Fushigi Yuugi 1. Notes and Profiles

Notes from the Author (Last updated: July 4, 2002)  
Before posting the actual story itself, I thought I would take some time to put down a bunch of notes for you as the reader to read, that way, you aren't confused by things and don't get annoyed straight off the bat.  
In my journey around the web looking for Fushigi Yuugi information, I've found that there is a lot of inconsistency and garbled information, so, I don't know what's true and what's not, but only in relation to the manga; I have seen the entire FY series plus OVAs, so I'm not confused about any information dealing with the anime. I am, however, confused with much of the information dealing with the manga series as I have only read the six translated manga volumes. Therefore, I don't know diddly about manga info on the Genbu seishi.  
  
1) Tomite and Hikitsu - I've placed together short profiles on what I've seen in the anime and gathered from the 'net. Like I said, there is a lot of inconsistency and mixed up information so I've put together what I feel makes sense. If any of it is wrong, and you have proof to prove me wrong, please contact me and let me know. The only thing that I know is incorrect is Tomite's age. I changed it for a reason; the way he looks and seems older than 16 to me.  
  
2) Genbu no Seishi - Yep. I made up the seishi. I haven't seen diddlysquat written about the others except for the appearances of Hatsui in the OVA, so, I kept his appearance but made him older. The rest comes from my mind. Yep.. my mind, my mind, my mind, therefore, their profiles are mine. Not the names, not the symbols, but their profiles, so back off. o.o  
  
3) Kogane and his Espers - I needed a bad guy since there always has to be some sort of antagonist. I made up the baddies. So, they're copyright to me. They don't exist, only in my mind and in the fic.  
  
Does my story coincide with the canon series? Well, as this is the third revision of my notes, I've come to the conclusion that yes, this fan fiction does work with the canon FY. Since I could write a thesis on the evolution of the story, I'll save you the horror and just skip to what's needed.  
  
Simply put, think of this story as a continuation of the FY series. Nothing had to be changed, everything that happened, stayed the way it was. All you have to realize is that this story takes place 15 years after Miaka and Yui entered the book. That means that Okuda Takiko is not the Genbu no Miko. Yes, she did exist; she just isn't the miko. Since I don't want to write down too many spoilers, if there are any more things that I think you should be aware of, they'll be placed at the ends of the chapters.  
  
Don't like it? That's fine. Wanna' flame me for it? Don't waste your time. I will humiliate you if I must. Other than that, read, enjoy, and make me happy by reviewing. o.o;  
  
The following disclaimer starts from this point on: Fushigi Yuugi is copyright to Yuu Watase and whoever else helped with the creation. I have never, nor will I ever, own any of her original work (i.e. Tomite and Hikitsu.) I do, however, own the rest of the characters that were created by me (i.e. Kyouko Sakura, all other seishi, all minor characters, Kogane and his Espers.) I'm not making a profit off of this writing or anything of the sort. This is only meant for entertainment purposes.  
  
Title © Liz Pfeifer, 2002  
  
The following are profiles for all the characters in the series. The minor characters may come later, and they may not. Hikitsu  
  
Real Name: Chen Emtato Star: Sagittarius Birthday: August 26 Age: 21 Height: 6'0" Family: unknown Hair Color: silvery Eye Color: gray Blood Type: O Seishi Power: cryokinesis (ice snakes) Weapon: none Character: dipper Location: right eye Interests: long-distance horseback  
  
Tomite  
  
Real Name: Tan Chamka Star: Sagittarius Birthday: February 16 Age: 17 Height: 5'8" Family: undefined Hair Color: dark blue Eye Color: blue Blood Type: O Seishi Power: cryokinesis (ice arrows) Weapon: bow and arrows Character: emptiness Location: left side of back Interests: hunting Hatsui  
  
Real Name: Miao Fai Star: Pegasus Birthday: March 24 Age: 18 Height: 5'9" Family: mother Hair Color: brown Eye Color: brown Blood Type: B+ Seishi Power: terrakinesis Weapon: none, martial arts Character: dipper Location: left bicep Interests: fighting  
  
energetic, impulsive, pioneering, assertive, quick-tempered, strong drive, ambitious, extroverted, aggressive, competitive, enthusiastic, self- reliant, self-assured  
  
Although an only child, Hatsui was not brought up spoiled. Instead, he was treated like a normal child, always asked to help with the housework. Because of his quick-temper and less than clean language, Hatsui often got in trouble. After his father was murdered, Hatsui learned several forms of martial arts just so he could protect his mother.  
  
