Kida: I hope you people are happy! I posted two chapters today! Oi...I have no life...
Kido: Yeah, tell me about it. You stay locked up in your bedroom writing like your life depends on it.
Kida: It's not a bedroom! It's my writing laboratory that just so happens to have a bed!
Kido: *Sweat-drops* Damn, you really do have no life.
Tasuki: Uh...I'll do the disclaimer. Kida Tenshi doesn't own Naruto or Fushigi Yuugi. She only owns Aika Hitsubasa and future OCs. Enjoy!
"This is worse than I imagined," Tasuki said as the zombies fell to the ground after being burned. "Rekka Shinen!" He shouted before killing the rest of the zombies. Genro, the bandit leader, was finally revealed to be Tasuki, the fifth member of the Suzaku Seven. As the search continued, Lady Aika was stricken with the incurable Shinkonki disease, leaving her in agony until her inevitable death.
"There's only one thing you can do for her now. You must kill her immediately," Shoka said to them.
"Not a snowball's chance in hell, lady!" Kurama growled.
"Using my power, I can revive her at once and restore her to better health than this. It must be done," Shoka told him.
"You really expect us to do that?" Tasuki glared at her.
"No…that's fine with me. Please…" Aika pleaded in pain.
"Would you all please step outside the room?" Hotohori asked everyone.
"Sire?" Nuriko asked.
"I am going to kill her," Hotohori said, pain ebbing at his chest. Kurama's eyes widened.
"No! I won't let you!" He growled, standing protectively and ready to attack.
"If you want her to come back to health then we have to, Kurama!" Hotohori snapped.
"Kurama….I-it's okay…" Aika said making Kurama frown. He nodded hesitantly before following Nuriko and Tasuki out. "Forgive me, Hotohori…for give you such a terrible burden…" Aika said with a weak smile. The Lady Aika's beloved Hotohori drew his sword and prepared to strike.
~0~
"What are you three doing? Where's Aika and Yui?" Sai asked walking up with Sakura.
"I told you, they're in the book," Naruto stated.
"Naruto…" Sakura stopped when she saw Naruto's narrowed gaze. That gaze told her he was serious. "T-they're really in the book?"
"Yes, they are. Right now Yui has betrayed Aika and Aika his deathly ill. So be quiet while we read to see if Hotohori saves her. Thank you!" Naruto said with annoyed tone. He was beyond worried for Aika and it showed. Sakura and Sai frowned at his tone before reluctantly agreeing and sitting down.
"Please, continue," Sai motioned to Naruto who nodded and went back to the book. He wiped his forehead, feeling the fever Aika was suffering.
"When he heard the Priestess of Suzaku was ill, Tamahome was moved by his love for her to escape the Kutou Palace where he was imprisoned," Naruto read.
~0~
Tamahome ran out of his room and started running through the palace to find a way out.
'If I can just get to her, I know there must be some way to save her!' Tamahome thought to himself.
"Tamahome!" Yui called making Tamahome stop and look a pillar Yui was standing next to. "Are you trying to leave here to go back to Aika?"
"I can't just remain here and do nothing about it! She's in terrible pain and needs help!" Tamahome stated. "I'll come back soon. Please, let me go!"
"No! I won't let you!" Yui exclaimed making Tamahome's eyes widen. She grabbed his arm. "You're a hostage here! Who knows what they'll do if they find out about this?!"
"Let me go, Yui!" Tamahome demanded. Suddenly a black whip appeared and wrapped around Tamahome's ankle, pulling to make him fall to the ground.
"Tamahome!" Yui exclaimed before seeing Nakago with a whip in his hands.
"I thought that he might try something like this," Nakago mused.
"Nakago…"
"It seems you didn't intend to keep your pledge when you offered yourself as a security deposit. So I'll have to make sure you understand what it means to be a hostage," Nakago said while Tamahome glared at him, gritting his teeth. "Bring him," Nakago ordered a guard.
