Kida: This chapter is so sad yet so beautiful!

Kido: Why's it sad?

Kida: Y-you'll see...

Kido: Oh god, please don't cry again.

Kida: Y-you insensitive bastard! *Anime cries* WAAAAHHHHHHH

Kido: Lord save me.

Mitsukake: Kida Tenshi does not own Naruto or Fushigi Yuugi. She only owns Aika Hitsubasa and other OCs. Please enjoy.

For her second wish, the Lady Yui asked Seiryuu to keep the Lady Aika and Tamahome apart forever. However, the love they shared crossed space and time and Tamahome found himself in the real world with the Lady Aika.

"But how? How can Tamahome be in this world?" Yui asked shocked when she saw Aika and Tamahome together. The sweethearts passed their time together with great tenderness.

~0~

Aika, Tamahome, and Naruto made it to the gates that read Hidden Valleys Village on the doors. Tamahome had his hands in his pockets, looking at read 'Wanted fugitives, members of the Ryuu Cult!'

"We've got some time before I'm supposed to meet Sasuke. You wanna check out the village?" Naruto asked them.

"Sure, sounds good," Aika smiled. They all walked around and Aika let Tamahome try some foods and drinks he's never had before. 'This is what I've dreamed of for so long, Tamahome and I together in my world. The two of out on a Sunday date, walking slowly arm in arm like a normal couple. It was a dream I never thought would come true, but I did. It's real,' she thought as they check out a small festival they were having in the village. They played some games. They did a kunai throwing game which Aika did great at. "Yes!" She cheered.

"Heh, you've improved, Aika!" Naruto grinned.

"Because of you, Naruto-Sensei," Aika smiled.

"Naruto-Sensei? Hm….I kinda like the sound of that! Believe it!" Naruto grinned more. Tamahome chuckled a bit at them and took a shot at it…failing miserably. "It takes practice. Ninjas start practicing when they're six in the Academy."

"When did you start?" Tamahome asked Aika.

"When I was twelve," Aika shrugged a bit.

"When do you become full fledge ninjas?" Tamahome asked curiously.

"Well, most graduate at the age of twelve becoming Genin, rookies. Just be happy you didn't see the real test I had to go through with Kakashi-Sensei…" Naruto shuddered and rubbed his butt subconsciously.

"Oh yeah, the Thousand Years of Death Jutsu?" Aika asked. Naruto shuddered more.

"Craziest fake Jutsu ever created," he muttered making Tamahome look at them with confusion. "You don't wanna know," Naruto said as they all walked. Aika had her hand resting in the crook of Tamahome's elbow making the blue haired boy smile. They soon made it to an area.

"In here, right, Naruto?" She asked.

"Yeah," Naruto replied as Aika and Tamahome walked ahead a bit. Naruto then saw that Tamahome didn't have a shadow. 'No shadow….' Aika and Tamahome had taken a seat at the table and had ordered drinks. The waitress gave them their drinks and the menus.

"Where'd Naruto go?" Tamahome asked Aika after the waitress walked away.

"He said he had to use the phone, over there," Aika said looking over at her brother figure who was using the said device. Naruto looked at them and motioned Aika over. "Go ahead and order, okay? I'll be right back," she said to Tamahome as she stood then went over to Naruto. Tamahome picked up the menu and blinked as he looked at it. Naruto hung up the phone as Aika made it over. "Who'd you have to call?"

"No one," Naruto replied making Aika raise an eyebrow. "I just wanted to talk to you in private."

"Why?" Aika asked him with slightly narrowed eyes of confusion.

"Listen, just hear me out. When we get the Universe of the Four Gods and experiment some, we may be able to send Tamahome back, but I don't think you'll be able to go back with him, Aika," Naruto said to her.

"What?" Aika looked at him with slightly wide eyes.

"Excuse me, have you decided what you would like to order yet?" The waitress asked Tamahome who was trying to read the menu.

"Huh?" He asked before letting out a nervous chuckle. "D-do you have any pouzu? Or wajin? Or maybe some maotou?"

"I'm sorry, you have to order from the menu, sir. And this isn't an old fashioned restaurant," the waitress told Tamahome. Tamahome let out a nervous chuckle.

"Sorry. Hm…" he looked at the menu. "Okay…this ramen."

"Do you want miso, pork, shrimp, or chicken flavored?" The waitress asked.

"Different flavors?"

"Why not, Naruto? What do you mean?" Aika asked her best friend.

"Because she was so angry with you and jealous too, Yui's second wish to Seiryuu was to guarantee you were never able to go back into the book again," Naruto stated.

"No…I-I have to go back! I promised Hotohori and Tasuki, Chichiri, and Mitsukake that I'd help them fight. They're counting on me," Aika said almost pleadingly.

