Kida: This chapter was an interesting one to write.
Kido: *Grins* Tell me about it, Aika ends up half naked!
Kida: SILENCIO! *Hits Kido with paper fan* PERVERT!
Naruto: *Glares at Kido* That's my best friend you're talking about!
Tamahome: And my girlfriend!
Kida: I, Kida Tenshi, do not own Naruto or Fushigi Yuugi. I only own Aika Hitsubasa and future OCs. Enjoy!
Alone on Mount Koku, Nuriko defeated Ashitare, but he received mortal wounds from the fray which even he could not recover.
"So please…don't lose…no matter what happens…" Nuriko said to Tamahome and Aika. Aika then looked at Nuriko's dead form.
'No, it isn't true. He can't be dead. He can't be!' Aika thought. She cupped his cheeks and tried to 'wake him up'. "Nuriko! Open your eyes! Please!" She cried. The Lady Aika said her final farewell to her dear friend Nuriko. 'I promise you, we won't lose. You just watch and see, Nuriko,' she thought as she looked over at the stick that showed where Nuriko was buried. She gently touched the purple hair that was braided with her raven locks. 'Rest well, my friend, my Warrior…my brother.' Nuriko's sacrifice opened the door to the treasure so that Lady Aika and the others could continue on towards the Shinzahou.
~0~
Naruto rubbed his face, having cried from grieving the death of Nuriko. Sasuke just kept a hand on his shoulder. Shikamaru was looking at Naruto and Sasuke with sympathy knowing it was hard for them. He then picked up the book before handing it to Naruto. Naruto looked at the book before opening it back up.
"The Priestess of Suzaku and her Warriors gathered before the open doorway, determined to find the Shinzahou hidden inside by the Priestess of Genbu."
~0~
"So the Shinzahou's in there, huh?" Tasuki asked.
"It's opening," Tamahome stated as the doors did indeed open.
"A door that opens by itself…nothing good ever happens when a door opens by itself," Kurama said from Aika's arms. He knew when a door opened and closed by itself, that normally meant evil juju.
"Kurama, please don't jinx it," Aika said. Kurama sweat-dropped.
"Oh…right."
"Something's not quite right here, ya know," Chichiri piped up.
"Chichiri?" Chiriko asked, hoping he'd clarify.
"We killed a Warrior of the Seiryuu Seven, you'd think they'd launch a counter attack, but they're not doing anything, ya know," Chichiri stated.
"Now that you mention it, it makes sense. Nakago's up to something. Keep your guard up," Aika said to the Warriors who nodded in agreement.
"Just knowing that blondie is involved makes my fur stick up," Kurama muttered. Aika looked into the cave and shivered a bit.
"It's so dark and so cold," she mused as she held Kurama close.
"Well, let's get in there," Tamahome said before they all walked in and started making their way down the long tunnel. Suddenly the door closed making them all stop and snap their heads over. "Wha-? The door closed
"What did I tell ya?! Nothing good happens when a door opens and closes itself! It's evil juju I tell ya!" Kurama exclaimed as he pointed to the door.
"You jinxed it!" Aika told him.
"Me?! Well….I did bring it up, didn't I?" Kurama asked, his ears flat in defeat. Aika turned and yelped as she slipped, Kurama rolling out of her hands.
"Aika, what's wrong?!" Tamahome asked.
"I don't know. I slipped on something," Aika said rubbed her bottom.
"And hurt my head," Kurama muttered as he rubbed his head.
"Don't move. I'll get us some light in here," Tasuki said before using his fan to light the area. Aika then yelped at what she saw.
"B-bones. Those are bones!" She pointed with wide eyes.
"Yup, that's what they are all right," Tasuki agreed.
"They're human bones," Tamahome mused. Kurama gulped.
"Hopefully there won't be fox bones added to it," he said. Tamahome then looked sharply down the tunnel.