~0~
"Aika!" Hotohori shouted as he brought his sword down…stabbing the bed instead of her. Outside, Tasuki, Nuriko, and Kurama thought he stabbed her which made them gasp. Aika opened her eyes and looked at Hotohori who was a bit blurry in her vision. What was happening with her eyes? She wasn't crying so why was everything becoming so blurry?
"H-Hotohori?" She whispered. Hotohori suddenly pulled her into his arms. 'What happened?'
"I'm sorry, Aika. Please forgive me. I simply can't bring myself to murder you like this. Do not leave me," Hotohori chocked out as he held her.
"Hotohori…no…you have to. I-it's for my own good, remember? Please, try again," Aika said to him. If she didn't die then Shoka can't revive her! Hotohori pulled back.
"Don't you understand?" He asked grabbing her hand and bringing it to his cheek. "Do you think I could ever kill the one I love most in all the world?" He asked her. Aika then felt a tear land on her finger.
'Hotohori…he's crying,' Aika thought sadly. Outside the room, the three were close up against the door, listening to them.
"I know you are in pain, but please, try to bear it," Hotohori pleaded.
"What's with all the mellow drama?" Nuriko muttered.
"Are those two going together or somethin'?" Tasuki asked before Nuriko punched him.
"Nope. Aika loves Tamahome, but Hotohori loves her and yet she cares about him and blah, blah, blah," Kurama waved it off. Back in the room, Hotohori kept a hold on Aika's hand.
"I'm going to ask that doctor, Myou Juan, for his help one more time. So please, Aika. Please," Hotohori pleaded. Aika gave a weak, but warm smile.
"Alright…I'll wait for you," she replied. She softly caressed his cheek as if to comfort him. Hotohori was comforted by her warm and soft touch. Kurama ran in and jumped onto the bed.
"Don't worry, I'll take care of her while you guys are gone," he said to Hotohori who nodded and stroked the fox's head. He then left with Nuriko and Tasuki.
~0~
"So, you're back," Myou Juan said seeing them in his cottage once again. Hotohori nodded. He bowed his head and Nuriko and Tasuki followed in bowing their heads.
"Please returned to the city with us and save Aika's life," Hotohori said before getting on his hands and knees, bow more. "I beg of you, please!" Hotohori pleaded. Tasuki and Nuriko also got on their knees.
"I'm begging too! Without a doctor, there's no chance at all!" Tasuki told him.
"The only way left is Shoka's way and we just can't bring ourselves to do it!" Nuriko added. Myou Juan stiffened and his eyes widened at them.
"What? Did you just say 'Shoka'?" He asked them. "It can't be!"
"Well, yeah. Aika's at Miss Shoka's house right now," Nuriko replied.
"No! That's impossible!" Myou Juan shouted. Niko screeched and hid behind Hotohori. "Shoka…Shoka had the disease a year ago…and she died."
~0~
Aika was asleep with Kurama keeping an eye out for any danger. Kurama was silently praying the others would hurry back and with Myou Juan. Shoka walked up and soothed Aika's hair.
"What a lovely girl. Even in this agony her life force is strong and vital," she said. Kurama saw her take out a knife and growled. "But now it's her time and I'll be the one to kill her."
"Not on my watch, bitch!" Kurama growled making Aika woke up to the noise.
~0~
"You mean to say Miss Shoka's dead?! That she died from of the Shinkonki disease?!" Hotohori demanded.
"That's exactly what I'm saying. I was her doctor back then," Myou Juan stated.
"But if that's true, who's the Choko broad with Aika now?" Tasuki asked.
"Oh no, we have to go back to Aika right away! Aika could be in danger!" Hotohori said with sword in hand.
"Yeah!" Tasuki and Nuriko agreed before following him.
"Shoka…it can't be…" Myou Juan said as Niko meowed at him.
~0~
Shoka stabbed the bed as Aika rolled onto her side, Aika then used her foot to kick Shoka away. Aika slowly got up.