"I know it's tough, but you have to face reality. You aren't the Priestess of Suzaku in the Universe of the Four Gods anymore. You're a Leaf Village civilian who's working to open her shop," Naruto stated. Tamahome looked to his left and blinked.

'Huh? The mirror! I'm not casting a reflection!' He thought shocked.

"No, it's not fair. Of course, whatever is? You mean I can never see my friends there again?" Aika asked with a deep frown. Naruto frowned seeing her upset like that.

"I don't know. I don't know, maybe. The real problem is Tamahome," Naruto said to her.

"What do you mean?" Aika asked confused.

"I don't think he can stay in this reality for very long. He's only a character in a book. He doesn't belong here," Naruto stated.

"But…"

"I think he eventually has to go back into the Universe of the Four Gods and…I think he knows that too," Naruto murmured. Aika bit her bottom lip as she went to the railing, gripping it and looking down. "Aika…"

"I-I don't want him to go. I don't want him to leave me again," she murmured shakily.

"Aika…" Naruto trailed off until she turned to him.

"He can stay. Why not? He'll learn to fit in if he stays here, I know he will!" Aika told him. Naruto walked up to her and placed a hand on her shoulder.

"Aika, he can't stay here. No matter how much you may think you want him to. Haven't you even noticed? He doesn't even cast a shadow in this world! He doesn't exist here and he never can! He's a made up character in a book!" Naruto told her making her heart feeling like it was being stabbed by the truth. She heard rustling and turned to see a stunned Tamahome.

"Tamahome…you heard?" Aika asked with wide eyes.

"What does he mean, huh?" Tamahome asked, trying to stay calm.

"Tamahome…"

"I'm a…I'm made up? It's a joke, right, Aika?" Tamahome asked her, hoping it was a joke. Aika looked at him with guilt in her eyes.

"You're nothing more than a character in a book!" Yui shouted at him.

"That's what Yui said to me. Aren't I…aren't I a real person? Aren't you and I both real people? Real human beings? And not just me, but Tasuki and Chichiri and…my father, my brothers and sisters, all of it! My whole world? You're telling me we're just characters in a made up story?!" Tamahome shouted before running off. Naruto looked down, feeling upset that Tamahome found out like that.

"Tamahome! Wait! Wait, please!" Aika shouted running after him. Tamahome had accidently bumped into Shikamaru as they ran.

"Hey! Watch it! What a drag…" Shikamaru grumbled lazily.

"Shikamaru!" Naruto said running up to him.

"Oh, Naruto, I'm sorry I'm a little late," Shikamaru said to him.

"We'll have to talk later," Naruto said urgently, pulling him along.

"H-hey!" Shikamaru exclaimed. Aika kept running after Tamahome, pushing through the crowd.

"Tamahome! Tamahome!" She called. She soon came to a stop, panting a bit. "T-Tamahome…" she breathed as she tried to look for him. Aika was beyond worried. He would get lost around here! She walked around, trying to find him in hopes of him not getting father.

"You're telling me we're just characters in a made up story?!" Tamahome's words ran through her head.

'It's not true, Tamahome. You do exist, I know you do. You are all real with real lives,' she thought as she walked. She soon made it under a bridge and stopped when she saw the Priestess of Seiryuu. "Yui…"

"I've been looking for you, Aika. Where's Tamahome?" Yui asked with a slightly cold tone.

"I don't know," Aika replied.

"The Lady Yui just asked you where Tamahome is, Priestess of Suzaku," a familiar voice said. Aika looked over and saw Suboshi. "Answer her."

"Suboshi, what are you doing here?" Aika asked with surprise. She then saw Yui's kunai in his hand. "That's the engraved kunai we and Naruto got to show our friendship."

"I gave it to him as a keepsake when we were inside the book. He used it as a medium to come here," Yui stated.

"Why is he here, Yui?" Aika asked with slightly narrowed eyes. She was being cautious, in case of any more surprises. Mainly if Suboshi attacked.

"I think I told you, Aika. I won't allow you and Tamahome to be together anymore. It's impossible for you to go back into the book and now all that's left is to make Tamahome disappear," Yui stated.

"Please, Yui, listen to me. I want to talk to you," Aika said almost pleadingly to her. Suboshi used his weapon and she jumped out of the way, dodging the dangerous ball. "You son of a…"

"Stay away from Lady Yui! Now, Tamahome will die, but I'm going to cut you into little pieces first, Priestess of Suzaku. As punishment for hurting Lady Yui," Suboshi glared.

"You really don't know anything, Suboshi," Aika said. She then smirked. "I'd like to see you try and 'cut me into little pieces'," she said before getting up and running away.

"Wait!" Suboshi shouted running after her.

"Have you ever heard of a snowball's chance in hell?" Aika retorted as she ran. Yui watched them leave.

