A/N: Whoa. Just. Ahahaha. Whoa. This chapter took me a while to write, but you will see why. Hopefully it does not disappoint! I also made some edits to previous chapters (as always) to fix inconsistencies. Also added a small section in the previous one, but if you don't want to go back and look, it gets mentioned here briefly, too.

Anyway, Fushigi Yuugi does not belong to me. It belongs to Yuu Watase and .. all that other good stuff. This story idea however is my own creation, as are any original characters.

Episode Eight: A Thorny Situation

The sudden surprise of seeing a monk come out of nowhere, especially on a female island like Nyosei, shocked Shiho and Nazo into silence for a few minutes. He was quite the odd-looking one, too, what with wearing a wide, cone-shaped straw hat, and a dark blue shawl with white circles on it. Yes. Very odd, Nazo thought to himself. The man's face looked like ^.^, and he thought that even though this book was really reminding him of an anime, perhaps this was a bit too much. Like Shoshi, the monk, because that was what the outfit seemed to be from what he remembered of Chinese history, also had blue hair, although about a third of his bangs were sticking up in a curve. A cowlick? Eh? Whatever. The rest was tied neatly in a ponytail at the nape of his neck.

The stranger stared back, a bemused expression on his face. When neither Shiho or Nazo spoke, he bowed. "I'm no trap, no da," he repeated.

"What."

"Who are you?!"

He held up both his hands. "No need to be so antagonistic. I mean you no harm, no da. My name is Chichiri, and I am one of the Suzaku Seven."

"Suzaku Seven? But.. according to what I heard, didn't that legend happen two hundred years ago?" Shiho asked. "You look too young to be him, and I know his power wasn't immortality. How do we know you're telling the truth?"

"Like a phoenix that dies in flames and is reborn in flames," Chichiri said. "All the seishi live in a reincarnation cycle once their legend begins. We are reborn, generation after generation, after our first adventure with our Priestess. Even when our Priestess is not here and may not return, we continue to protect her country as she wished." He paused. "It is our way of showing our loyalty to her, and it will be your way of showing your loyalty to him."

Nazo shot Shiho a look and almost laughed when he saw what must have been realization dawn on her face. Then just as suddenly, it clouded over.

"How do we know it's not a trap?" she insisted. "We just butted heads with someone claiming to be Genbu. How do we know you aren't on his side?"

"I know who you speak of, and he is a large part of the reason why I am here, but I assure you, I am not friends with him. I could show you my sign, but you could argue that it is a tattoo-"

"Do it."

It was hard to read his face, but Nazo detected a faint note of surprise. However, the monk complied and while holding on to his staff, raised his left pants leg to show a glowing red sign, "well," on his shin.

"Now hide it."

The sign winked out.

"And how do we know you are not siding with him? And that anything you're about to tell us is the truth?" Shiho asked. "If someone were to take on the name of one of the gods, why not also recruit some of the seishi, too?"

"This is something that he has indeed done, but I'm not one of them. If you will allow me to take you to Taiitsukun, she will explain, no da."

Shiho raised an eyebrow. "You know how to get to her?"

Chichiri nodded. "Yes, like my predecessor, I have also been blessed with the opportunity to train under her."

Shiho glanced over at Nazo and nodded. She was telling him that her guard was still up, but perhaps he was trustworthy after all. After all, Shiho had proved herself to Shoshi the exact same way. How she had determined that she still needed to be careful Nazo wasn't sure, but he trusted her judgment of the situation far more than his own.

"Now what was that about you knowing about Genbu?" she demanded. "He claimed to be a powerful warrior and said he claimed the name because it was not the name that mattered but rather the figure. Do you know his plans or something?"

Chichiri's forehead creased over. "I can answer that soon, but first, you are bleeding," he said. "We should really get that treated, no da."

"Thank you, I had no idea," Shiho replied. "Thank you for enlightening me, no, really."