"Stay away from her!" Kurama growled at the woman.
"Kurama, let me speak with her," Aika said to her friend. Kurama looking over his shoulder.
"Aika….you need to rest," he said to her. The last thing Aika needed was to worry for her own life, which she rarely does anyway. But he didn't want her to worry about the fact that Shoka could be trying to kill her for other reasons.
"Either you are trying to kill me so you can revive me, or you have other plans. I won't let you kill me because I promised Hotohori I would wait for him. True, it would be easier to let me die so you can revive me, but I have to be strong. There are two people in Kutou I want to be sure to recover safely. One of them is a boy I happen to love very much and I wish to spend the rest of my life with him. The other is my best friend and has been since we were five years old. She has been hurt and needs my help. I'm sick and it is painful, but this is nothing to me if I think about them. I know they've had to suffer more and it's all because of me. So I have to hang on, they need me to and I have to be strong enough to see them both again. I can sense goodness in you, Miss Shoka," Aika said to her. Shoka was touched by her speech and dropped her dagger.
"You can't even try to hurt her. I can tell you don't want to," Kurama said to Shoka who looked down and backed away from them. "But, from what I can smell…there's something dark in you…"
~0~
Tamahome screamed and grunt in pain as Nakago whipped him. He had whip marks all over his body and his fists were clenching from the pain. He had to be strong. For Aika. He needed to stay strong so he could go back to her and bring Yui with. He vowed he would get Aika's friend back to her and help her.
"No!" Yui cried. "That's enough!" She shouted at Nakago from the other side of the cage, two guards holding her back.
"Lady Yui, I explained already that this is necessary," Nakago said before walking up to Tamahome, lifting his chin up with the whip handle. "He must understand what happens to hostages when they try to escape. So we'll give him something to remember and he'll think twice before trying again. Now swear to Lady Yui that you'll never again even mention the Priestess of Suzaku," Nakago smirked at Tamahome. Tamahome stared at him for a moment before sticking his tongue out defiantly. Nakago chuckled slightly before whipping him again.
"Tamahome…" Yui whimpered as she listened to the Suzaku Warrior's cries of pain. "Stop it! You're killing him! LEAVE HIM ALONE!" She screamed. Nakago stopped and walked up to Tamahome again to see he had passed out.
"He has fainted. Release him," Nakago ordered before Tamahome collapsed to the ground. Yui ran over to Tamahome.
"Tamahome!" Yui exclaimed with worry. She gently pulled his head into her lap.
"Are you clear now, Tamahome? You will never stand upon the land of Konan and you will never see the Priestess of Suzaku again. You live only for Lady Yui. Do not forget that, my friend," Nakago said before walking away.
"Aika…" Tamahome whispered.
"Oh no. Tamahome!" Yui exclaimed before getting him help.
~0~
Aika groaned a bit as she slowly got out of bed.
"Kit, lay back down and rest," Kurama said to her with worried tone.
"N-no, I won't," Aika said stubbornly as she got out of bed. She looked around. "Kurama…I-I can't see."
"All the better reason to get back into bed!" Kurama told him.
"Miss Shoka, where are you?" Aika asked, her hands in front of her to look for the said woman. Shoka was sitting in a corner. "Miss Shoka?" She asked. Kurama ran in front of Aika and flared all nine of his tails out as he growled a bit.
"Stay away, Aika. Get back. Otherwise I'll…" Shoka trailed off. Kurama thought it looked like she was shivering and made sure Aika stayed back.
"Aika, stay away from her."
~0~
The three Warriors rode back into the city on their horses, feeling the wind. Suddenly knives and other sharp objects were thrown at them, getting their horses and making them fall.
"What happened?!" Tasuki demanded until they saw the city people coming closer with sharp weapons. The three Suzaku Warriors were back to back and were surrounded. "What's with all the dead heads?"
"The whole town is covered with a strange dark atmosphere. Be careful," Hotohori warned. The towns people attacked and Hotohori was grabbed. "What are you doing?! Let go!"