'Nakago, when will your war finally end? I need you here with me, now,' she thought.

~0~

Horses neighing and running, the sound of battle cries, and the sound of metal hitting each other could be heard as Tasuki, the bandits, and Konan soldiers fought against the Kutou army. Hotohori watched them before looking at the other soldiers.

"Warriors, we have to hold this position!" He ordered.

"Highness, in front of you!" One of the soldiers shouted. Hotohori looked over in front of him to see Nakago who was holding Soi.

"It's him," Hotohori murmured with narrowed eyes.

~0~

Back at the palace, Mitsukake was healing wounded civilians.

"There you go, you'll be fine now. You're a strong woman," he assured.

"Thank you, doctor. Thank you," the woman replied.

"You're welcome," Mitsukake smiled a bit. He soon stood and hissed in pain, his torso bandaged from his wounds. "Take care of yourself."

"I will."

"We're running low on water, could you bring some more please?" Mitsukake asked one of the women.

"Yes, sir," she replied before running off.

"Who's next here?" Mitsukake asked.

"This way, sir," a young woman said as she gently led him over. Mitsukake made it a pillar and leaned against it with a small groan of pain. He could hear how many people were injured and needing help. Those who weren't injured were helping with getting the wounded in and comfortable. The young woman helped him walk again. Chichiri ran up to some of the villagers who were cooking. He put some vegetables down.

"There you go. Where's Mitsukake?" Chichiri asked.

"The doctors still treating the wounded. They keep coming. He's over there," one of the girls said.

"That guy's hopeless, ya know!" Chichiri groaned before running over to Mitsukake. "Mitsukake, what are you doing?! You're wounded too, ya know! If you keep moving around like this you're gonna kill yourself, ya know!" He stated only to be ignored.

"Apply pressure here firmly," Mitsukake told the young woman.

"Yes, sir," the woman replied.

"Mitsukake…"

"Bear with me, this'll hurt some," Mitsukake told his patient before doing what he had to. He then heard groans and grunts from the young man he was working on. He then finished. "Well done, the worst is over. We just need to get you bandaged up now."

"I'll take care of this. You need to get some rest, ya know. Mitsukake!" Chichiri said worried for his friend.

"I'm a doctor," Mitsukake said before groaning and coughing a bit. "I can't let these wounded people be untreated."

"You're hurt!"

"But they're hurt too. It's my duty as a doctor…to save as many people as I can," Mitsukake told him.

"Shoka! Shoka!" A woman shouted making Mitsukake's eyes widen slightly at the name. "Shoka, please hang on!" The woman said as she ran over to the doctor with her husband, carrying her child.

"What's wrong?" Mitsukake asked as he slowly got up and went over to the couple who had a child.

"It's our daughter, she suddenly started having trouble breathing!" The woman said. Mitsukake looked at the baby wrapped in a blanket, showing her trouble with breathing.

"I have no medicine for this," Mitsukake frowned.

"Doctor, please," the woman pleaded. Mitsukake took out the small jar Taiitsukun had given him.

"I'll give her this holy water," he stated as he held the baby in his arm. 'I don't have the strength to heal anymore people and this holy water may be useless….I will give her all of my life force.'

"What are you thinking of doing? Mitsukake," Chichiri frowned, supporting his friend. "Our powers are gone now, ya know. Even if we still had them, you couldn't survive in your condition."

"The Genbu Seven…do you remember those two Warriors of the Genbu Seven? Even after destroying their bodies, they were able to assert such power even after death," Mitsukake said thinking of Tomite and Hikitsu.

"But that's insane, ya know," Chichiri told him. Niko meowed sadly, his paw on Mitsukake's leg. "Leave this to me and get some rest. Don't even think about all this, ya know."

"Nuriko…and Chiriko…they needed me and I wasn't able to save them…"

"You couldn't save them. No one could have saved them, ya know!" Chichiri said before seeing what Mitsukake was doing. There was a green light around him. Chichiri hugged him. "It was nobody's fault! Don't do this, Mitsukake!"

'Shoka…will you give me your strength?' Mitsukake thought.

"Stop it! Don't go Mitsukake!" Chichiri shouted. The green light expanded throughout the Empire and Chichiri looked up, clenching his teeth as he cried under his mask. All the wounded soldiers and civilians of Konan were healed as Mitsukake died. A once wounded soldier opened his eyes, surprising two Kutou soldiers.

"I thought I killed you!" The soldiers shouted. The Konan soldier stood.

"You barbarian!" He shouted.

"I'll kill you again!"

"SILENCE!" Chichiri screamed, his mask gone as he glared with tears streaming down. "You will not fight here! He gave his life! Mitsukake sacrificed his life to save all of you! You should be ashamed! Leave! Leave this place! All of you! NOW!" He shouted at the soldiers as the civilians mourned Mitsukake. Niko meowed with sadness.