Nazo laughed silently to himself. It was nice to see someone else being her target, although he did feel a bit bad for the Suzaku seishi. Chichiri looked a bit put-off, but he said nothing in reply.

"So you are Chichiri," Shiho continued, speaking more normally now. "I heard about you. Where have you been these last seven years?"

Again, the mild surprise. "I've been wandering around the world. Seeing how things are, no da. It was Taiitsukun's request that I report back to her the goings of a particular group in the west. No one would suspect anything; my first incarnation after all was a wandering monk."

Incarnation. Incarnation. Yes. That was it! "Chichiri! Do you remember your past memories? Please. Do you remember anything?"

"Nazo, what are you-"

"I remember a bit, no da," Chichiri responded. "Why do you ask?"

"I need to know. Was there ever a point in time when you were able to send your Priestess back to her world? And if not in your time, then in another Priestesses?"

"I.. as a matter of fact, yes, but it required help from Taiitsukun and at least three other seishi."

"Please," Nazo said. "Please. Please tell me how you took her back. I need to send my sister back. This is not the place for her, Priestess or not, or whatever brought her here. I'll do it. I'll take her place."

"I don't think you have a choice about taking her place or not," Chichiri replied quietly. "It's not something that we were ever able to control, or the entire mess with Seiryuu would have never happened, no da."

"Mess? Tell me what you know about that," Nazo demanded.

"You get distracted so easily," Shiho said wryly.

"Shush."

Shiho said nothing more, but he did notice that she was chuckling. Well, if she wanted to, it was her choice. It wasn't his fault new information kept popping up. Shiho had already given him a brief summary of what had happened to Kounan's priestess, but he still knew very little about the circumstances that had led to Seiryuu's priestess turning against her best friend. What had been that misunderstanding? The longer Nari was apart from him, the more worried he became that somehow, the two of them might have their own misunderstanding. No. He had to get her out of this world as soon as possible, and Shiho was right; he couldn't get deterred this easily.

"Please. How do I send my sister back to our world?" Nazo asked again, this time refusing to let himself get distracted. He could figure out the backstory of the two girls later. "It's important."

Chichiri hesitated. "I can't promise you anything, no da. You only have one seishi right now, and her power certainly won't be enough."

"Thanks," Shiho said dryly.

Chichiri bowed. "I meant no offense, no da. From what I remember, we were barely able to do it with three last time, and one of them was Tamahome, our strongest seishi."

"Eh. Thanks anyway."

He would not let himself be deterred, but Nazo did store the name in his memory for a later time. He could tell however that Chichiri had no idea if Shiho was being serious or not, but he decided not to say anything. Let the monk figure it out for himself. It was obvious that Shiho didn't completely trust Chichiri because she made no mention of Shoshi or her brother. He figured it was best he didn't then either, seeing as she had much more experience in this world while he had at most a few hours.

"So. Uh." Nazo pushed his glasses up his nose nervously. The silence was awkward, probably even more awkward than when he had asked Shiho about why she existed, which come to think of, was kind of a stupid question. "Do we just sit here and wait now?" he asked.

"Pretty much," Shiho replied wearily. She looked away, and that was the end of the conversation.

x

Kari clicked on the first link that popped up. That one ended up being useless, something about Yu Yu Hakusho. Apparently the four gods were antagonists in that manga. She remembered it vaguely, but it was one she had never had much interest in. She clicked through a few more, but those didn't provide much information. With a frustrated groan, she turned away from the computer and her eyes fell on the open page in the book.

"Send a seishi in," said the young hero's unknown antagonist. "Kill the extra one."

Her blood ran cold. Was the extra one Nazo or his sister? Quickly she flipped to the previous page and she scanned it. Any new characters? No, just a bunch of useless- there he was! A monk, one who claimed to be a reincarnation of a Suzaku warrior. He was now accompanying her friend, along with the Tenkyoku seishi, Shiho, as they waited for Shoshi and Nari to come back from the Nyosein castle. Was it possible that he was the one Nazo's enemy was referring to?