"Can it! You guys want me to burn ya, huh?!" Tasuki growled as he was grabbed too.
"Tasuki, no! Do not use the flame on them!" Hotohori shouted.
"Then what should we do, man?! They have us outnumbered by a lot!" Tasuki retorted. Nuriko hit the towns people off the two Warriors with a wagon.
"Majesty, run for it! Leave these ghouls to me!" Nuriko said as he used the wagon to block.
"No, I can't!"
"Aika needs you! Go now!" Nuriko ordered. Hotohori was a bit hesitant then ran to get to Aika.
"Wait up! I'm comin' with ya!" Tasuki shouted. He then flinched when he saw a man with a butcher knife over him. Suddenly the man was punched away and Tasuki looked up. "W-who's this big guy?"
~0~
"What's the matter, Miss Shoka?" Aika asked.
'She's blind now?! That damn disease made her blind!' Kurama thought to himself and saw some hair fall from Shoko's slight up do. He then saw her skin becoming pale and sickly.
"Come on, where are you?" Aika asked. Shoka was going to grab Aika and Hotohori burst in.
"Aika! Get away from that woman!" He shouted. Shoka went to attack Aika until Kurama pushed the Priestess of out of the way.
"Kurama, what's going on?" Aika asked.
"It's Shoka, she almost looks like a zombie!" Kurama said standing in front of her protectively. "Hotohori, what's the meaning of this?!" He asked the young Emperor.
"Miss Shoka died almost a year ago!" Hotohori stated.
"What?" Aika's eyes widened until there was suddenly hand on her head.
"It's too late, she's mine now! I'll even suck out her bone marrow!" Shoka said.
"You won't kill her! Not if I have anything to say about it!" Kurama growled. "Aika get down!" He shouted. Aika ducked and Kurama used his tails to push Shoka back.
"Where is she?!" Aika asked so she could do a jutsu.
"Don't even try it, Aika! You're blind right now! If you aim in the wrong direction, you could kill us instead!" Kurama told her. Aika gritted her teeth, feeling useless.
"Let me have her!" Shoka shouted.
"I will destroy you, you ugly bloodhound!" Hotohori shouted before going to attack.
"Wait!" A man shouted making Hotohori stop. He looked over and saw Tasuki and Nuriko with a man who wore two headbands, one dark yellow and the other purple around his head. He was pretty tall too. He had short hair and looked like he had recently shaved.
"Tasuki, Nuriko, you made it back here, but who did you bring with you?" Hotohori asked.
"He just appeared out of nowhere," Nuriko sweat-dropped. Shoka looked at the man with shock.
"Juan…" Shoka murmured.
"Juan?" Aika wondered. She started trying to focus her eyesight and saw the similarities between the man and the one she saw before. "It is Mr. Myou Juan!" Aika smiled while Tasuki and Nuriko suddenly spazzed out at the true fact.
"That jabby old man is this young guy?!" Tasuki asked.
"Shoka, are you the one who's spreading the disease throughout the village?" Myou Juan asked. "So you've become a monster who feeds on human flesh and souls," he said as Shoka grew uglier. Nuriko poked Tasuki's shoulder as he looked at the window.
"Hey, Red…" he said making Tasuki look at him.
"Hm?"
"Out there!" Nuriko pointed to the towns people. Tasuki screamed before the two hurried and closed the windows. "What are they?! Why do they keep following us?!"
"They're creepy!" Tasuki added.
"I believe they're all townspeople Shoka brought back to life. They may seem to be alive, but they're no more than zombies which she herself controls," Myou Juan stated.
"They're zombies?! See? I should have toasted them before with this flaming fan!" Tasuki told Hotohori who ignored him. "Hey! You admit that I was right!" He demanded.
"It's true, isn't it?" Myou Juan narrowed his gaze at Shoka. "Why, Shoka?"
