Kida: Here it is, people! Aika and Tamahome get to be together again!...Well...kinda...
Tamahome: What do you mean 'kinda'?
Kida: You'll just have to wait and see.
Tamahome: You're so lucky you're the author of this story.
Kida: Authoress! I'm a female writer thus an authoress!
Tamahome: Whatever. Kida Tenshi doesn't own Naruto or Fushigi Yuugi. She only owns Aika Hitsubasa and other OCs.
Amiboshi of the Seiryuu Seven, now known as Kaika, urged Lady Aika to drink the juice of the forgetfulness leaves and leave behind the hardships of her past.
"I…I can't. I can't forget them. Not the people who care about me. I can't forget the people who have saved my life again and again. The people I love. I can't do that!" Aika said trying not to cry at the thought of forgetting those she cares about. The Lady Aika resolved to find Nakago and rescue the Lady Yui from his influence.
"Tamahome is nearby," Amiboshi stated.
"No, I can't. I can't see him," Aika said frowning sadly.
"I'll bring him here. Do you understand? Please! I'll be right back! Wait here!" Amiboshi said before going after Tamahome. Soon Aika left.
'Forgive me, Amiboshi,' Aika thought sadly. The Lady Aika headed out alone for the land of Sairo. Aika kept running. 'I want to see Tamahome again, but I know I don't deserve to be with him now. I have to find Yui and then somehow get us back to our own world. Going back is best for everyone. While all this has been happening, Yui's on her way to Sairo with Nakago. And now my own journey to Sairo has me running away from Tamahome at the same time.' She kept running until she saw a woman with long mahogany hair and grey eyes, dressed in a black cloak.
"Soi!" She exclaimed.
"Where are you going, Priestess of Suzaku?" Soi asked with a glare. Aika narrowed her eyes and took out a kunai, ready to fight. "You won't find your beloved Tamahome heading in that direction."
"Tamahome and I aren't together now," Aika stated with a slight glare.
"You're saying you split up? Tamahome didn't seem to feel that way when I saw him last," Soi mused.
"You mean you've seen Tamahome?" Aika asked with slightly wide eyes.
"As long as even the slightest possibility remains, we have to believe he said he's a very gallant enemy," Soi told her.
"Why are you talking to me like this? Why don't you kill me and get it over with?" Aika asked her, ready to fight if she had to.
"Good point. Why indeed? Especially if since Nakago had really had sex with you, I'd kill you on the spot without any hesitation," Soi said stunning the raven haired girl. Aika smiled faintly.
'Then that means that nothing happened and I'm still…' she thought to herself.
"However, Tamahome is currently facing certain death on the cliff behind you," Soi said making Aika snap her head up at her. "It's true. It will be difficult to witness, you should stay away," she said flipping her long hair.
"He is in danger?" Aika asked with slightly wide eyes.
"If you go, the consequences for you this time will be severe," Soi warned.
'Tamahome…Tamahome…' Aika thought with shock.
"The two of you have to be together!" Amiboshi had told her.
'Tamahome, please be all right. Please,' Aika thought. She glanced at Soi for a moment then took off running to help Tamahome.
"What a foolish girl running straight into danger for Tamahome's irredeemable sake. Still, I think I may envy them a bit. They're willingness to fight and die for one another," Soi mused to herself as she watched the girl run off.
~0~
"So, you'll kill me, will you?" Tomo asked before making the vines tighten around Tamahome. "Did you threaten to kill Nakago when you wounded him? If that's the case, I'll make sure you never utter such threats again," Tomo smirked before bringing up his illusion shell. Suddenly a flute was playing and the shell shattered making Tomo's eyes widen. It's then the vines disappeared from around Tamahome, freeing him. Tomo turned and saw Amiboshi who was glaring.
"Get away from Tamahome now, Tomo!" Amiboshi ordered.
"Suboshi? No-Amiboshi! Is it conceivable that you're still alive?" Tomo asked shocked.
"Never mind that! Get away from him or I'll-!"
"Now, now, Amiboshi. Consider what you are saying; that you would contest and confront a fellow Celestial Warrior of the Seiryuu Seven?" Tomo smirked while Amiboshi glared at him.
"Tamahome!" He heard Aika shout. He turned as did Tamahome and they saw Aika who was glaring at Tomo. "Tamahome, I'm right here! Get away from him!" She shouted over.
