Kida: This chapter...made me freakin' cry...
Naruto: What? Why?
Kida: R-read and find out...I'm just going to craw into a dark corner and die.
Hotohori: Is the chapter that bad, Kida?
Kida: Just read it for yourself!
Nuriko: Snappy. Okay, Kida Tenshi does not own Naruto or Fushigi Yuugi. She only own Aika Hitsubasa and any future OCs. Enjoy!
Kida: Or go into depression!
Lady Aika, the Priestess of Suzaku, was captured by Lady Yui and her Seiryuu soldiers. Then after finally being reunited with him, she was brutally attacked by her beloved Tamahome.
'This can't be happening,' Aika thought. With her body and heart both badly wounded, Lady Aika headed back to their meeting place to find Tamahome and learned his true feelings.
~0~
"The Suzaku Warrior, Chichiri, crept through the enemy palace in Kutou," Sai read as Hinata tended to Naruto's arm.
~0~
Chichiri peeped around the corner of the wall to see if there were any guards there. He saw no one and hid again before transforming into Nakago. He began walking and thinking to himself.
'I couldn't believe Aika would try to hide who hurt her. She could never hurt herself like that, ya know. It's obvious someone did it to her intentionally. But why would Tamahome do that? I've got a bad feeling about this. Maybe I should go back, ya know,' he thought to himself.
~0~
"You're saying I took the Priestess of Suzaku and the fox away with me?" Nakago asked after being informed that he had taken the two away.
"Yes, sir," the guards replied.
"And I'm tell you I did no such thing," Nakago stated. Suddenly another Nakago appeared behind him and the guard's eyes widened.
"G-General," the guard said.
"Hm?" Nakago looked over his shoulder and his eyes widened a bit when he saw himself. The other Nakago, Chichiri, froze. 'A Warrior of the Suzaku Seven.'
"Eh….Sorry! Can't stick around, ya know!" Chichiri said from Nakago's form before running off. The guards ran over.
"Patrol! After that deformed miniature General!" The guard ordered before running after Chichiri. Nakago let out a slight chuckle of amusement.
"He chose to impersonate me, how amusing," Nakago mused.
"It means Aika got away from us," Yui stated.
"So it would seem," Nakago said walking up beside her. "But I know where's she's gone I think."
~0~
"GET US OUT OF HERE!" Tasuki shouted.
"GET US OUT OF THESE DAMN ROPES!" Kurama shouted as well.
"Tasuki! Kurama! Our cover's been blown, ya know! We've gotta get out of here! Now where's Aika?!" Chichiri asked as he made it up to them.
"She's the one who tied us up like this!" Tasuki and Kurama snapped at him.
"Aika did this? And you just let her or what?" Chichiri asked them.
"I told you a million times: I hate girls, they're cheaters, and they don't play fair!" Tasuki said as Chichiri untied them.
"I may be mad at Aika, but watch it, hot head!" Kurama growled.
"Dummy! She outsmarted you, ya know!" Chichiri said to them both.
"SHUT UP!" The two shouted at him.
"Anyways, Aika's an exception because she's not like most girls. She headed in the direction of that tree. We gotta go find her right away! She's alone out there!" Tasuki stated.
"We have to hurry! If Tamahome's there then who knows what he'll do to her. He's already hurt her arm to the point it's practically broken! I don't want him to kill her too!" Kurama said before they took off running. 'Whatever's going on with Tamahome, he needs to snap out of it. But the smell in his blood…it was different. Just what was it?'
~0~
Aika made it back to the tree as she held her bleeding arm. The wind was blowing making her bangs wave in front of her right eye that was practically covered by it.
'Tamahome, where are you? I know you're out here somewhere. The soldiers are gone so it's safe now. There's no need to put up this whole charade anymore. I came just like I promised. You said we'd meet here, didn't you?' Aika thought to herself. She didn't want to believe he had really changed. She wanted to believe he was only acting and that he would show up here. "Please, Tamahome. Please come and meet me," she whispered as she tried to hold back the tears.