"Nazo!" she screamed into the book. "Nazo! No! Don't trust him! Don't trust Chichiri!"

But once again, her cries fell on deaf ears. She clenched her fists. Somehow. Somehow she had to be able to reach him. But how?

x

Shoshi and Nari managed to slip away from the other women. As Nari was now dressed in traditional Nyosein wear, it was much easier to do that than if she had been wearing her old clothes. Finding some hadn't been easy, but Mai could be trusted. The squirrel, whom Shoshi had identified as Tei, rode on Nari's shoulder. It refused to let Shoshi touch him and would shy away if the princess tried. Not that Shoshi really cared, as long as Tei did his job in protecting the Priestess.

If Nari was even the Priestess.

That was the question that nagged at Shoshi. She had pondered over what Shiho had said on the way back to the castle, when she found Nari, and after she had gone to talk to her mother.

"I have heard rumors that our Priestess may have been found," Empress Anhei had said.

Shoshi had knelt before her mother. "It is possible, but we need to know more."

Her mother had waved her away with her hand then, an acknowledgment that the princess do her own detective work. Both knew what was expected of a seishi and the dangers that would arise; Shoshi had been prepared for it from birth, when the High Priestess had revealed her true destiny to the Empress. Her power did not reveal itself until she was six, and it had been a result of folding a paper crane, the symbol of wishes. Her nursemaid had run to the Empress as soon as it was discovered that Princess Aremi could bring paper creations to life simply by giving them breath.

From then on, Aremi was put under a strict regimen of training. By the time she was eight, she had mastered her power. Her fingers were swift and she was able to fold even the most complicated creatures within minutes. At the age of nine, she was given a sacred ruby gem that could spout fire with an incantation. Much practice had to have been done, as at first, she had scorched her bangs and eyebrows off. She was a frequent visitor to the healer, who admonished her for not being careful enough. Gradually however, that technique became her own, too. Aremi became well-versed in the usage of all weapons, with the chain whip being her specialty. In her free time, she was expected to study strategy and history, and she did, devouring the books given to her. A quick learner, they had said. A shame that a princess such as she also had to be a seishi. The latter was whispered, but Shoshi still heard them. It didn't bother her though; her sense of duty was deep, hammered into her at a young age. She had accepted her fate a long time ago, and it did not faze her when she chose her burial site and the words that would be engraved on her headstone.

None of this was touched on however in their conversation. How could it be? Speaking tender words to her firstborn daughter was simply something Empress Anhei did not do. She was determined that Aremi, or Shoshi, become strong on her own, without the need to rely on anyone. After all, she was not only heir to the throne but also a Celestial warrior. If she could not handle her job, then simply put, she didn't deserve the honor of being a seishi. Did she love her daughter? No one knew. All they knew was that the Empress had high expectations for Princess Aremi, and so the people followed suit.

It was not her way to discuss private matters, and Shoshi had no confidante. The closest friend she had was Mai. The two had grown up together and she trusted Mai with her life. It did not surprise her that the woman had feelings for her; she too had suspected it for a long time. It was a subject she dared not broach upon however, as she risked losing Mai's friendship. Love was not a treasure she would ever be lucky enough to find. Duty, her responsibilities, was what filled her life. Not love.

Only a few of Shoshi's most trusted lieutenants and the Empress knew of her secret mission. They did not want to spread the word that the Priestess might have come to Nyosei for fear the uproar that might result. Not even her sister fully understood everything. All she knew was that it was more than likely that she would come to the throne than Shoshi herself. Her sister was thirteen. She had just hit the threshold of what it meant to be a woman. Old enough to lead her own fishing hunts, but not old enough to be privy to the secret of Shoshi's destiny and why she too was being groomed for the throne.