"Aika!" Tamahome shouted before getting up and running over to her.
"Oh no you don't!" Tomo shouted before using his feathers to grab Tamahome. Tamahome disappeared surprising Tomo. Tamahome then appeared, his symbol glowing as he jumped down and elbowed Tomo in the back of the neck. Tomo coughed up blood while Tamahome smirked. As Tamahome landed on the ground, Tomo collapsed.
"You gotta learn to take what you're dishing out, clown face," Tamahome said.
"Tamahome!" Aika called making Tamahome look over. "You made it, Tamahome," she said running over.
"Aika!" Tamahome smiled. Aika hugged him tightly as he hugged her back, holding her close.
"Tamahome, I'm so sorry. Please forgive me for what I did," she murmured, burying her face in his shoulder.
"Oh Aika, how can I believe that it's you this time?" Tamahome asked her. Aika smiled a bit and pulled out the necklace that she had made for Yuiren.
"This was the only thing that wasn't destroyed when Nakago had taken me. Sadly, the one Yuiren made for me to show I was your bride to be was," she said with a sad smile. "I had made this necklace as a promise to Yuiren that I would come back to see her and the rest of your family." Tamahome smiled.
"It really is you," he whispered as he cupped her cheek.
"Nakago didn't really rape me. He just wanted us to think he did, I can still summon Suzaku," Aika said with a happy smile.
"Really?" Tamahome asked.
"It's true," Aika nodded making Tamahome smile in relief.
"I'm so glad," he said before hugging her close to him. "I'm so glad," he repeated with a bigger smile. They soon pulled away and Aika smiled at Amiboshi who returned it.
"Amiboshi saved me and took care of me when I fell down the cliff and hurt my leg," she said to Tamahome. Tamahome turned and saw Amiboshi, a bit surprised. "And he fearlessly came here to find you and bring you back to me. He was worried about us and wanted us together," she said with a soft, warm smile. Amiboshi looked down ashamed.
"I'm so sorry. I really don't think I deserve to look you in the eye after all that has happened," he said to Tamahome. Tamahome smiled at him.
"What are you talking about?" He asked making Amiboshi look at him a bit surprised. "You're one of us, aren't ya?"
"Tamahome, I-." Amiboshi was interrupted when vines came out of the ground and grabbed him.
"Amiboshi!" Tamahome shouted.
"No, Tamahome! Look out!" Amiboshi shouted when he saw something behind the Suzaku Warrior and Priestess. Suddenly the feathers appeared and Tamahome was stabbed in the back with them. Tomo had been standing behind him.
"Tamahome!" Aika shouted with wide eyes. Tamahome let out a scream of pain. Tomo cackled.
"You shouldn't be so proud of yourself for killing one of my projected selves," he said while Aika stared in horror at Tamahome. Tomo pulled the feathers out of Tamahome making him grunt.
"Aika…" Tamahome murmured. "Run now," he said before he fell back, over the cliff before Aika could grab him.
"Tamahome!" She shouted. She heard his scream as he fell and collapsed to her knees. "Tama…home…no…NO!" She screamed with anger and sadness. Tomo smirked and his shell Shin glowed.
"Aika!" Amiboshi shouted. "Concentrate or you'll be trapped inside an illusion!"
"Inside an illusion?" She whispered. She suddenly found herself in a dark place. "Not good." She then heard Tomo's cackling.
"You're trapped in my spell and you can't escape, Priestess of Suzaku," Tomo told her.
"Where are you? Show yourself!" Aika glared as she looked around. "Give back Tamahome, you bastard! Give him back!" She demanded.
"That's quite impossible. You saw him fall, didn't you? He's dead now," Tomo told her.
"That's not true! Tamahome's not dead! He's not!" Aika shouted, not wanting to believe it.
"Except that he is dead and in exchange, I shall give you the experience of captivating joy. You should be grateful for my kindness, Priestess," Tomo said. Aika looked down at her shaking fists and a tear fell down onto one of her hands.
"How dare you? Why the hell did you separate us when he and I could finally be together again? All I ever wanted was to be happy and I was when I was with him. Give him back….Give him back…GIVE HIM BACK!" She screamed.
