial warriors. Ironically, within a month his son, the first celestial warrior of Seiryuu was born from his favourite concubine: a beautiful woman from the Hin tribe. But no amount of beauty could have aided the child from his father at all.

"Since the moment I was born, I had been constantly escaping from assassins, which made me want to live even more, just to show them that I would live. I ended up learning all sort of dark magic for the sake of power that would help me to live. When I was almost nineteen, one of the assassins finally managed to be 'successful' as he burnt this body-my real body. That was the night I first possessed a child, which was also the night that I truly lost any chance of redemption." Miboshi concluded the story.

"Priestess of Seiryuu, I told my story to you not because I want your pity as I know that what I did was wrong. But I want you to understand why I ended up as what I was."

"I too, I do not ask you to forgive me for what I almost done to your sister." Tomo added, "But I do not want you to hate me if you ever think of me."

Raising her hands to her eyes Yuri realized that she was actually crying due to them. As they said, she could not remember them all with love and affection as the other priestesses would, or might have. But she was happy with the mere knowledge that her celestial warriors might have loved her, as the others' warriors did.

Fate was still cruel, but right now she would describe it as unkind instead of malicious. Most importantly of all, she understood why they were her celestial warriors, because they were very much like her.

"We must return now," Nakago said, putting his arm around Soi's waist, but much to his surprise, she actually shook his hold off to walk up to their priestess, and put her hands over Yuri's.

"Yuri and Kaen are so alike." Soi stated softly.14

"Although I was luckier then you," Yuri nodded, "But yes, we are so alike. I would have done all that you did."

"We will meet again," the other woman prophesised, "Do not be afraid of dying, because we will all be there to guide you to that place, and we will all welcome you."15

Then the celestial warriors of Seiryuu were all gone

"Seiryuu, are you not leaving too?" Yuri asked softly, as she felt herself sinking to the ground, the last of her strength finally fleeing due to what she just did. Likewise, the same thing was happening to Miaka. But one man was walking away from his priestess to run to her instead. It could only be Hotohori…she soon knew that she was gathered into his arms and he was holding her against him so tightly.

But she was no longer there, instead, she was standing beside Seiryuu in his temple, with her statue below his dragon form. Walking up to it she unclasped the jade headdress and rewound it around the statue's lifelike hair before she turned to face Seiryuu, without him telling her, she knew that she would not see Seiryuu again until the day that she dies.

"Are you happy with what you discovered?" he only paused slightly to allow her head to nod, as he guessed it would. "Do you still hate me and the others for making you the priestess of Seiryuu instead of Suzaku?"

"I still think that Miaka is luckier to be the priestess of Suzaku." Yuri stated. "I don't think I will ever be happy that I have to go through such despair in order for your summoning, but I understand why now.

"I am the priestess of Seiryuu, I can be no other because that is who I am. As for hatred, yes, when I thought that Hotohori died I did hate the whole world, including you. But it was an instinctive hatred."

She could feel Hotohori's arms on her, and she could only wonder how she must appear to him and hope that he was not worrying too much.

She knew that she must do something alone first, although she would tell Hotohori every single detail of her action. It was just like what had happened in Konan, when Hotohori talked with his younger brother in the room where he had witnessed the death of their older brother. He had whispered everything to her that night, but he had to be with his brother alone.

She still loved him so much, but yet she could not go to him immediately. Just as he had his duty of being the emperor of Konan, as well as a celestial warrior of Suzaku, she must finish her last task as the priestess of Seiryuu: to understand his teachings as it was meant to be received.

"Despair was not meant to end up like this." At last, Seiryuu spoke. "Despair exists alongside love because it is meant to work alongside love, to let people appreciate their lives. Tell me the truth, are you not able to value your life more because of all that you had underwent when you were my priestess?" seeing the nod he continued. "Despair, like all other emotion, is not purely good or bad, I will not explain about the negatives of love because I think you already understand that too well.

"But my own people, even most of the seven chosen ones, did not understand. Instead of being grateful for their present situation they sought to achieve happiness by inflicting the same pain that they had undergone."16

"Nonetheless it is not something easy." Yuri protested. "No matter what, love…" she suddenly paused when she recollected what happened to many of the celestial warriors of Suzaku due to love: Hotohori almost died when she left him; because of his sister's death Nuriko ended up abandoning his gender in order to capture her memory; Chichiri and Mitsukake were both haunted by their lovers' death; while she heard that Taisuki almost violated a girl he loved as much as a sister due to loving her a bit too much.