~0~

Aika kept running, having lost Suboshi. She looked through the crowd.

"Tamahome! Tamahome, where are you?!" She shouted.

"Priestess of Suzaku, come back here!" Suboshi called as he found her. Aika began running again. She pushed through the crowd as Suboshi followed. "Hey! Get out of my way! Out of my way!"

~0~

Tamahome walked through the streets of the village as the sun had set and lights lit the area.

'I'm…I'm just a character in a book? And my whole world is nothing more than words on paper? A story written by some unknown hand. My family's death, Nuriko's, and Chiriko's, my memories from when I was a kid was all made up? Then what…what am I? What am I? And what am I supposed to do now?' He thought as he walked. He kept walking, ignoring the people around him. He soon made it to a bridge and heard a woman singing and saw a crowd of people surrounding her as she sang a beautiful song. He soon left the area and kept walking, making it to a park. He looked down and wrapped his arms around himself, bringing his vest closer to himself. 'No shadow,' he thought as he sat down on a bench. 'But I can still feel the cool breeze. Aika, is this why we couldn't stay together? Is there nothing we can do?'

"Okay, people, let's do it for real this time!" A man said making Tamahome look over. Some people were rehearsing for a play. "Scene forty-six. Let's try it again."

"I can't take any more of this," a young woman pretended to cry.

"What's wrong? I was just a little late, honey," the man said to her.

"You weren't a little late, you were an hour late! You know this was important to me! I told you it was!" The woman told him.

"They made me stay a little longer at work, I let you know," the man frowned.

"That's what you always say. If you really love me, prove it to me," the woman told him. The man hugged her close to him.

"You fool, I'll say it until you understand. No matter what may come between us, my feelings will never die. No matter what may separate us, no matter how long we may have to be apart, I will always, always love you," the man vowed as Tamahome stood, listening to them. He then remember what he said to Aika after they thought she had been raped by Nakago.

"I took an oath on my life. I gave my word that we would never ever be apart again. I promised that I would make you the happiest bride in the world, didn't I?" Tamahome asked as he held her. He then remembered when he finally gotten back to Konan after being in Kutou.

"Please stay with me, Tamahome. Don't ever leave me again. Just keep holding me like you're doing now," Aika said as she hid her face in his chest, his arms around her. He then remembered the moment in the woods when they were in Hokan. "Stay with me. Stay with me forever."

'That's right. Aika, I understand. I do,' Tamahome thought. He then started running, making his way back to Aika. He kept running, pushing through crowds and jumping over groups if he had to. All he knew was that he had to get back to Aika.

~0~

Aika kept running and suddenly Suboshi got her with his weapon, her being tied up with it. She let out a cry of surprise as he fell to the ground.

"You led me on quiet a chase, Priestess of Suzaku," Suboshi said.

"Suboshi!"

"Lady Yui said she didn't want you killed, but because you dishonored her, I will have to defy her request!" Suboshi smirked. People watched them and Aika struggled. Suboshi then started strangling her with his hands around her neck. "Even death is too good for you. You must eat pain for what you've done to her!"

"Hey, move it, will ya?!" A man shouted making Suboshi look over to see Tamahome standing there with a glare.

"Get away from Aika," Tamahome said with almost a cold tone.

"Tamahome," Suboshi said surprised.

"Get away from her, Suboshi!" Tamahome shouted. While Suboshi was distract, Aika got free and punched Suboshi off her.

"Aika!" Naruto shouted.

"Naruto!" Aika ran over to him. Naruto then pulled her into his arms protectively as Shikamaru placed a hand on her shoulder. Tamahome made his way over and stood protectively in front of the three.

"Naruto, take care of Aika. I have a little unfinished business that I have to take care of," Tamahome stated, keeping his eyes on Suboshi.

"Tamahome," Aika murmured with surprised.

"Aika, please forgive me. Until now, I didn't understand anything, but you knew and knowing what you did, you feel in love with a character in a book. It's all clear to me. The Celestial Warriors exist for the sake of the Priestess, it's the only reason we draw breath. We were born the moment you appeared in our world and now I know that I live only because of you. My life, my very being, everything in my world, Heaven and earth, all of it, is yours. I belong to you, I know. That's why I'm not confused anymore. I'm not afraid of anything. All that matters is I love you. I was created solely to love you and serve you."

Kido: M-Mitsukake...

Kida: DON'T SAY IT! *Cries*

Kido: A-and Tamahome...

Kida: I-it was so sweet of him...I told you! I was all so sad yet so beautiful at the same time!

Kido: Man, Mitsukake was awesome! You jerk! *Glares at Kida*

Kida: I didn't do it! Yu Watase did!

Kido: We hope you all enjoyed the chapter. Please favorite and comment!