"Look out!" He shouted as he stood in front of Aika. It's then flashes of green came by them. It turned out to be ice shards. Aika stood with Kurama in her arms as she looked at Tamahome.
"Are you okay?" She asked worried.
"Yeah, I'm fine. It's only a flesh wound," Tamahome replied as he held his shoulder. He looked at the shards. 'Ice arrows?'
"You who seek the Shinzahou will find only misfortune," a man said making the group look down the tunnel to see two men there.
"Wha-? Who are they?!" Tasuki asked.
"It's incredibly cold in here," Tamahome mused.
"We shall never surrender the Shinzahou," one of the men said.
'Could it be the Seiryuu Seven?' Aika thought with narrowed eyes. "Who are you? Show yourselves unless you're cowards," she said to them. It's then green orbs appeared and showed the men. One had black hair and green eyes, wearing a window hat on his head. The other had long white hair and wore an eyepatch over his right eye, his left eye was purple.
"The girl shows some spirit. My name is Hikitsu," the white haired man said.
"And I am Tomite. We are the guardians of the Priestess of Genbu's Shinzahou," the raven haired man stated.
"Hikitsu and Tomite? Wait a minute, I've heard those names!" Tamahome said.
"What? You mean-!" Chichiri realized.
"We are of the Genbu Seven," Tomite glared before shooting his ice arrows. Tamahome grabbed Aika and protected her.
"The Genbu Seven?!" Chichiri asked surprised.
"That doesn't make any sense. They died over two hundred years ago, didn't they?" Tasuki asked.
"That's what we thought. Kurama, you don't think…"
"Using something similar to the jutsu Tsunade used to keep herself young," Kurama agreed with Aika. She saw Hikitsu do a hand seal like Chichiri would. She stood up and started walking over, keeping calm.
"Still, that's great. Then you'll understand. We're Warriors also of the Su-."
"No, wait!" Tamahome shouted until Hikitsu opened his eyes and suddenly ice serpents appeared around Aika. "No! Aika!" Tamahome shouted.
"Kit!" Kurama shouted as well before he and Tamahome went to make their way over to her.
"We will show no mercy to thieves. The cold will crawl inside your mind and sleep will come. Your body will be as ice at the slightest touch. You will shatter," Hikitsu stated as Tamahome and Kurama tried to get Aika out of the ice.
"Aika, you can fight this," Tamahome said to her.
"Come on, Kit. Will of fire," Kurama said to her.
"Rekka Shinen!" Tasuki used his fan and burned Tamahome instead.
"Hey, thanks, Tasuki," Aika smiled as she was free.
"Fire always beats out ice so leave this gang to me, okay?" Tasuki smirked smugly.
"No, don't, I want to talk to them," Aika said needing to tell the Genbu Seven why they were here.
"You can't take that risk, Aika!" Tamahome said to her.
"He's right. It's too risky! You almost became ice serpent food!" Kurama told her.
"It has to be a risk I'm willing to take," Aika said to them before Tamahome took her hand.
"If we don't get beyond this obstacle, everything we've done up till now will be meaningless and Nuriko never forgive us," Tamahome stated.
"Come on! This is no time for the lovey dovey chit chat!" Tasuki snapped while spazzing out.
"Because I love Aika, I want you to make her happy," Nuriko had told Tamahome.
"I promised him that I would make you happy," Tamahome stated before the mark on his forehead glowed. "We can get through this if it means we can be together that much sooner," he said glaring at the Genbu Warriors.
"What foolishness! You think you can defeat us?" Tomite asked him.
"Don't waste your breath, Tomite. It seems obvious they intend to make this cave their burial chamber," Hikitsu said to his friend.
"Enough! The Suzaku Seven is not so easily intimidated!" Tamahome told them.
"The Suzaku Seven? You're the Suzaku Seven?" Hikitsu asked with a hint of surprise.