"Obnoxious brat!" Tamahome spat. Aika collapsed to her knees while placing a hand over her aching heart.
'Now I know how Sakura felt when Sasuke left the village. That time he attacked her…it hurts so much. I never thought I would be comparing myself to Sakura or Tamahome to Sasuke. Yet here I am,' she thought sadly as she bit back sobs, a few escaping. Suddenly arms wrapped around her small frame, making her stand up.
"I'm so sorry about before, Aika," Tamahome said to her. Aika's eyes widened and she turned to see him.
"Tamahome," she whispered as Tamahome saw her tears. "It's really you…you came," she said resting her head on his chest. Tamahome held her.
"Please don't hate me, I-I didn't wanna hurt you, honestly. I had to pretend and make them think I was one of them, on their side," Tamahome said to her.
"Really? Is that really true, Tamahome?" Aika asked as she pulled back enough to look up at him. "I-I thought you….you had forgotten all about me."
"Oh of course I haven't forgotten you. Why else would I have come to meet you here like this?" Tamahome smiled at her. Aika saw the necklace around his neck. The one she gave him. She gently held the ruby.
"It was all an act," she whispered.
"By the way, Aika, where are Tasuki, Chichiri, and Kurama? They're here with you, aren't they? You can tell me where," Tamahome said to her. Aika narrowed her eyes at him as she stepped away.
"Like I said…it was all an act," she stated as she backed away from the smirking Tamahome. "You're not the Tamahome I care about. How would you know that Tasuki's here with me? I didn't say and you never even met him. I only told you that Kurama and Chichiri were coming with me. Tamahome, if you're under some kind of spell then please, snap out of it. Here," she took out the letter "Look at this. This is the letter you wrote to me before you came here in order to keep Konan safe," she stated as Tamahome took the letter and read it. "I've kept it this entire time. It was my only link to help me keep going, to get you back and be able to bring Yui home. It says that you promised you would come back. It reads Wo Ai Ni, I love you. You wrote it yourself, Tamahome," she said hoping this would prove it to him.
"I-I wrote this?" Tamahome asked.
"Yes, you did. Look at it closely. That's your handwriting," Aika said with a small smile, hoping it was working.
"Wo Ai Ni…" Tamahome whispered.
"Do you remember?" Aika asked him. Tamahome was silent for a moment before he smirked and ripped the letter in half, stunning Aika. Aika felt like her heart was being ripped apart just as the paper was. It was being ripped to pieces.
"Do you know what this character on my forehead means? It's proof that I live to protect you. I live only for you, to care for you. You're the reason for my being," Tamahome smiled as his symbol glowed. Aika felt tears running down her cheeks.
'No…t-there has to be a way to bring the real Tamahome back,' Aika thought. "Will you never leave me, Tamahome?" Aika asked as they embraced.
"Of course not," Tamahome replied.
'What about our plans? I finally gathered the Suzaku Seven. We went through a lot, but it worked out and we found them all…but now…' Aika thought, remembering her times with Tamahome until she saw the ripped pieces of paper glide down to her feet. 'Now he's different. The old Tamahome I knew is gone,' she thought. She pictured the smiling Tamahome then it was replaced with this cold smirking Tamahome. She glared at him even with tears streaming down her face. "God dammit," she whispered.
"It's time to die," Tamahome smirked as he took out his nun-chucks. Aika took out her kunai and was ready to block his attack until she was suddenly grabbed by Tasuki.
"Tasuki…" Aika whispered. She suddenly black out. Tasuki landed a way from Tamahome and Chichiri ran over with Kurama.
"Tasuki, are you all right?!" Chichiri asked.
"Don't worry about me. What about Aika?" Tasuki asked as his temple bled.
"Aika," Kurama gently nuzzled her cheek.
"Aika, please say something to us," Chichiri said.
"She's unconscious. Well, I'm not surprised. She was hurt real bad," Tasuki said angered as his head rested against hers a bit.