"Give who back? What are you talking about?" Naruto asked. Aika blinked and looked over to see Naruto and Yui looking at her with confusion.
'W-what the hell?' Aika thought to herself.
"Do you have a fever or something? Maybe we should take you to see Sakura," Yui said feeling Aika's forehead. Aika shook her head.
"I-it's nothing. Just day dreaming is all," Aika said to her. 'At least…I think it is. Either I'm really home or I'm dreaming….' She thought to herself.
"You're head, it's always in the clouds, isn't it?" Yui sighed a bit.
"Keep day dreaming and you'll run into someone, or worse yet, something!" Naruto said to Aika as he ruffled her hair.
"Naruto!" Aika groaned as she fixed her hair, the blonde male chuckling.
"You shouldn't be day dreaming when you're walking out in the streets, dummy," a male said walking up. Aika turned to see Sasuke, Sakura, Sai, and Hinata walking up. Aika pouted a bit.
"Oh shut up or I'll start calling you 'duckbutt' again," she threatened. Sasuke chuckled a bit.
"Do that and I'll start calling you 'hot head' again," he threatened back.
"I'm a hot head and I'm damn proud of it!" Aika told him.
"Well, she does have the will of fire, so why not a hot head?" Sakura giggled with Hinata.
"'Give him back', huh? What in the world were you day dreaming about anyway?" Yui asked with a sly smile. Aika rubbed her head a bit and blinked.
"I don't remember. Any of it," she replied.
"Yeah? Well, if you keep this up, you can kiss the shop goodbye," Yui told her.
"Eh?"
"Kiss it goodbye!" Yui grinned.
"Yui! Don't scare me like that, ya meanie!" Aika said putting her best friend in a headlock.
"Hey! Not fair!" Yui exclaimed with a laugh.
"Life isn't fair!" Aika retorted with a giggle. She suddenly stopped when she saw a handsome guy with dark blue hair and amber eyes. He was smiling at her making her blush. 'How long has that boy in the village? I don't recognize him at all,' Aika thought. Tomo appeared outside the building, watching from the window.
"How do you like it, Priestess of Suzaku? My shell absorbs your life force, extracts it, then converts the information and creates this illusion from your own memories. Still, I must say, I am amazed. So this is the world the Priestesses come from. Once my shell has absorbed your choice's memories, I shall exhibit them to Nakago. The Priestess' world of her own sweetest dreams," He smirked.
"So, are you actually away this time, Aika?" Sai asked.
"Yeah, I am, I'm just thinking to myself. I'm trying to remember that dream," Aika shrugged.
"Well, anyways, from what I've heard, you're close to opening that shop, right?" Sasuke asked. Aika blinked.
'Close to opening the shop?' She thought.
"Yeah, just one or two more odd jobs and we'll have the right amount of money to open and start it," Yui smile.
"Are you gonna sell Come Come Paradise?" Kakashi asked walking up.
"No way in hell, Lord Kakashi," Yui replied.
"Eh?" Aika blinked. "E-excuse me, could you say that again please?" She asked.
"Are you gonna sell Come Come Paradise?" Kakashi asked raising an eyebrow.
"No, not you, Lord Kakashi. Sasuke and Yui," Aika clarified.
"I said I heard you were close to opening your shop," Sasuke said to her.
"Then I said 'just one or two more odd jobs and we'll have the right amount of money to open and start it,'" Yui added. Aika then smiled big.
'No way! We finally almost have enough money to open the shop and start it!' She thought happily.
"Aika, what are you grinning about? You've known this for a couple weeks now," Yui said with an amused smile.
"Oh, it's nothing. I guess I'm just trying to get used to the thought. After all this time of saving money, we're so close!" Aika said excited.
"I don't blame you for being excited. I plan to be the first one to buy something from there! Believe it!" Naruto grinned making Aika giggle.
"No problem, Naru. Let's go get something to eat. I'm starving," Aika said earning nods of agreement.
"Ichiraku's!" Naruto exclaimed making his best friends and wife giggle at him. They all began walking then. Suddenly Aika was hit in the head with a ball making her groan and hold her head.
"Aika? Are you still breathing?" Yui asked.
"They say a hit in the head can make you stupid for life," Aika muttered.
"Don't worry about that, you were already stupid before you got hit," Yui joked earning a playful glare.
"Say that again and I'll kick your ass!" Aika playfully threatened.