"Yeah, Aika was trying to tell you until you attacked her, you idiot! Jeez, ever hear of asking questions first?! In my centuries of living, I've never met such idiots!" Kurama exclaimed. He then sweat-dropped as he thought. "Well…okay, I've met a few."
"Tasuki, you take the one on the left!" Tamahome said. He then ran forward with a battle cry. Tomite chuckled with a smirk before using his ice ability.
"Rekka Shinen!" Tasuki shouted as he used his fire fan. Hikitsu then used his own ability making Tasuki smirk. "More ice serpents, eh?" He asked before using more fire to get rid of them.
"The flame's shattered!" Chiriko stated.
"Don't worry. Leave it to me. I've still got a red hot trick or two up my sleeve," Tasuki smirked until Tamahome cried out. Tamahome had some kind of green light binding his arms to his body like he was tied up.
"You should have been paying more attention. That energy ring will get smaller and smaller until it slices your body in two!" Tomite stated.
"I will not die here. I swear to Suzaku I will not," Tamahome said firmly.
"Tamahome!" Aika exclaimed. It's then the energy ring shattered. Tamahome smirked with his symbol glowing a bit. Tasuki got his fan ready, a ring of fire appearing.
"Let's fry these bozos!" He said before Hikitsu was surrounded by fire. Tamahome then jumped up and went to kick Tomite only to go through him. He slide to a halt and looked with wide eyes. Aika's eyes widened as well.
"H-he went right through," she said shocked.
"Sorry, but that won't work," Hikitsu smirked before the fire disappeared.
"What the?!" Tasuki asked.
"All your feeble efforts will be in vain. The bodies we abandoned two centuries ago are long since dust," Hikitsu stated.
"No bodies? Spirits?" Chichiri asked as the spirits of the Genbu Seven smirked at them. Kurama sighed with irritation.
"Well, since no one else is gonna say it….we're screwed."
~0~
"Ancient Genbu Warriors? Without their bodies?" Yui asked Nakago surprised.
"That's right. Even I am no equipped to oppose the phantoms of Genbu. Their supernatural protection is the reason Kutou has never defeated their Empire," Nakago explained.
"Then all along, you wanted Aika and the others too…"
"Yes. It's simple, now we only need to wait for them to retrieve the Shinzahou," Nakago smirked.
"But then, why did you send Ashitare to stop them?" Yui asked as Suboshi and Soi listened.
"I knew he wouldn't succeed, but I never expected him to kill one of the Suzaku Seven. That was a surprise," Nakago mused.
"You meant to use Ashitare as cannon fodder?" Soi asked him.
"Proper use for an incompetent fool, don't you agree, Soi?" Nakago asked. Soi didn't reply.
~0~
"You sissies! I don't know what you mean by spirits, but a real man wouldn't be afraid of a little hand to hand combat!" Tasuki shouted at the Genbu Warriors.
"That's why they don't have bodies so you can't fight them? Don't you get it?" Tamahome sweat-dropped.
"If you understand that then you'll stop your futile struggles," Hikitsu said.
"No more playing around, Hikitsu. Witness the loyalty we have for the Priestess of Genbu!" Tomite told the group.
'What'll we do?' Aika asked as she looked at the two Warriors. She saw that Hikitsu was going to attack. "Wait!" she shouted before running up to them. She then got down on her hands and knees and bowed. "Warriors, please, I beg of you. Please let us pass," she pleaded making her Warriors surprised.
"Aika," Tamahome said.
"Tamahome, don't," Kurama said knowing what she was doing.
"We've been through so much to get here and desperately need to retrieve the Shinzahou so that we can summon Suzaku. I'll do anything I can to get it. If we can't recover the Shinzahou, we can't return to Konan. Please, I'm begging you," Aika said to them, her calm voice pleading. Tomite and Hikitsu looked at each other before looking at Aika.
"Very well then," Hikitsu said.
"You're letting us pass?" Aika asked hoping.