As for herself, what might she have become?

"I understand now." She whispered.

"But it is also true that I have made you suffer much by making you into my priestess." Seiryuu suddenly said.

"You do not mean what you did to me in this life, do you?" Yuri asked sharply. "I know by now that I had a past life, a life before I became Houki Yuri, then Houkigou."

At this, Seiryuu only nodded. "But do you really desire to know what had happened, what had caused all this to be? Do you really wish to know?" he asked softly.

At his last sentence, Yuri shivered, as they were exactly what Hikitsu had asked her, just before he used his power to let her see the past.

"What would be the right thing to do?" she questioned her deity. "Is it to remember my past and be strong by coming to term with it? Or will real strength be ignoring the opportunity of discovering the truth because I know I will not be able to face it?"

This time, it was Seiryuu's turn to recollect what had happened a long time ago. She had been dressed in a much more plain blue dress, as she was merely one of the servants in the temple- not an official. She was actually clutching to a broom as she had been doing her daily duty of sweeping when he first approached her.

"What would be the right thing to do?" she had said these very same words as he told her his decision of making her into his chosen one by making her into the priestess of Seiryuu. "Is it to accept this destiny of being a priestess, to be my country's protector along with the deity whose temple I am raised up in? Or should I follow my own wish and refuse, as I know that I would not be a good priestess because all I ever wanted is to live a normal life like most other girls?"

How could he bear to tell her all that which had happened? Beginning with how he forced her into a life that she did not want.

"I do not desire happiness from power, or from doing something noble. The type of happiness I desire will be from finding a man that I love and marrying him, as well as having children with him. That has been what I had wanted every since I was old enough to understand." She had stated clearly.

The four gods all had to select a young virginal girl from their kingdom to be their priestess- channelling the four gods' power by giving them their body as their vessel- and she was the one he had chosen, although she made it clear that all she wanted was to be able to leave the temple and live a normal life.

They also existed for the sake of making sure that Tenkou remained sealed, that was one of their duties.

Perhaps what happened to his priestess was a punishment for him as well.

She had done her duties until the day she saw Hotohori, the celestial warrior of Suzaku. They ended up as lovers in every sense, even though she was meant to remain virginal.

Then the punishments, when she was denounced by the three other priestesses, and almost all the other celestial warriors for doing what she did. For some reason they seemed to have thought that they, who were made to judge men, also had the power to judge those a level higher.

The four gods had chosen their priestesses as well as creating seven celestial warriors for each one from the twenty eight constellations as a way of preventing injustice and cruelty over their kingdom. Instead, one of these celestial warriors ended up dying due to the other's misjudgement, while his priestess ended up so furious with what happened that she almost ended up working for Tenkou.

Would she be able to accept the fact that in her depression, she had listened to Tenkou's lies, and was going to take the shinzaho to him, only to be driven to suicide due to her guilt at how far she had fallen, and would have fall?

Then Hotohori went insane with grief as he saw her dying, the celestial warrior of Suzaku ended up staining his sword due to being possessed, with the first sacrifice being the woman who was the beloved of his dearest friend.17

Most of, how would she react to the truth that the priestesses and celestial warriors were not sent down to help their selective kingdoms, but were cast down in punishment due to what had happened on that day?18

"I cannot tell her all that had happened in the past." Seiryuu realized. "She would find out when she finally dies- when this all end- but that is not until some years later."

He stretched his hand out and gently placed it against her brow. Her eyes immediately became vacant, and her hands slumped to her sides.

"I will not let her know." Seiryuu decided, he pressed his hands slightly- causing a blue light to surround them.

When he finally withdrew his hand, her eyes were closed.

"You will not even remember anything that is related to what had happened." Seiryuu stated softly as he picked her up in his arms, about to return her to Hotohori. "And I will make sure that no one else does too.

"You will be able to have a life that is only filled with happiness…the sort of happiness which you had always longed for, what I took you away from."