"Oh! Sorry!" A man called. Yui looked over with Aika to see the guy from earlier running over, dressed in Jounin gear.
"It's Aono," Yui said a bit surprised.
"I'm really sorry," Aono said looking at Aika with worry.
"He must be the one who kicked the ball at you and knocked you down," Sakura said.
"Ever hear of working on your aiming?!" Naruto asked obviously protective.
"Shut up, loser. It was an accident," Sasuke rolled his eyes.
"Here, let me look at your head," Aono said, wanting to make sure she was okay.
"So long, Aika. We'll see you a little later then, okay?" Yui winked at her friend.
"Eh? Why?" Aika blinked, wondering why they were all going to leave her.
"You idiot, we all know what's going through your head. You're always saying how much you like Aono, aren't you? Well, this is your big chance," Yui whispered to her as Aika blushed. "Bye, see ya!" She said leaving with the others.
'I like him? Oh yeah. I've been in love with him ever since he first moved here from the Hidden Sand Village when we were fourteen,' Aika thought to herself. She looked up at him to see him smiling at her.
"Well, let's go," Aono said as he helped her up and brought her over to a bench. He had her sit down before he looked at where the ball hit her. "Uh oh, you got a little bump here. Do you feel all right? I'm afraid I kicked that ball pretty hard when I was playing with those kids," he said to her.
'Yui said this is my big chance, but what am I supposed to do?' Aika thought. She gave him a warm smile. "I'm fine, really. My head sort of looks like a ball, so it should have a couple of bumps on it anyway, right?" She joked making Aono chuckle a bit.
"I'm afraid I won't be able to ever kick a ball again if, that is if I think of it looking like your head," he said amused.
"Oops, my bad," Aika said rubbing the back of her neck with a sheepish smile.
"Miss Hitsubasa, you're trying to open that new shop, right?" Aono asked her.
"Oh, yeah," Aika nodded.
"Well, hopefully I'll be able to stop by there before I leave for a mission. At least then I would be able to see a beautiful face before I leave," Aono smiled at her making her blush.
'N-no way. I-is he flirting with me?' Aika thought.
"I was waiting until you opened the shop and had things going well so you weren't stressed, but…I like you. A lot. Will you please go out with me?" Aono asked shocking Aika.
~0~
Tomo cackled as he watched Aika.
"How adorable," he said.
"Tomo! What are you planning to do to Aika?!" Amiboshi glared angrily.
"This spell is much stronger than the one I cast on the other Warriors. I've imprisoned her physical body to accomplish my own objective. Have you forgotten? I have the ability to project extensions of myself into the illusions I create. The very essence of myself," Tomo stated.
"So then that Aono boy and the illusion…is a projection of you?!" Amiboshi asked shocked.
"I will take the Priestess of Suzaku's virginity," Tomo said.
"What?"
"Although taking a woman as a partner doesn't usually interest me," Tomo muttered.
"She won't do it! Aika isn't somebody who can be beaten by a phony illusion!" Amiboshi told him.
"Amiboshi, you are so naïve. A girl who has just seen the boy she loves die before her eyes will flee from that harsh reality. The Priestess is retreating further and further in her own happy little fantasy," Tomo smirked.
~0~
Aika made it home and walked in.
"I'm home!" She said before Niko ran up to her, jumping into her arms. "Hello, Niko," Aika giggled as she pet him.
"Welcome home, my little feather," a woman said. Aika froze for a moment and looked over to see a woman with brown hair and brown eyes.
"M-mama?" Aika whispered.
"Of course it's me, little feather. Are you all right?" Her mother, Rei, asked with worry. Aika smiled and hugged her mother who hugged her back.
"Sorry, I've just missed you so much," Aika whispered. Rei smiled softly and kissed her head.
"I know, and I missed you too, Aika. I'm sorry my mission was so long," she said stroking her daughter's hair.
"Do I get a hug too?" A man asked. Aika looked over to see her father, Akira, who had black hair and blue eyes. Aika smiled and hugged him too. Akira smiled as he hugged his little girl tight.
'I missed you so much, papa,' Aika thought as she took in the familiar scent.
"Let's go eat. I just finished making your favorite," Rei smiled. Aika grinned.
"Chicken casserole?" She asked
"The one and only," her mother chuckled before they all went to the kitchen to eat their dinner.