"Not just physically. Emotionally too," Kurama said before growling at Tamahome. Tamahome smirked.
"The Suzaku Warriors, you saved me the trouble of looking for you. Now I'll destroy you once and for all," Tamahome said with his weapon at the ready.
"Tamahome! Hey, what happened to you, ya know?" Chichiri asked. Tasuki was shaking with anger.
"You broke Aika's arm, didn't you? Didn't you, Tamahome?!" He growled as he glared over his shoulder. Tamahome's smirk vanished as Tasuki stood up. "You did this to her!"
"Tasuki!" Chichiri exclaimed as he held Aika. "Settle down, ya know!"
"No, let the hot head knock some sense into him. If he doesn't, I will," Kurama said with a cold growl towards Tamahome.
"Not only her arm, you shattered her feelings! How could you?! After she looked forward so much in seeing you again, you went and tore all her hope and joy apart! There's no excuse for that! I'll never forgive you!" Tasuki growled as stalked towards Tamahome, ready to beat him to a pulp.
"So, you won't forgive me, huh? What are you going to do?" Tamahome asked coolly with a smirk.
"Tear you to pieces!" Tasuki replied.
~0~
"The battle between allies has now begun," Nakago said as he and Yui stood at a watch tower, looking at Tasuki and Tamahome. Nakago chuckled. "Fools. The potion Tamahome swallowed was not merely a drug. It was made from Kodoku."
"Kodoku?" Yui asked.
"Would calling it a curse make any more sense to you at all, Lady Yui? The power of the curse controls his memories making him now hate the Priestess of Suzaku. His personality has been completely remade," Nakago smirked as Yui's eyes widened. "Nothing can reverse it now, even the healing powers of Mitsukake are of no use. The Suzaku Healer can do nothing to heal him. The mark of the Ogre will never appear on Tamahome's forehead again."
~0~
Tamahome got his nun-chucks ready while Tasuki had his fists ready.
"Tasuki! Don't do it! Tamahome's a Suzaku Warrior too, ya know! He's one of us!" Chichiri called.
"Yeah right! After what he did?! No way! One of us would never do that to her!" Tasuki shouted. 'Win or lose, I'm taking him on. For you, sis,' he thought to himself as he thought of Aika.
"I have to stop this-!"
"Don't, Chichiri!" Kurama interrupted. "That's not Tamahome anymore. Think, if that were really Tamahome, if he were really one of us, would he have hurt Aika like this? He broke her, Chichiri! I only saw that happen once! I didn't want her to have to go through this again and it's happening! So let Tasuki beat the guy to a pulp and be quite!" He snapped at the monk. Tasuki let out a battle cry as he went to attack Tamahome.
"Kill the followers of Suzaku," Nakago had ordered. "Kill them!" Tamahome went to attack with his weapon as Tasuki threw a punch. Tamahome blocked it with his hand and went to hit him with his weapon. Tasuki dodged it as he did a round house kick, kicking Tamahome back.
"No! Tamahome!" Yui shouted. Tamahome got his weapon ready again and smirked when Tasuki jumped up. Tasuki was then kicked in the gut by Tamahome. Tasuki was sent flying into the tree as Chichiri moved himself, Kurama, and Aika. Tasuki fell to the ground and got up.
"That does it! How dare you?!" Tasuki growled.
'Tasuki? Hm, he's a good fighter. He can hold his own against Tamahome. Very impressive. At this rate, either one of them could win. Doesn't really matter which one it is, the result will be the same. If they lose even one Warrior that's the end of them. They will be powerless. The Suzaku Seven cannot gather and Suzaku can never be summoned. So what will you do now, Priestess of Suzaku?' Nakago thought as he looked at Aika. Kurama gently nuzzled the poor girl.
"This is the third time her hearts been broken," he whispered thinking Chichiri didn't hear him. Chichiri frowned as he heard that. Tamahome smirked at Tasuki, ready for his attack.
