Kida: Yay! The seventh chapter is here, peoples!
Tamahome: Now Aika has to go home...She'll be back, right?
Kida: Don't you worry. You'll have your girlfriend back soon.
Tamahome: *Blushes* She's not my girlfriend!
Kida: *Smirks* Yet.
Taiitsukun: Kida Tenshi does not own Naruto or Fushigi Yuugi. She only owns Aika Hitsubasa and any other future OCs.
Kida: Enjoy!
Lady Aika was entrapped inside a mirror by Taiitsukun, the controller of this world. Tamahome and Hotohori were threatened by her evil imposter and in order to save them, the Lady Aika decided to take her own life. In return, deeply concerned that she might die, Hotohori and Tamahome both spilled their own blood. And then, finally, before them…
"In honor of the great loyalty between you and these first three of your Warriors, I shall tell how to return to your own world," Taiitsukun told them. Taiitsukun appeared. There sat an old tiny woman dressed in robes with long silver hair that had a golden crown in it.
"Is that King Tut's grand mummy?" Tamahome joked until he was slapped upside the head by Aika.
"Learn some manners and respect your elders!" She scolded making Taiitsukun chuckle at the young woman who defended her.
"Wow, you can be abusive," Tamahome said as he rubbed his head.
"If it means getting you to learn some manners, so be it," Aika muttered.
"Uh, h-hi there," Nuriko smiled nervously at Taiitsukun.
"Yeah, what is it?" Taiitsukun raised an eyebrow.
"Are you Taiitsukun?" He asked.
"Yes, I am," Taiitsukun replied making Nuriko's eyes widen.
"Really?" Nuriko blinked.
"I am. I am indeed the controller of this universe," Taiitsukun stated before looking at Hotohori who had his back to her. "Hotohori, what are you doing?"
"I can't stand the sight of anything that is so ugly," Hotohori said bluntly. Taiitsukun summoned a mallet and hit him over the head with it causing a big welt. Aika covered her mouth to stop herself from snickering at the poor guy.
"It's all clear to see that you're all still terribly wounded. I wanted to test you, just to see how willing you were to help one another," Taiitsukun said to all of them. Aika crossed her arms.
"It was all a test. That shadow reflection of me was all your doing?" She asked a little ticked about that.
"Yes, of course. That was my doing," Taiitsukun replied. Aika suddenly grasped her chest and whimpered slightly at the pain.
"Aika?" Tamahome placed his hands on her shoulders to keep her up.
"Stay still or you might start hemorrhaging again," Nuriko said sounding concerned.
"We have to do something," Hotohori stated as the three Warriors looked at the girl with worry.
"Her devotion surprised me. I suppose we have no choice. Let's go to my palace and there we'll discuss this," Taiitsukun before thrusting her hands out. Suddenly the four of them were on some kind of flying carpet making the fly up, all four screaming in surprise. Now they were able to admire the scenery.
"It's so beautiful," Aika said as Tamahome held her.
"So this is Mount Taikyoku," Tamahome mused.
"I hope we don't fall off this rug," Nuriko whined. Aika looked at Taiitsukun who flew beside them. She liked the old woman, but was a little upset about the test. She thought Taiitsukun took a little too far. Taiitsukun chuckled.
"Only those who are chosen to come here are actually able to see the mountain. Evil minded people will only find rocky and barren land if they come anywhere near this area," she laughed.
~0~
"Taiitsukun guided the Priestess of Suzaku and the others to the magnificent palace on top Mount Taikyoku," Yui read as Naruto kept pressure where the blood was.
"Aika. So that means the legendary girl in this story is the long awaited Priestess of Suzaku is Aika! Believe it!" Naruto grinned at Yui. Yui saw something.
"Huh? The boy marked with the ogre symbol on his forehead…Tamahome, I know that's what he calls himself…" she said with a slight blush. She had a crush on a guy she was only reading about!
"I feel the same pain and anguish Aika feels just like the book describes. All those times. But why? Why do things that happen to Aika in the Book of the Universe of the Four Gods affect me as well?" Naruto asked.
"Actually, Naruto…I've been feeling all kinds of pain recently. One time I was soaking wet like I had been swimming through a lake with my clothes on. And now this," Yui moved her coat to reveal a blood stain on her chest. Naruto's eyes widened.
"Yui, why didn't you tell me?!" He asked before getting a cloth out to put pressure on the wound.
"I didn't want to worry you," Yui replied, wincing from the pressure. "So that time I felt like crying, or when my chest was aching…"
"Was when Aika had her feelings hurt. Tamahome had said something that hurt her feelings and it deeply affected her because she loves him," Naruto stated. "Even though you were here before…I wonder why you're being affected by this too."