"Don't die. You know the women prefer you over me," was her sister's words to her after she left their mother. Always curious, she was already trying to eavesdrop on council meetings. She had the makings of a good leader. All she needed was time to mature.

"I make no promises," was Shoshi's reply.

As with their mother, they shared no embrace. It was no coincidence that her sister was exactly six years younger than her. After all, the island needed an heir to the throne just in case.

Shoshi returned her thoughts to the matter at hand. Legend stated that Tenkyoku would only appear in times of trouble. As she had told Nari, there was no sign of any problems in Nyosei. Was there some sort of secret rebellion or something else entirely that was going on? There was also the complication of Nazo also being there. Shoshi had forbidden the women who had been in Mai's unit to speak of the two who had been with them when Genbu had attacked, and she also knew that they would keep their lips sealed. Although they did not understand what was going on, it was not often that their princess would come to them with such a strange request and they trusted her judgment. It was after all unnatural for the princess to be helping a newcomer to the island without first running her through the gauntlet, so there had to be something going on. When the time came, everything would be explained.

Shoshi helped Nari up her horse. As the girl had never even come close to a horse before besides her first ride to the palace, it was quite the chore. They had to struggle to get one leg over the side, then keep her upright as she steadied herself. Shoshi even put a saddle on, a large one, so it would be easier for Nari to hang on. Without meaning to, Shoshi was short with the girl. Something was wrong on Nazo's side. When the two were ready to leave, she nudged her horse, and they galloped off. There was a sense of urgency to her actions; she was attuned to the young man's chi, much more than she had expected. Perhaps Shiho, that Kounan girl, was right. Perhaps Nazo really was their Priest. Why then was Nari also pulled into their world? And was there a way to send her back without altering the fate of Nyosei?

The questions swirled around her head as she raced back to the clearing where she had left Shiho and Nazo, hoping that nothing had happened to them.

x

About ten minutes had passed, but still no Nari or Shoshi. Nazo was getting antsy. He wasn't sure how Shiho was holding up either, but she wasn't saying anything, so he wasn't sure if he should or not. Even if she was one of his so-called Warriors, they weren't exactly friends, and with Chichiri here as the third wheel, yeah. It was awkward enough to be depending on an almost complete stranger, and when that was added up with a mysterious newcomer that they didn't even know if he was really on their side now, well, it was just ripe for disaster. Of course, he could have totally been looking for the worst possible option, but that was how he tried to be. Nari called it cynical, but he called it being prepared. Idly he wondered if it would be a good idea to try to get a conversation going again, but he wasn't sure if it'd be a good idea. Besides, what could they really talk about? How pretty the scenery was? As Nazo looked around however for the umpteenth time, he noticed that the undergrowth seemed thicker than it had been earlier. He shook his head. Probably just imagining things.

"They should be here soon," Chichiri said, getting to his feet. "Your sister and the other seishi should be showing up soon. I can sense them coming."

"Good," Nazo replied. "Once they're there, let's go to that Mt. Taikyoku place and see what we can do about sending Nari back to our own world."

"Are you sure you can even get that far?" a new voice spat out, and vines suddenly snaked out, seizing Nazo around the legs.

"What the-" he exclaimed and started to bend down when he was thrown to the ground. He twisted himself upright and struggled with the ropey tendrils. Shiho snapped a bomb off her chain and threw it to the ground. The trio was covered by smoke, and she pulled out a dagger and began sawing at the vines. He tore at them with fumbling fingers. Before she could completely free him, a huge vine snapped out of nowhere at her, striking her across the chest and knocking her down.

"Shiho!"

He tried to reach for her, but the vines held tight. He couldn't move. The smoke was thick, he was coughing from it; how could their unknown enemy see anything? Nazo kicked at his bonds, but more tendrils whipped out and seized his arms from behind. They flipped him back onto the ground and tightened around his wrists and ankles. He hit his head. As he tried to cry out, an obese root caught his waist from above and with a sudden tug, cut him off and lifted him hurtling backwards into the air.