"You sure like waving those toys around, don't ya? If we're gonna fight with toys then I'll use this!" Tasuki took his fan out. "Rekka Shinen!" He shouted as waves of fire came out. Tamahome jumped out of the way to avoid being burned. Kurama smirked.
"Finally, time for Tasuki to really heat up the joint," he mused.
"It works! Has the seal been broken?" Yui asked Nakago.
"Yes it has been. It'll be more interesting," Nakago smirked.
"Now you're mine!" Tasuki shouted as he attacked, jabbing his iron fan at Tamahome who did his best to dodge the jabs. Soon the two were in the air on opposite sides. Tamahome looked at him as his headband fell off revealing his forehead, there was no Ogre symbol on it. Chichiri gasped.
'The Ogre symbol isn't appearing like it always does when he's in battle!' Chichiri thought.
"See? What did I tell you? He's no longer the Tamahome we know," Kurama stated.
"Tasuki! Stop fighting! That may be Tamahome, but that isn't Tamahome, ya know!" Chichiri shouted.
"I, ngh, don't know…what you're…talking about!" Tasuki said as he and Tamahome threw punches and weapon attacks at each other, dodging each one. Tasuki was suddenly punched. "Stop distracting me!" H shouted at Chichiri.
"Come on, Kit," Kurama said desperate to wake her up. He licked her cheek a couple times. Aika groaned softly and opened her eyes slowly. Tasuki fell back and Tamahome went to hit him with the nun-chucks until Tasuki brought his fan up to shield him. "Rekka Shinen!" He shouted. Tamahome jumped out of the way from the fire.
"Tamahome! Tasuki! NO MORE!" Aika shouted making Tasuki look over at her surprised. "Please stop! I don't want you to kill each other! Please! Just stop!" She said trying to get up but collapsing.
"Aika!" Chichiri and Kurama exclaimed as they tried to keep her.
"I-if either of you die…I-I don't know what I'll do. I can't lose him and I can't lose my brother! Please! Don't do it!" Aika cried while Tasuki stood there stunned.
"Even after all of the pain and torment he inflicted on her…huh, how very heroic of her," Nakago said amused.
"It just doesn't even matter if Tamahome were here or not. I still would have come back through the book. I would have still come back here," Aika had told Yui. Yui closed her eyes. Tamahome kicked Tasuki who blocked with his forearms. Tasuki skid back a bit.
"Pay attention," Tamahome said coldly to him. Tasuki glared and put his fan away. "Now what are you doing?" Tamahome glared as Tasuki stood up.
"I'm not afraid of fighting you one on one with my bear hands, like a man!" Tasuki stated. Tamahome hit him again and Tasuki fell to the ground. He groaned when Tamahome stepped on his head.
"What's the matter, flame boy? You through fighting so soon? Why don't you use your hands like a man, huh? Well, I have no reservations about using my weapon," Tamahome said before he started hitting Tasuki with his nun-chucks.
"Tasuki!" Aika exclaimed. "He could be killed! Chichiri, do something! We can't let him get beat up like that!" She said to the monk.
"Sorry, but I can't. Even if I could somehow intervene at this time, it wouldn't make any difference, ya know!" Chichiri told her. Kurama growled and ran forward.
"Kurama, no!" Aika shouted. Kurama bit Tamahome's arm making Tamahome cry out in pain. Tamahome hit him with the nun-chucks making Kurama let go and fly back, hitting the ground. "Kurama!" Aika shouted as the fox laid there knocked out.
"Kurama..." Tasuki grunted out. Tamahome grabbed Tasuki by the hair and forced his head up making the fire user groan. Tamahome then kicked him in the gut. Aika watched in horror as Tasuki was kicked and punched by Tamahome.
"Tamahome! Stop it! Please! Stop hurting him! Stop hurting Tasuki!" She cried. Tamahome kicked Tasuki into the tree. Tasuki groaned on impact.
'Hm, so this is how it ends,' Nakago smirked. Tasuki groaned as blood dripped to the ground before he started chuckling.