~0~
All of them were now at the palace. Tamahome, Hotohori, Nuriko, and Aika were looking at Taiitsukun who began to speak.
"First, we will need to attend to your wounds. Nyan-Nyan!" Taiitsukun called. Some pink orbs appeared and popped revealing little girls dressed in pink with mint green hair. "Treat these three immediately."
"Yes, ma'am!" The little girls smiled before running up to do so. "Treating, treating, heal, heal!" They said before going to lead Aika away. Aika smiled a bit at Taiitsukun.
"Taiitsukun, please treat Tamahome and the Emperor before you administer to me. The only reason they're hurt after all, is on my account," she said to her.
"What about you?" Taiitsukun asked her.
"I don't mind waiting," Aika replied. After all, she could try and heal her own wound with Medical Ninjutsu.
"No, no, gotta take you!" The Nyan-Nyan said before going to disrobe her.
"H-hey! Ever hear of a changing curtain?!" Aika blushed darkly.
"You had better be quiet and allow them to treat you or it'll take us even longer to return you to your home," Taiitsukun told the Priestess.
"The reason I wasn't so worried about me is because I can heal myself," Aika stated as she pulled her kimono back on to cover herself. Her hand glowed green and placed it on her chest to heal herself. It didn't heal all the way, but it was good enough. "There we go," she smiled. Taiitsukun was surprised by her ability.
"Oh yes, I forgot you have the abilities to heal others and yourselves with…what's that called again?"
"Medical Ninjutsu," Aika replied.
"Of course," Taiitsukun agreed.
"I can cure you as well," a Nyan-Nyan said to Nuriko. Aika looked over to see Nuriko smile at the child.
"Don't you worry about me, little girl. I'm not even injured."
"I'll fix your perversion," the Nyan-Nyan said making Aika cover her mouth to cover up her snickering. Nuriko then punched the Nyan-Nyan, sending her flying.
"Now, now, Nuriko. No need to be so violent," Aika said with a timid laugh. 'He really reminds me of Sakura,' she thought.
"I fear that this method of returning you to your own world is too dangerous to try while you're all so weak," Taiitsukun said to everyone.
"Taiitsukun's face needs treatment too," Nyan-Nyan said making Aika bit her lip to keep her from snickering.
"Yeah!" Another agreed. Taiitsukun used the mallet to hit them out of the palace.
"I know I'm asking a lot, Taiitsukun. But I need to go home. I want to reassure my friends that I'm alright," Aika said to her. All she was wearing now was her kimono top over her bra and panties. The Nyan-Nyans would give her the sash, leggings, or boots back.
"That's nonsense, I'm afraid you've lost too much blood. And you appear far too fragile. I doubt you have any reserved strength at all. None," Taiitsukun said.
"You know, calling someone weak can be pretty offensive," Aika muttered, hating being called weak.
"Please, why can't she take blood from me, Taiitsukun?" Hotohori asked as his arm was being treated. Tamahome walked up as well after having his chest wound treated.
"From both of us. Take some of our blood and then give it Aika," he agreed.
"No, please don't. I don't want you two getting any more hurt than you already are," Aika said to them.
"Are you sure about this?" Taiitsukun asked the two men. "I can do it, but it will cut your powers in half."
"Anything to help her," Hotohori replied with a smile. Tamahome smile and pat the Nyan-Nyan's head as she cleaned his wound.
"My blood's already pouring out. So why not use it?" He said with a closed eye smile.
"Hotohori…Tamahome…" Aika whispered surprised.
"Very well then," Taiitsukun said to the men before looking at Aika. "Are you alright with this?" Aika sighed a bit.
"Just as long as they don't become too weakened then I can deal with any pain you give me," she replied. Nuriko walked up.
"What about my blood?"
"Save it," Taiitsukun replied angering the purple haired man.
"Why do I get the feeling I've been insulted?" He muttered.
"Hotohori, Tamahome, I will now use my powers to transfer some of your blood to Aika. Kneel down," Taiitsukun ordered. The two men knelt down and Taiitsukun began chanting until the two men were in green orbs. "I will perform a blood transfusion through these spheres into Aika's open wound."
"What open wound?" Tamahome asked.
"This one," Aika said using a kunai to slice her old wound open a bit.
"Aika!" The two men exclaimed.
"Trust me, this is nothing, guys," Aika smiled a bit at their worry.
"Prepare yourself, Aika. This'll be painful for all of you, but you must try to bear with it," Taiitsukun said before she started. Tamahome and Hotohori began feeling searing pain and did their best not to make any noise, knowing it would worry Aika. Aika was watching them with worry though.
'Tamahome…Hotohori…you have done enough,' she thought. "ENOUGH!" She shouted until she suddenly felt something. "I-I feel warm." 'I can feel their blood flowing through me. Their blood is mixing with mine…like a blood bond. They're a part of me now,' she thought to herself.