"Nazo!"

"No!"

Already he was barely within hearing distance; the vines were moving at a speed hard to believe. He saw Shiho teleport to the spot he had been seconds ago, but it was already too late. The vines were changing, too; now they were thorny. As the vines slid forward, they wrapped closer and closer around his torso until he could feel the spines scratching against him and starting to break their way through his shirt. He was forced to a standing position with his limbs pulled back as the vines slowed and began to form a cocoon around him. More and more piled on him, pushing the layers already against him. Nazo screamed as the thorns pierced through first his clothing and then his skin. Blood leaked out. The pile of vines showed, a sign that he was probably near his attacker. Crap. Nazo gritted his teeth, not sure how much longer he could stand the pain. He had to keep his mind level however, or he wouldn't be able to get himself out of this situation, because he was definitely not going to die like this. The agony was like thousands of blunt needles. He started to black out when out of the corner of his eye, through the thick vines, he saw Shiho and Chichiri racing toward him. Nazo started to panic and his focus came back. "Get out of here!" he yelled. "Get out!" He started to fight even harder against the vines, bringing one arm forward and ignoring the thorns as they dug even further into his flesh. The harder he fought though, the tighter the vines tightened around him until almost a continuous stream of scarlet poured from his arm.

At least his jugular was fine, but really, this was no time for joking around.

Goddamnit, his sense of humor chose the best times to show up.

No. He was not about to give up, not when Nari was still missing. Besides, at least half an hour had to have passed, so Shoshi was probably going to show up within the next few minutes. Shiho was already injured, but he was sure the princess would be able to think of something. If she saw that Shiho was incapable of protecting him though, the consequences for his friend might be even worse than what he was going through. No. He had to get out without Shoshi's help. He could not let the fear coursing through him overtake him. It threatened to control him far more effectively than the trap he was in now. Try as he might to keep himself conscious however, he was losing the battle.

"No," he said weakly as he searched blindly for something to focus on, something to keep him awake and alert. Shiho was nowhere in sight, his vision was rapidly darkening, and the vines still digging into him. He could almost feel the loss of energy as more blood left his body. More and more vines wrapped around him until he was almost completely bound. Soon, they would reach his vital organs, and even if he was in a book, was it possible that he could really die?

Whatever destiny had pulled him here was definitely not a good one.

x

There had to be some way of getting him out. She considered pestering her parents for help, but most likely they'd just laugh it off. After all, who would believe her friend got sucked into a book? Kari checked the book again.

And at that moment, the vines pierced the hero. Shiho, desperate to save her Priest, fought her way through the vines and when she reached him, slashed at them in a vain attempt to free him. The vines swung forward and tightened their grip around her and she continued to shout at the young man to wake up, to run away to safety. When she could not break free, ignoring her own numerous wounds, she teleported out and skidded down the huge plant, narrowly avoiding the branch that threatened to knock her down. The Suzaku seishi Chichiri was close behind, blasting any vines that hissed in front of them with his magic. It was however much more difficult for him to keep up.

"Nazo! Wake up!" Shiho cried.

However, there was no response. The hero remained unconscious and did not stir.

"No!" Kari shouted. She grabbed the scarf and stared at it helplessly. "Nazo, you can't die! You have to come back!" She didn't care if her parents came storming in asking what the hell was going on. "Nazo!" It was Nazo, the guy who had once been her best friend and secret love. She wasn't about to lose him now. "Idiot!" she cried. "I finally saw you again! Don't you dare die on me! You still have your scarf here!" Kari tightened her grip on the book and began yelling into it. "Nazo! Nazo!"

From far away, Nazo could hear someone calling out to him. Fire suddenly filled his vision, and he felt the cocoon weaken as flames licked at it from below. He fought to remain conscious, opening his eyes just in time to see Shiho get slashed again. She refused to give up however and teleported onto the vines that wove around and around him. The vines that had gotten burned seemed to be released from whatever was controlling them, and she manipulated them to hold her in position while she used her dagger to saw at the remaining vines.