"You're not too bright, are ya, buddy? You thought I was out. Not yet. It takes a lot more than that to keep me down," Tasuki smirked as he stood.
"Oh really? Then it's time to stop playing around," Tamahome smirked.
"Chichiri! Get Aika and Kurama out of here now!" Tasuki shouted as he picked up and tossed Kurama over. Aika caught Kurama and held him close. "I'll buy you as much time as I can!"
"We can't! We're not going to leave you, Tasuki!" Aika shouted. Chichiri was about to get them out of there until he was hit in the back.
"You're not going anywhere, get it?" Nakago said after using his magic.
"Nakago…" Yui murmured.
"It's him! He's around here someplace! The guy's a pain, ya know!" Chichiri said meaning Nakago. Chichiri then disappeared with Aika and Kurama in his arms
"Do you really think you can hide yourselves from me?" Nakago asked before he too disappeared.
"Nakago?" Yui asked. Suddenly Nakago appeared between Tamahome and Tasuki.
"So, you finally decided to show your face!" Tasuki smirked. "Well, I'm ready for you," he said before jumping up. "I've been waiting!" Suddenly Nakago's symbol glowed and Tasuki was knocked out.
"Moron, I turned your fire power off," Nakago stated before looking at Tamahome. "He was an annoying distraction, wasn't he?"
"Hn," Tamahome smirked in agreement. Chichiri covered Aika's mouth to keep her from making any noise.
"Tasuki…" Aika whimpered behind his hand.
"Just hold it in. We can't let Tasuki's sacrifice go to waste," Chichiri said to her quietly. Kurama groaned a bit. "And you keep quiet too, ya know," he added. He then gasped a bit as he got an idea. 'Kurama! He's not a servant of Suzaku and he can't perceive certain wave lengths that human beings can't, ya know! Which might mean…'
"Your name's Chichiri, right?" Nakago's voice rang through the air. "You might as well give up. There's no way you can break out of this barrier." Chichiri looked at Kurama who gave a short nod.
"Go for it," he said.
"Let's hope this works, ya know," Chichiri said pressing two fingers to Kurama's forehead making the poor fox wince slightly because of his injury.
~0~
Chiriko was playing his flute until he suddenly heard Nuriko's blood curdling scream. He ran to the room with Mitsukake, bursting the door open.
"What's going on here?! That was the ugliest sound I've ever heard!" Chiriko exclaimed.
"That's the way I feel about your flute!" Nuriko snapped making Chiriko smiled nervously as he put his hands up in the air in surrender. By Nuriko was an orb with Kurama in it.
"Kurama, do you know that you're floating in the air?" Hotohori asked.
"No, I thought I was swimming in a field of pretty little flowers," Kurama replied sarcastically.
"Your Highness!" Chichiri called.
"He suddenly has two personalities," Nuriko muttered.
"I didn't know Kurama had that kind of problem," Mitsukake wondered not having time to really recognize the voice.
"No, that voice is Chichiri's," Hotohori stated.
"You people are nuts for thinking I have two personalities! Idiots!" Kurama hissed making Nuriko and Mitsukake give nervous smiles.
"I'm using Kurama's form to penetrate the seal, ya know! I want you to try and break the barrier from your end!" Chichiri stated.
~0~
Nakago turned.
"There," he said before shooting magic at a bush.
~0~
There was the sound of explosion and Aika screaming.
"Aika!" Hotohori exclaimed. He then looked at Chiriko and his flute. "Flute…"
~0~
Nakago kept shooting at the bushes and Chichiri held Aika and Kurama close to protect them from the blasts.
"Stop it, bully!" Tasuki growled as he struggled to get up. Nakago looked at him. "You were…fighting with me!" He said before the chains of the nun-chucks was around his neck.
"Exactly and you were fighting me, weren't you?" Tamahome smirked as he choked the young sorcerer.
~0~
"Y-you want me to break the seal?" Chiriko asked surprised.