"If you truly are the Priestess of Suzaku and if you can prove you are worthy of the Shinzahou, then you will be allowed to pass," Hikitsu stated as Aika stood up.
"I agree," she said, determination in her eyes.
"Wait, Aika! Wait a minute, you don't know what they'll do to you!" Tamahome told her. Aika looked at him.
"I already agreed. I don't want anyone to interfere," she said firmly.
"Aw man," Tamahome whispered knowing she was being stubborn.
"Tamahome, trust her," Kurama said making the blue haired man look at him. Tamahome was reluctant. Aika looked at the Genbu Warriors then.
"Now then, take off all your clothes," Tomite ordered making everyone look at him like he was crazy.
"And that's the way you're gonna decide if she's worthy of the Shinzahou?!" Tamahome snapped, angered.
"You guys are nothing but a couple of see through perverts!" Tasuki shouted.
"I take back what I said! Let me at 'em! I wanna rip their invisible throats out!" Kurama growled, being held back by Mitsukake. "Let me go! Let me go! Let me go! Let me go!"
"Silence! It's not up to you!" Tomite told them. Tamahome, Tasuki, and Kurama growled.
"Fine!" Aika exclaimed removing her coat. "I am going through with it!" She stated, removing her fingerless gloves, vest coat, fishnet shirt, boots, leggings, belt, kunai holder, pouches, and her skirt. She left Nuriko's bracelets on though. Tamahome spazzed out as everyone else blushed. "This is the limit of what everyone is going to see," she said with a blush, her dress slip revealed over her bra and panties.
"Huh? You mean it wasn't all her clothes?" Tamahome muttered with a blush as he covered Tasuki's eyes.
"All right, stand right there and don't move," Tomite ordered. He brought a hand up and it glowed green. Aika shivered slightly.
'It's freezing,' she thought. Ice came up her legs making her wince from the cold.
"How dare they do this?" Tamahome growled.
"Look, they're turning Aika into ice!" Tasuki exclaimed.
"You guys are so lucky you're already dead," Kurama growled.
"Don't move. If she is the Priestess, she'll try to hold out till the end," Tomite told them.
"I-I'm so c-cold…" Aika shivered. 'And it's getting colder. It feels like thousands of needles pricking my skin,' she thought as the ice kept coming up. Soon it reached her shoulders and she screamed from the cold pain.
"Aika!" Kurama shouted.
"Stop it right now!" Tamahome shouted. He went to run up only to hit some kind of barrier, thrown back.
"You fool, did you notice we surrounded you with a wall of ice? Even fire can't melt that barricade," Hikitsu said to the Warriors who were either glaring or look at Aika with worry. "Now then, if you truly are the Priestess, try and find a way out of this," he said to Aika.
"There's no way," Tomite smirked. Hikitsu smirked as he saw the ice come to Aika's chin.
"Enough already! Can't you see you're killing her?!" Tamahome shouted, worrying deeply for his beloved. Aika closed her eyes as the ice fully encased her. "Aika…"
"Sh-she's frozen!" Tasuki exclaimed. Kurama started ramming into the barricade, trying to get over to his friend.
"You sons of bitches! Do you get some kind of sick pleasure out of killing an innocent girl?! When I get out of here, I'll send you to hell where you belong!" He roared.
"Heh, soon her heart will stop. She was only a simple girl after all," Tomite smirked.
"Aika!" Tamahome shouted.
"Come on, Kit! You're stronger than this! Are you gonna give these the satisfaction?! You're a Hitsubasa for crying out loud! You naturally have the will of fire, dammit!" Kurama shouted.
'I can't breathe…am I dying?' Aika thought. She then imagined Nuriko. She imagined Nuriko cupping her face in his hands and smiling softly at her.
"You have a lot of good to look forward to, so don't lose to them. No matter what happens, don't lose. I want you to be happy, Aika," Nuriko said to her.
'Nuriko?' Aika thought until the bracelets suddenly glowed red.