"What right do you have to talk to me like that? One year ago while I was suffering from my illness and on the verge of death I waited for you, but you never came. I believed that in my heart you would come. The pain was ghastly, but I held on to see you again and you never came!" Shoka told him. Aika frowned.
'They were in love,' she realized before gasping slightly.
"Well? Do you think you still have the right to question me now?" Shoka asked before grabbing Aika by the throat.
"Aika!" Kurama called.
"First I'll kill this girl and then I'll kill you, Myou Juan," Shoka said as Myou Juan looked down pained.
"Now, Tasuki!" Hotohori said. The two went to attack Shoka until Aika stepped in front of them, making them stop.
"Stop! I won't let you kill Miss Shoka!" She said with narrowed brown eyes.
"Kit, what's gotten into you?!" Kurama asked.
"Aika, that thing is a demon! We have to destroy it!" Hotohori told her.
"No! Miss Shoka is not a demon at all! I know what a demon is because I've seen them!" Aika told Hotohori. "You came back to see him, to see Mr. Myou Juan. He's your true love, isn't he?" Aika asked knowingly making Shoka's eyes widen and stop her growling. "It was painful for you to die without him there, but there was nothing he could do about it," Aika said before looking at her with a firm gaze. "You came back for him! I know you did! I can understand that! You love him with all your heart and I know he loves you. Your heart was broken because he wasn't there with you, but his heart broke too! So you shouldn't punish someone else just because you're sad! You took your pain out on these innocent people and I know deep down that you know they didn't deserve it! When I told you about the man I love and my best friend, you dropped that dagger and got away from me to keep me safe. You know my pain just as I know yours. They may not be the same situations, but they're close. You know it's true, Miss Shoka. I have a friend who became a monster because he lost love too…but he changed. I know you can too," Aika said to her with tears in her eyes.
"A-Aika…" Kurama whispered knowing who she was talking about. Shoka stared at her stunned before her human form came back.
"Oh Aika…" Shoka whispered before starting to collapse. Aika caught her.
"Miss Shoka," Aika said with concern as they sat on the ground.
"It's true, Juan. I was waiting for you, but I couldn't last. Now you're here. Please help me, Juan," Shoka sobbed before a red centipede demon with a yellow eye suddenly popped out of her back. Everyone exclaimed at the sight of it. Aika screamed as she was suddenly grabbed by the demon.
"S-Shoka…h-help me…" Aika choked out.
"Juan, please! Only your power can destroy this evil Shinkonki monster! If you don't it'll kill her!" Shoka cried.
"Shoka…it's you…" Myou Juan said stunned.
"Help!" Aika shouted.
"That Shinkonki…you've been possessed by the demon!" Myou Juan exclaimed.
"Please forgive me…The demons possessed me easily, drawn by my pain and emptiness that even death couldn't end," Shoka said to him.
"We will destroy the monster!" Hotohori shouted before Kurama, Tasuki, he, and Nuriko went to attack the demon. They were all suddenly grabbed by the demons as well.
"Guys, no!" Aika shouted.
"Juan, please! Kill me now and the demon will vanish! If you do it then the demon spell will be broken and the village people will be saved too! Hurry! Destroy me now!" Shoka shouted. Myou Juan clenched his fist as he remembered his times with Shoka. He then unwrapped the bandages from his hand making Shoka smile. "Lady Aika, thank you. It's all right now, you will be cured soon. Reunited with the ones you love and able to enjoy life. Farewell," Shoka said as Myou Juan's hand glowed green. Aika let her tears slip down her cheeks.
"Farewell, Miss Shoka," she whispered.
"Great healing power, demon be gone!" Myou Juan shouted as he attacked the demon.
'Miss Shoka!' Aika thought with sadness.
'I missed you. I missed you so much. Farewell, Juan,' Shoka thought before she and the demon were destroyed. Everyone was free of the demon. But the house also disappeared.
"The house, it's just an illusion!" Tasuki said as the townspeople collapsed. Their zombie states turned back into human.