~0~
"Now within the body of the Priestess of Suzaku, the blood of Tamahome and Hotohori pulses together," Yui read.
"The pain I had is fading away now," Naruto said looking down at his chest.
"Mine too," Yui agreed. She may not have shown she was in pain, but she had it. The blood stains disappeared. "And the blood's gone too!"
~0~
Aika's wound was completely healed then.
"Done. That is enough," Taiitsukun said making the spheres disappear. "You all bore up very admirably. I am impressed."
"Here's your sash," a Nyan-Nyan said to Aika, tying her sash on.
"And your black things," another said putting on her leggings for her. Aika smiled.
"Thank you. Thank you so much," she said before looking at Tamahome and Hotohori who were smiling at her. "Hotohori, Tamahome, are you alright?" She asked concerned. "I'm so sorry, I didn't want to cause all that pain just to help me," she remembering their pained faces.
"It's all right, as long as it helped you get well," Tamahome assured with a smile.
"Oh good grief. You should be smothering them with kisses, Aika. You owe these two a lot," Nuriko said to the girl. Aika let out a soft chuckle.
"All right then, now that the Priestess of Suzaku has recovered, I will proceed to explain to you how you can get home," Taiitsukun said getting the brown eyed girl's attention.
"Well, I'm all ears," Aika replied.
"Do you understand, Priestess of Suzaku that you have remained in this world too long? Opening the channel that allows your return will not be as easy as when you first arrived," Taiitsukun said as Aika and the three Warriors knelt down.
"I understand and I'll do what I can, but how can the channel be opened in my realm?" Aika asked her.
"After first your strong will alone would have been enough to take you home without delay," Taiitsukun stated.
"If my will power is strong enough now then what must I do?" Aika asked.
"There is something here which connects this world with your own. You must discover what that is," Taiitsukun replied.
"Hmm…something that connects both worlds," Aika thought to herself.
"Mhmm, that they have in common that exists both here and in your own world," Taiitsukun stated.
'This might be harder than I thought. Something that exists both here and in my own world…'
~0~
"Something that is there that is also here," Yui read before looking at Naruto. Naruto then looked at their pouches.
~0~
"Of course!" Aika exclaimed before taking the kunai out from behind her sash. "Yui and Naruto have kunais too!" She smiled.
~0~
"Oh yeah, Aika does have one like this now because of when she saw her mother!" Yui smiled as she and Naruto each took a kunai out of their pouches.
"Kunai knives!" Both Yui, Naruto, and Aika said at the same time.
"So then that's the connection, and the reason why things happen to us too! Believe it!" Naruto grinned.
~0~
"It also requires a strong connection through your emotions and your will power," Taiitsukun said.
'A connection through emotions,' Aika thought to herself as she looked at the kunai.
~0~
"Aika! We're here! With you!" Yui called to her.
"Please come back! Aika!" Naruto called as well.
~0~
Aika's head snapped up when she heard their voices. She stood up as she held the kunai close.
"Yui! Naruto!" She smiled. "We are connected. Strongly, deeply," she stated as she looked at the kunai. 'A weapon from my mother then the connection with my best friends. We use kunais as a weapon to protect. And we would protect each other no matter what.'
"To be honest, it would be an easy matter to return the Priestess if we had the life energy of all seven of Suzaku's Warriors to call upon. Hotohori, Tamahome, Nuriko, the power of only three of you may not be enough. And except for Nuriko, you're all injured," Taiitsukun stated.
"It'll be alright. I'm up for it," Tamahome said.
"And I'll do it. I swear I'll get her home," Hotohori vowed.
"Relax, Aika. Count me in! Haven't I been a good girl lately?" Nuriko smiled. Aika smiled brightly at them. Aika hugged him. Nuriko smiled as he hugged her back.
"Yeah….Thank you all so much," she said as tears pricked her eyes before she pulled away. Tamahome placed a hand on her head making her look at him.
"Just promise that you'll come back again. We will all be waiting," he smiled. Aika frowned slightly as she realized.
'Oh right, once I go back to my own world, I won't be able to see any of you. Especially you, Tamahome,' she thought sadly. She mustered up a smile to make it look like she wasn't upset.
"Well, let's begin. You will all gather around the Priestess of Suzaku," Taiitsukun said as Aika knelt down to the floor. Nuriko, Tamahome, and Hotohori sat around her, cross-legged and concentrating. "Concentrate your life force into her. Aika, visualize your world inside your mind and heart. Focus on it and concentrate. Feel the life energy in everyone here and take it into yourself." Aika closed her eyes and concentrated. She let a stray tear fall as she thought about going back to her home world. She thought about home, her friends, the ones she thought of as family.