"H-hey, Tamahome! Kurama! Look at this!" Tasuki said as he saw the glow. Both Tamahome and Kurama looked at Aika and their eyes widened. The bracelets turned into armbands on Aika's wrists as the ice began cracking with a red light. The ice then shattered revealing Aika, safe and sound. Everyone was surprised as they looked at her. Aika then fell to her knees, shivering and coughing a bit. She then saw the armbands turn back into bracelets.
"Nuriko…" she murmured. Hikitsu snapped his fingers and the ice barricade shatters surprising the others.
"Aika!" They all shouted before running over.
"Hey, Aika," Tasuki said.
"Aika," Tamahome knelt down next to her.
"You all right, Kit?" Kurama asked with worry hinting in his tone.
"Did you see it, Tomite?" Hikitsu asked.
"I saw. For a brief moment, the girl was surrounded by a red life force. It looks like fire," Tomite said as he remembered how the Priestess broke out of the ice. "It was…the flame of Suzaku!"
"Darn it you, every time you do something full heartedly like that, you take years off my life!" Tamahome scolded.
"T-Tamahome…just what do you think you're holding onto?" Aika asked, her eyes narrowed with a blush. Everyone saw he was holding her breasts and sweat-dropped. Aika slapped him making him sulk with a red hand print on his face.
"Jeez, it was just an accident," Tamahome muttered.
"Accident my furry tails," Kurama growled.
"So how were you able to break out through the ice, ya know?" Chichiri asked after putting her coat on her shoulders. Aika looked at the bracelets.
"I'm not sure, but suddenly energy started radiating from Nuriko's bracelets. I thought only Nuriko could use these. I guess he saved my life yet again," she smiled softly.
"No, I don't believe that's all that happened here," Hikitsu smiled at her, Tomite smiling behind him. "You have demonstrated your own power, Priestess of Suzaku."
"Check this out. They dropped their stinkin' attitudes," Tasuki mused.
"My own power?" Aika asked. 'All I did was think of Nuriko…how he would help me,' she thought.
"Please accept our apologies, friends," Hikitsu said to the Priestess and Warriors.
"You mean you're going to let us pass?" Aika asked with a hopeful smile.
"Yes we are, Priestess. We'll even lead you directly to the Shinzahou. So," Hikitsu looked at Tomite.
"I guess we have to now," Tomite agreed while Aika smiled.
"Excuse me for pulling a Naruto but…You did it, Kit! Believe it!" Kurama grinned making everyone else laugh.
"I damn well believe it, Kurama," Aika giggled as she picked him up and hugged him. Aika got dressed then and were led to the doors that held the Shinzahou.
"These doors are kept sealed by the strengths of our will," Hikitsu stated.
"Wow, they're huge," Tamahome said in awe.
"For two hundred years they have been closed and we've defended them. The time has come to allow the doors to open," Hikitsu said before the door soon opened.
'This is it, the Shinzahou,' Aika thought.
~0~
Outside, Ashitare laid in the snow. His blood covered claws twitched.
~0~
Aika looked into the room with awe.
'It's beautiful,' she thought.
"That is the Shinzahou," Tomite stated.
"Will the Priestess follow us in alone please?" Hikitsu asked
"Oh, okay," Aika nodded.
"And we aren't invited, huh? Yeesh!" Tasuki pouted.
"Calm down," Chichiri said to him.
"Yeah, really. Quit your pouting, hot head," Kurama agreed. Aika then followed Hikitsu and Tomite down to the Shinzahou.
'We will finally have the Shinzahou,' Aika thought. 'It's almost hard to believe actually. After all this work to get here.' They soon made it up and Aika saw it. It was a beaded necklace with a hold pendant that had an amethyst, an aquamarine, and a rose crystal in it. 'There is it.'
"The Priestess of Genbu received this necklace in the ceremony to summon Genbu. It contains the Priestess' power to summon the Beast Gods," Hikitsu explained. Aika smiled as she gently picked up the relic.