1 I know Yuri is being rather harsh and unreasonable here but I think it is understandable considering her life. She had spent the majority of her childhood/teenage hood unloved by anyone, and it might even be fair to say that she had suffered mental and emotional abuse, being constantly reminded that her presence is running the family, and now it appears as if her husband is dead, and she loves Hotohori so much so I guess a nervous break down. You can say that he represents all the good thing in her life: her children, her new family. Later on she'll use the following concepts to explain: when you are in love every thing seems perfect and you love everyone, but when you are in despair you end up hating every single person. Maybe I shouldn't publish the sequel on the basis that everything seems like a repetition.

2 I was reading Ayashi no Ceres, aka Ceres, celestial legend when I wrote the following and I have the picture of the transformation to Ceres in mind, so that is what I tried to do with Yuri. Speaking of that I actually really like how Ceres is drawn.

3 In relation to my prologue story- in a way what she did in her past life affects this life, but she did still have the hard deal as what happened in that past life was no full fault of her.

4 This refers to the middle of chapter one.

5 I really don't know much about Suzuno as we only recently discovers about Takiko in Genbu Kaiden, but I do want to make it clear that she is coming out and as a priestess she is as important as everyone else, although she doesn't say much in this story.

6 Initially I was really afraid that it was going to be quite an anit-climax, just a…someone he disappears and get kills, but I like what ended up. The whole thing about Tenkou's execution, how he was seeing his past again. I suppose I am using the idea of seeing montages of your life as you dies.

7 I suddenly realized that bit, so I had to explain it. Initially Yuri didn't tell Hotohori that she was not from this world as she was afraid that she would have to be the priestess of Suzaku and die, but by the end of the two years she really ended up being in love so much that she would do anything for him, including dying and killing. Maybe I should mention this in the front, when Tenkou instructs Miiru and Rin.

8 I really like Soi's character, especially how she is feminine yet strong. I love the little detail of her lipstick, showing her actual desire of being feminine. According to the author, she would have loved to draw Soi in a bridal gown beside Nakago (there is a picture of Soi wearing a bridal gown of one of the native Chinese tribe in one of the chapter covers. It's sixty something…)

Another thing, in hidden secrets I always call Soi Soh but it seems that she is called Soi. I don't know why but I thought she was call Soh, so my deepest apology and I am feeling very guilty for having spell the name of my second favourite character wrong.

9 Tomo is actually drawn quite good looking, so I almost think that it is a shame that he have to have that weird mask. I'm sorry to say but I rather him not having the mask instead of Chichiri. I mean…the first time I saw a picture of him without the mask, as himself I was actually pretty shock. Ok…to be honest I was shocked only after I worked out who the heck that guy is.

10 All this bit I am making up completely. And as Yuri guessed correctly, his mother is from the same tribe (Hin I think) as Nakago, and he is also of royal blood. Being of one those who was naturally born with such royalty and posture. 

11 I want to get this through, this idea: that the warriors of Seiryuu are not evil, it is the harsh circumstances that they had that ended up making them evil, or at the very least they become cruel and harsh. So even though they are all going to be rather out of character, I'm saying that it is because they are dead, and gained the peace and understanding that only death could bring. And technically they were sent down by heaven with the purpose of helping a kingdom, so I strongly believe now that they are actually all good people.

12 Although the more I think about and write this story the more Soi and Yuri seemed to resemble each other, and the darker her character seem to become. She does love Hotohori because she truly love him, not because out of mere gratitude, in fact this was one of the things she was afraid of, hence why she only married him three months after their meting. In the same way I really don't think Soi loved Nakago just because he saved her, but that was something additional to what she feels for him. I think I won't publish this as it just seems too…strange even for me? I think Yuri would have ended up doing what Soi would do, but Yuri is luckier then Soi by far, because in this story Hotohori really loves her back in a very strong way too.

13 An interesting thing that I thought of about Hotohori in regard to Fushigi Yugi and I am including this in my story. What is better? The love of the one person that you love, or the worship of a whole nation. I regard this as kind of what Hotohori went through in the end, he did not have the love of Miaka, but he knew that his people loved him in the worshipful way. Which is what is happening to Yuri in this story as well, in the beginning. She was not loved by her celestial warriors, but yet the whole of Kutou worships her. I think for Yuri and for Hotohori, they rather have the first- to be love back by the one that you love.