"The townspeople have turned back to normal!" Nuriko added.
"The demon spell has been broken! Now Aika will get better!" Kurama grinned.
"She will," Nuriko said with relief.
"There were a lot of innocent people among them. It is good you did not burn them all, Tasuki," Hotohori said as he held Aika in his arms. "Aika, speak to me!" He said wanting to know she was okay. Aika groaned a bit. "Aika!" Myou Juan walked over and placed his hand on her forehead. "How is she?" Hotohori asked worried.
"She'll be all right. She just spent too much time close to the demon," Myou Juan replied as his hand glowed green. Aika sighed and opened her eyes.
'I feel warm,' she thought until she suddenly saw the symbol on Myou Juan's hand. Her eyes widened as she grabbed his hand. "Great Sage of the Six Paths! It's a mark of Suzaku!" She exclaimed with a grin while Myou Juan blinked at her.
"Looks like she's feeling better now," Nuriko smiled. Hotohori smiled while Tasuki and Kurama grinned.
"My Kit's all better!" Kurama said before dancing around with Tasuki. Hotohori looked at Myou Juan
"Who are you?" He asked.
"I am the Suzaku Warrior Mitsukake," Myou Juan replied.
"Mitsukake?" Aika got used to the name.
"You mean the spell that killed the demon and cured Aika is from Suzaku?" Tasuki asked surprised.
"My healing power," Mitsukake said before getting up. Aika's eyes widened a bit when Mitsukake picked Shoka up into his arms.
"Miss Shoka…" she whispered sadly.
"That's why I became a doctor. I wanted to help people with my special healing power. Then Shoka suddenly developed the high fever.
"Juan…Juan!" Shoka had cried.
"I had been called away to a distant village to treat someone and I didn't make it in time," Mitsukake said to them. "Shoka! Shoka!" He had cried when he saw his love dead. "My love…the person I wanted to save most of all was the one I couldn't save. How dare I call myself a great physician? This power of mine was useless in the end," he said with tears. Aika frowned when she saw his tears.
"So that's why you turned your back on the world and gave up medicine," she said to him. She placed a gentle hand on his shoulder. "But this time, you finally saved her," she said with a soft and warm smile.
"I saved her?" He asked her.
"Yes, you did. See? Miss Shoka is at peace at last. She looks so happy now," Aika replied as tears prick her eyes. Mitsukake held Shoka in his arms with tears in his own eyes.
"You've turned me into a blubbering Kit, Aika! That's not fair"! Kurama said as he tried to wipe tears away from his eyes. The others shed tears as well at the touching moment, well, Hotohori just bowed his head. Mitsukake picked Shoka up.
'It's because of Miss Shoka we found the sixth Warrior of the Suzaku Seven. I won't give up, Miss Shoka,' Aika promised as she looked at the beautiful woman in the man's arms.
~0~
"As Mitsukake embraced his love, the Priestess of Suzaku gazed at her lovely face and made a solemn vow…just a the night gave way to dawn," Naruto read with tears running down his cheeks. Sakura and Hinata were down different. Sasuke wiped stray tears away quickly before he thought anyone saw. Sai was just looking down with a lone tear running down.
~0~
Aika and the others looked at the rising sun. Aika's hand clenched into a fist as her eyes showed determination.
'I swear I will get Tamahome and Yui back safely. We only need to find one more Suzaku Warrior.'
Kida: I'm not gonna cry *Tears prick eyes* I'm not gonna cry *Tears run down cheeks* Crap! I'm crying!
Kido: Even I'm crying! That was so touching!
Kida: Tasuki! Hug me!
Tasuki: *Sweat-drops and wraps arms around her* Uh...there, there. *Pats her head awkwardly*
Kida: *Sniffles before blowing nose in his shirt*
Tasuki: What that hell?!
Kida: I hope you all enjoyed the chapter just as I enjoyed writing it, except for when Tamahome was whipped...I wanna kill Nakago for that. Please favorite and comments, loves!