"Aika, come on! Do it!" Yui's voice echoed in her head.
"You can do it, Aika! Believe it!" Naruto told her next.
"Think about us and this world here!" Yui added.
"Think of just me and Yui! Think of how we all first met! We all made a promise, remember? When I became Hokage, you two would be right there with me! Helping me all the way! We would all make the decisions together!" Naruto told her. Aika thought back to the day they met. Aika was playing at the playgrounds, her parents watching her. Aika suddenly saw some kids picking on a boy with blonde hair and blue eyes who seemed to be a few years older than her. She had run over and starting trying to get the other kids to back off. That's when a girl with blonde hair and blue eyes showed up and helped her. That was when they met Naruto and all became friends.
"We made that promise and we will stick to it. We're going to do this. TOGETHER!" Naruto and Yui shouted. Aika then remembered when she was upset. The day her mother died, Naruto and Yui were right there. They held her as she cried. The same thing with her father. She then thought to Ichiraku's where she and Yui laughed when Naruto scarfed down twenty bowls of ramen. Then when it came to Naruto pulling a prank to make Aika and Yui laugh which happened to work. He just grinned, even as he was being scolded.
'Home. I'm going home. To the others and everything I know. Back to my own world!' Aika thought.
"AIKA!" Naruto and Yui shouted before Aika was covered in red light. Aika suddenly felt warm, just like she did when she first came into the book. She could finally go home, where she belonged. She opened her eyes to see a light. Suddenly a blue light shot down passed her.
~0~
Naruto covered his eyes with his arm as he saw a glowing red light. He opened his eyes and suddenly saw Aika laying on the ground. Naruto grinned and gently shook her.
"Aika! Wake up! You're home! Believe it!" He said to her. Aika woke up and saw her knuckleheaded friend. She grinned and hugged him.
"Naruto!" She cried, tears streaming down her face as she held him tightly. Her eyes snapped open. "Yui? Where's Yui?" She asked. Naruto frowned and looked around.
"I don't know. She was just next to me," he said to her. "Yui!" He called.
"Yui, where are you?" Aika called. Naruto sighed a bit.
"Maybe she transported out," he shrugged.
"I don't think she would do that after something like this, Naruto," Aika said as her friend helped her up. Naruto looked at the clock.
"Well, it is late. The library's about to close," he told her. "Maybe Yui went home. After all, we've been here all day."
"Wait a minute, how long have I been gone?" Aika asked.
"Two hours. We got here around noon and its two now," Naruto said to her.
"Two hours? I was gone for a few days. I guess time moves faster in the book," Aika mused.
"Let's go see if Yui's at your place. You know when she's worried about you. She'll try and have everything ready for you," Naruto smiled at her. Aika smiled a bit. That does sound like Yui. She nodded and picked up the book before they left the library.
"Don't tell me it took you two hours to get my book," a man said. Aika and Naruto looked over to see Kakashi.
"Oh! Uh, well…you wouldn't believe me if I told you," Naruto said handing his old Sensei the book.
"After all I've seen, I'll believe just about anything," Kakashi retorted. Aika and Naruto shared a look before looking back at the Sixth Hokage.
"Then you should get Sakura, Sasuke, Sai, and Yamato to my house. We can all talk there and I'll tell you everything that happened," she said to him. Kakashi raised an eyebrow.
"On a scale of one to ten, how big of a surprise are we in for?" He asked.
"One to ten? I have to say….about a thousand," Aika replied making the silver haired man blink.
"Okay, I'll go get the others," he said.
"And we better get you home," Naruto said to her. He then started taking her back home. Once there they didn't see Yui.
"Odd, she's not here," Aika frowned.
"And my clone didn't see Yui are her house or my apartment," Naruto frowned as well.
"Yui…just where are you?" Aika whispered with worry. Soon the door opened and Aika turned to see Sasuke and Sakura. She smiled and hugged them. "I've missed you all so much!" She said surprising the two.
"Aika, we just saw you yesterday," Sasuke said as the girl pulled away.
"Oh, right, uh…well, you're about to learn why I missed you all so much," Aika said with a sheepish smile. Aika made some tea for everyone who took a seat in the living room. She handed out the cups of tea before taking a seat with her own cup. "What I'm about to tell you guys is going to surprise you so much you won't believe it."
Kida: *Looks around* Hey, Yui, where'd ya go?
Naruto: Yui? Yui! YUI, WHERE ARE YOU!
Kida: NARUTO! I'VE TOLD YOU NOT TO SHOUT SO DAMN LOUD!
Naruto: *Shrinks back* But you're shouting.
Kida: I'M THE DAMN AUTHOR! I'LL SHOUT WHENEVER I WANT!
Hotohori: While Kida shouts at Naruto, please favorite and comment. We hope you've enjoyed the story!