14 Kaen is Soi's real name, and it is one of the most beautiful name I have ever seen.

15 I know that in Fushigi Yugi everyone get reincarnated but I never like the idea of reincarnation, that always seem to be so tragic. To always have to part those dear to you and loose them after you find them, the possibility that you never see them again. I just can't do that, so everyone is going to some sort of heaven, although it seems that the celestial warriors were from heaven in the first place.

16 Kamiyasu (the new emperor of Kutou) is a very good example of understanding the teaching of despair the right way,

17 I'm sure you guys can figure out who the guy is, who his 'best friend' was, although the woman might not be that easy as she is a change from the original story.

18 Well, I think this would have got quite confusing but it is all related to the prologue, and I guess what I just give is a very dehydrated version of my prologue story. As I said, I know that some people would probably not like this, but hey- I just want to do it, so well…it's done. I'll explain this in more details as it does get confusing, or you can just ignore this bit and pretend it never happened. I wouldn't blame you if you choose to do this. Seriously, no hard feelings at all if you don't really like my prologue story's idea. I think it is a pretty crazy idea.

It might be a good idea to re-read certain bits: Chapter 1: When Yuri recollected what she remembered after her death- what she had seen, as well as Hotohori's dream at the very end of the chapter; Chapter 5: in the very beginning of the chapter- when Tenkou was talking about Yuri; Chapter 6: The parts when Hikitsu come out- especially when he begin to talk about the last time he saw Yuri, as well as his mentioning of not wanting the past to repeat again; and the beginning to this chapter- what Tenkou said to her as well as the bit when Takiko comes out, what she thought about Yuri. And of course, what Seiryuu just said. Hopefully when you re-read them after this footnote it'll be 'oh I understand now'.

Basically the four gods needed to select a priestess and they did. The priestess were a bit like intercessors, and the gods stay in their body, so they have to be virginal. The priestess also served as judges for some cases, some mortal feel they did not receive justice, so they would go to the temple and pray to the gods, and the priestess was meant to answer them and give them a judgement. By being a priestess, they were sort of immortal- like their celestial warriors, but they were still not on the same level as the four gods. What happened is that Yuri was technically sinning by being with Hotohori as she was meant to be virginal, and the others found out and as a result they were angry with her- and she and the one they believed to be her partner in crime (they didn't realize it was Hotohori) were trialled, even though only the four gods had the right to judge and punish her. Due to what happened Tenkou tried to get her to betray the others, and she was so depressed and angry that she agreed, only to realize how foolish she was, so she committed suicide, and Hotohori naturally got really angry and Tenkou ended up possessing him.

The four beast gods then decided that everyone has been in the wrong somehow- either by merely taking some part in it, or not doing something to stop the tragedy (the deaths), so they were all cast down in order to meet their priestesses and re-find the shinzaho and summon their gods. As for why the priestesses ended up being from the other world, I can only say, it is because it is what happens in the original story and I only got this idea in the writing of buried memories, so I guess there will be some contradiction.

Author's Note: Only the epilogue to go! Well, I will first guarantee that Yuri and Hotohori will be happily ever after so there will be no more stories. I know that I said this in Hidden Secrets as well, but there was the whole thing about volume 14-18 that I didn't have in hidden secrets, so there really will be no more sequels. I mean, even if I want to, there is nothing I can write! There will eventually be a prequel however, but it deals with their past, not the future at all. Honestly, their future from now on is almost the fairy tale happy ever after- with only some minor drawback like dealing with every day life. The epilogue is just for the sake of tying all the loose end up, and a previously unnamed male character is going to come out and I desperate need a name for him! I'll be happy if anyone can give me a name!

What I mentioned about the prologue is basically the outline for my prologue story, although it is not in as much detail and if any of you would like to one day read it then please tell me, as I do feel a bit nervous about writing that. But Genbu Kaiden fan fiction is first, although I don't really know when I'll be doing that. I am actually debating whether I should included some random preview in Buried Memories as well…I kind of have the overall story plot and some scene, but I'm worried that I'll write an extract and post it, then I'll write the actual story, and it wouldn't be included. But please do tell me if you want a preview, or want to read my prologue, or want to do anything.

By the way the other day I just posted a long as fushigi yugi review up on my blog! Do pay a visit and leave a comment if you find it interesting! By the way, do feel free to contact me for any reason if you want to! Whether it be discussing fushigi yugi or anything!