'I have it. I finally have it. Now I can summon Suzaku and have my wishes granted. Konan can be saved, Yui can return home to our world, and I can make this world my home forever. I can stay with Tamahome,' Aika thought happily as the Suzaku Warriors smiled. 'Hotohori will be so proud and pleased. See, Nuriko? We've got the Shinzahou,' she thought as she looked at the necklace.
"Um, excuse me," Tomite said making Aika look at him. "I really hate to upset the trump card, but that's not enough to summon Suzaku."
"WHAT?!" All the Warriors, Kurama, and Aika asked.
"No way!" Aika gasped.
"Whaddaya mean we can't summon Suzaku?! Whaddaya mean?!" Tasuki demanded, his arms failing.
"You can't release its power without the other Shinzahou that is kept in the Sairo Empire to the west," Tomite stated making everyone sulk, hanging their heads in disappointment.
"So?" Hikitsu asked.
"Well," Chichiri scratched his cheek nervously. "Now I remember at the ceremony, Taiitsukun said 'first you have to go to Hokan', ya know."
"Well, why the heck didn't she make that clear the first place?!" Tasuki demanded with an angry red face. "Right, Tamahome?!" He looked over to see Tamahome's pale with anime tears.
"He's gonna lose it," Tasuki and Kurama both said.
"So what?" Aika piped up making everyone look at her. "It doesn't matter. We'll do what they say and head out for Sairo. We already have one Shinzahou, so let's go," she smiled at them.
"Okay, let's do it," Tasuki smiled back at her.
"I'm with ya, Kit," Kurama agreed.
"I know we will be just fine," Chiriko smiled as well.
"Tamahome?" Aika asked as Tamahome started walking ahead. He stopped and looked over his shoulder.
"What are you waiting for, slow pokes? It's a long journey to Sairo," he said to them. Aika smiled and walked up to him before wrapping her arms around his torso. All Tamahome could do was smile before looking ahead. "I get a hug, big deal," he muttered to himself.
~0~
"Having obtained the Genbu Shinzahou, the Priestess and her companions were shocked to learn they also needed the Shinzahou in Sairo. With the pain of Nuriko's sacrifice still in their hearts, they set out on a new adventure," Naruto read.
~0~
"The fastest and most direct route to the Sairo Empire is to travel south through Hokan and then cross the desert," Tomite informed.
"What will you do now?" Aika asked them.
"Our duty here has come to its natural conclusion," Tomite answered.
"Once this door is closed, we return to heaven," Hikitsu added.
"It's been a long time. Two hundred years," Tomite mused.
"A long time," Hikitsu agreed. Aika gave a sad smile.
"Rest in peace, my friends," she said making them smile at her.
"Be careful," Tomite said to her.
"Farewell," Hikitsu added.
'What loyalty. Those two defended their Priestess even after death,' Aika thought as the doors closed. The Suzaku Warriors and Priestess made their way out of the cave. "I wish we could have talked with them a little while longer," she said.
"Hey, that makes me wonder, can't Suzaku bring dead people back to life?" Tasuki asked.
"Yeah," Aika nodded, liking the sound of that.
"I'm afraid it wouldn't work, ya know. Because the flesh would begin to rot and return to earth, he wouldn't have a body, ya know. There's no way he can be brought back to life now, ya know," Chichiri said to them making them all frown. Aika saw light and looked over to see the opening to the cave. She then thought of Nuriko.
'Still, I think Nuriko is watching over us like those two guardians were.'
Kida: *Grins* We got to meet two of the Genbu Seven!
Kido: You like the Genbu Seven, don't you?
Kida: Like? No. Love? Hell to the yeah! One of my favorite characters happens to have been Hikitsu! I don't know why...I have a thing for anime guys with long hair...it's sexy.
Kido: Okay, so didn't need to know that.
Naruto: Yeah, really.
Kida: Babies. Please favorite and comment, loves!