"I'll get you out," she promised.

"Shiho! Stay back!" he pleaded. "You're going to get yourself killed!"

She merely laughed and swung to the right as yet another thick vine tried to knock her off. "No, it's your job to get into dangerous situations, mine to get you out."

"Nazo!"

Nazo jerked, then flinched as the thorns dug deeper from the movement. Kari? How the- what? Shiho flashed in front of him and grabbed his bonds.

"Shiho, get away!" he shouted, but it was too late. The vines rushed at her and slashed mercilessly. Blood sprayed onto his glasses. "Shiho!"

"Nazo! Nazo!"

It was that voice again. He shoved it aside and would have paid little attention to it if a violet light hadn't begun to shine around him. The pain reticified as the vines fell away. His fingers scrabbled against nothing as he tried to reach for Shiho. The light intensified and he saw the hand reaching for Shiho disappear. "No!" he shouted. "I can't leave! Nari, Shiho!" He struggled vainly, but it was no use. The last thing he saw was the look of relief that passed over Shiho's face and the vines that enveloped her instead as he faded away.

x

The door burst open and Kari's family crowded in.

"Kari! What on earth is going on?"

Kari whirled around in her seat. "Mom! Dad! Yuta!"

"Kari, it's almost midnight," her father exclaimed. "We could hear you yelling from all the way downstairs. What's going on? Explain yourself."

"I mean seriously, why are you yelling that loser's name?," Yuta asked as he rolled his eyes. "It's not like he's going to hear you."

"Now's not the time. My-"

A huge flash of light emitted from the book. Her parents gasped and fell against the wall. When she could see again, she saw her friend materialize on the floor, unconscious. A puddle of red formed around his body. His clothes were soaked in it and even his glasses were splashed.

Kari screamed.

Next episode: Return to the Eastern Capital - Nazo's returned to the real world, Shiho's been grievously injured; what will happen next for the Tenkyoku seishi and their Summoner? Hey, at least Chichiri's not a trap?

A/N: Ahahaha. So. Uh. I'm thinking of getting rid of the episode previews. I kinda suck at writing them, and since I keep changing what happens. Euhm. Seriously though! I'm not trying to delay their meeting (Okay, maybe I am a bit, but not really). Random ideas pop into my head and I want to implement them somehow. I've been brainstorming more on the world and what drives the characters to do what they do. It's kind of falling in all together, which is nice. Anyway. This chapter was very intense for me to write (ended up being my longest one, too). Part of the inspiration for what happened is from the roleplay I made of this concept several years ago on Gaia. Because it didn't play out the way this story is playing out however, there are definitely some major changes (for example: Nari and Nazo are already united by now, the main villain is actually someone else, and their goal is also very different. I forgot what else.. Shoshi has not shown up yet, but Shiho's brother has. Origins of the seishi are also very different.). I wish the roleplay could have continued, but it didn't. I've lost touch with the people I RPed with then, too. I still have this though, which was the original, and even if I don't talk to them anymore, I still have the thread. Therefore, I am content.

Also. Also. Totally random. I was in Taiwan over the break, and I saw the four Gods! Haha. Not literally unfortunately, but I saw their symbols depicted on a mortuary and also a scroll that my grandgodfather has. If you want to see pictures of them, let me know and I can link you. I didn't get all of them from the mortuary. I was only able to get two of the gods. ;-; Still, it was pretty cool to see them, since, y'know. Yeah. xD

ANYWAY. I hope anyone who read this enjoyed the chapter!

Seishi Information:

Tei: Kyou 'harmonize.'

Until next time. c:

/edit: As of May 12, 2011, I have moved one of the sections that I was worrying about. It will reappear at a later chapter.