"Exactly, use your flute as before to crack the Seiryuu barrier. You can do it. You can, Chiriko," Hotohori said, fully confident in him. Chiriko looked down a bit until he felt a hand on his shoulder. He looked up to see Mitsukake smiling encouragingly. Chiriko then looked at Hotohori.
"Yes, your Highness, I will try. Everyone, please concentrate forcefully along with the sounds of the flute," Chiriko told everyone.
~0~
Nakago blew up another area with his powers before seeing Chichiri, Aika, and Kurama. He walked up to them with a smirk.
"Now it ends," he said. The sound of Tasuki struggling and choking was sounded making Aika even more worried.
"I…I think this might be it!" Chichiri said. Aika glared at Nakago.
"Not without a going away present," she said before doing hand seals as she stood up. "Ninja Art: Graceful Fire Wing!" She shouted. Suddenly she was engulfed with fire that turned into a phoenix surprising everyone. Aika thrust her hands forward and the phoenix flew at Nakago. There was suddenly a red light coming from Kurama who was in the orb and Aika heard music. "The flute. Chiriko!" She exclaimed.
"Now's the time!" Chichiri shouted. The chains of the nun-chucks broke from around Tasuki's neck, freeing him. Suddenly Chichiri, Kurama, Tasuki, and Aika were engulf in a red light. Aika was holding Tasuki in her arms.
"Tasuki? Tasuki, say something. Please," Aika softly pleaded.
"You did a great job. It's all right now. We'll be home soon, ya know," Chichiri said to Tasuki.
"You did good, Kit," Kurama said to him.
"This always…happens when…when I…get mixed up….with girls…t-that's why I hate 'em….except you, Aika," Tasuki said before falling unconscious, his head on her shoulder and in her neck. Aika held him gently.
"You fought well, Tasuki. Idiot…don't ever worry me like that again," Aika said before softly kissing his forehead. She felt tears in her eyes. 'He did this…for me,' she thought before looking at Tamahome. 'Tamahome….I ran to him, reached out my hand to him, and he hurt Tasuki and Kurama. He attacked two of his allies. Face reality, Aika. He's a different person now. No matter who you scream that you love him, he doesn't want to hear it and it won't reach him. I will never reach Tamahome again. And so….and so…and so…' she thought as her tears spilled over. "…Goodbye, my love," she whispered as she kept her eyes on Tamahome. Kurama frowned at his friend before glaring at Tamahome.
'I'll get him for this. I'll make him pay for hurting her. No doubt the others will help,' he thought before they all disappeared. Yui walked up to Tamahome.
'Aika.'
"Narrow escape. We nearly destroyed all of them," Nakago smirked. He looked at Tamahome and his eyes widened. Tamahome's eyes were dull and blank, but there was tears streaming down his face.
"Tamahome?" Yui asked concerned.
"Hm?" Tamahome asked. He realized he was crying. "What's this? Strange. I just suddenly started to cry," he said wiping the tears away.
'Is it possible? Could his feelings be stronger than the Kodoku?' Nakago thought.
~0~
"Her heart torn apart, the Priestess of Suzaku collapsed against Hotohori's chest," Sai read as Naruto's fist clenched.
"That son of a bitch…." He growled wishing he could kill Tamahome.
~0~
"Are you all right, Aika? What in the world happened over there? Where's Tamahome?" Hotohori asked as he looked at the young Priestess of worry.
"I said 'goodbye' to him," Aika whispered through her tears as she stared ahead, her head laying on his chest.
"What?" Hotohori whispered shocked.
"I told Tamahome 'goodbye'….forever…"
Kida: *Sulking in emo corner*
Chichiri: She looks quite depressed, ya know!
Hotohori: Kida? Are you okay?
Kida: I'll live...in a few thousand years...*Stays in emo corner, poking wall*
Mitsukake: This is pretty bad. *Picks up Kida and takes her out of the room*
Nuriko: Wow, that really got Kida...Anyways! We hope you enjoy the chapter. Please favorite and comment!
Kida: Or not...*Tears up in her chibi puppy mode*