"Opening your own shop, I almost can't believe it," Akira mused making Aika smile.
'Neither can I. I'll be able to run the shop with Yui and Aono will stop in when he needs something for his missions!' Aika thought happy. After dinner, Aika was in her room, writing in her journal. "Today was a great day for me. Aono, who I've been dreaming about, told me that he liked me," she wrote before blushing. "It really is like a dream."
"I'll wait for you to answer," Aono had said with a nervous smile and blush before leaving.
'I'll be so embarrassed the next time I see him, I know I will,' Aika thought with a small chuckle. She then blinked. "Wait, Aono…what was his first name again? I can't remember," she rubbed the back of her head until she saw her clock. "It's that late already? I have to go over the inventory yet!" She exclaimed before going to grab her notebook, accidently hitting some books that then fell off her desk. "Oh great," she sighed as she bent down to pick them up. She then gasped when she saw the character 'Ogre'. "The name of a constellation, one of the twenty-eight of the ancient zodiac. Tamahome," she read. 'Why is my heart suddenly…?' She dropped the book. 'It feels like it's being squeezed, but why? Tamahome?' She thought, her hand clutching her heart. "Maybe if I get some air I'll calm down some," she said before opening her window. That's when she saw Aono looking up at her window. "Aono's here!" She exclaimed surprised. She rushed downstairs and went to the front door, walking out. "What's up, Aono?"
"Well, I was just-watch out!" Aono said seeing Niko. Aika was suddenly tripped by the cat.
"Ow! Niko!" Aika groaned. Niko meowed and ran back into the house.
"Does he normally trip you like this?" Aono asked as he helped her up.
"No, but he makes attempts when I have cat treats in my hand," Aika giggled a bit while he smiled. He took out a shuriken.
"Here. It's my big brother's lucky shuriken from when he opened his weapons shop a few years ago. I wanted you to have it, Miss Hitsubasa," Aono smiled at her. Aika took it into her hands.
"You came here for this? Thank you, Aono," Aika smiled as she held the silver weapon.
"I could have waited and given it to you tomorrow, but I wanted to see your face again. That's all. Sorry for interrupting your inventory taking," Aono said to her before he started walking away.
'Aono, you really care about me that much?' Aika thought until she remembered that character making her shake her head. "Um, Aono?"
"Huh?" Aono turned to look at her.
"If you wanna go out with me, you can," Aika smiled at him making his eyes widen a bit.
"Really? Really" Aono asked with a smile.
"Because I really like you too, Aono," Aika added.
"Alright!" Aono grinned as he pulled her into his arms, surprising her. "Miss Hitsubasa, I love you," he said making her brown eyes widen. "I'll never let go of you," he promised before pulling back. They then shared a kiss
'Aono…' she thought.
~0~
"Heh, so easy," Tomo smirked.
"Aika! Snap out of it! No! Remember Tamahome!" Amiboshi shouted at his friend.
"Useless," Tomo scoffed.
~0~
"May I call you by your first name, Aika?" Aono asked as he held Aika closed to him.
"Of course you can," she replied with a blush.
"And you can call me Tomo if you'd like to," Aono said to her.
"Tomo?" Aika asked. Tomo smirked as his nails became claws and the markings appeared on his forehead again.
"Yes, call me Tomo."
~0~
"You know Kakashi's going to wonder why we're here, right?" Shikamaru asked.
"I sent him a letter saying Sasuke wanted to show me around the compound and we came here to see what it was like," Naruto said as they looked for the files.
"Hopefully he'll believe that," Sasuke sighed a bit.
"Yeah," Naruto murmured. 'I have to let him handle it. I have to let Tamahome handle this. It'll be okay,' he thought to himself, hoping.
~0~
"You belong to me now, body and soul. And you shall be confined within this shell forever," Tomo cackled.
Kida: *Hiding under bed*
Tamahome: Get out from under there this minute!
Kida: Why should I?!
Tamahome: Come out from under there and find out!
Kida: I'd rather live under the bed fro the rest of my life!
Tamahome: Not if I have anything to say about it! *Grabs her ankles and tries to pull her out*
Kida: *Holds onto bed* I hope you all enjoyed the chapter. Please favorite and comment so Tamahome doesn't hurt me!