Inami  
  
Real Name: Jiang Tao Star: Capricorn Birthday: August 10 Age: 15 Height: 5'3" Family: three sisters Hair Color: light blue Eye Color: hazel Blood Type: B Seishi Power: hydrokinesis Weapon: none Character: cow Location: left cheekbone Interests: swimming, getting into trouble  
  
a lover of limelight, extroverted, optimistic, honorable, dignified, confident, proud, exuberant, sunny, flamboyant, charismatic, dramatic, competitive, authoritative, bully  
  
Since both of her parents died when she was young, Inami grew up with her three older sisters, all of who were at least 5 years older than her. From the start, she hated how women acted, or were supposed to act, and took to a tomboy attitude. She loves causing trouble and being the center of attention while she hates short, confining clothes and makeup. Namame  
  
Real Name: Liao An Star: Pegasus Birthday: November 1 Age: 23 Height: 5'8" Family: none Hair Color: white Eye Color: light blue Blood Type: A- Seishi Power: telepathy Weapon: staff Character: wall Location: right wrist Interests: meditation  
  
determined, powerful, strong-willed, forceful, bold, courageous, enduring, resourceful, researcher, an investigator, secretive, mysterious, penetrating, psychic, self-reliant  
  
Much of Namame's life has been spent traveling the world and learning new things. At her age, she is very intelligent and contains a great amount of knowledge. As the oldest of the seishi, she is most mature and is motherly towards the group. Even if they don't show it, the seishi can go to her with their problems, and they respect her very much.  
  
Urumiya  
  
Real Name: Wen Sying Star: Aquarius Birthday: December 6 Age: 17 Height: 5'6" Family: mother and father Hair Color: blond Eye Color: light blue Blood Type: B Seishi Power: AT Weapon: nunchukus Character: rooftop Location: right temple Interests: playing pranks optimistic, freedom-loving, casual, friendly, buoyant, enthusiastic, direct, outspoken, honest, loyal, restless, ambitious, loves to travel  
  
Brought up to be a very bright child, Urumiya studied only because his parents wanted him to. But after a while, he couldn't take it anymore and told his parents that he didn't want to study anymore, and instead, wanted to travel the world. Even though his parents objected, he left home to follow his destiny. Although his outward appearance is very serious, he still has a very child-like manner with his love for pulling pranks.  
  
Uruki  
  
Real Name: Mao Lien Star: Aquarius Birthday: June 16 Age: 19 Height: 5'6" Family: brother Hair Color: black Eye Color: violet Blood Type: AB Seishi Power: control over flowers and vines Weapon: none Character: woman Location: above left hip Interests: growing flowers, fashion  
  
flexible, versatile, restless, a jack-of-all-trades, lively, alert, quick- witted, communicative, a good conversationalist, changeable, sociable, agile, superficial  
  
As part of the royal blood of Hokkan, and the sister to the Emperor, Uruki must keep a certain face up for the kingdom, one of high power and deserving respect. However, when she has time alone, she becomes a normal person, forgetting her role in the empire. Torn between the world of an Empress and a woman, she finds it hard to decide which is the one for her. Name: Kyouko Sakura Alias: Genbu no Miko Birthday: June 21 Age: 17 Astrological Sign: Gemini Blood Type: A Hair Color: blue Eye Color: silver Family: father Nationality: Japanese Height: 5'7" Bust: 38B Waist: 8 Likes: reading, writing, meditation, music Dislikes: loud noises, rich, snobbish people Food: vegetables Occupation: high school student Favorite Subject: Literature Least Favorite Subject: none Color: green Hobbies: practicing with her bokken Aspiration: to be successful and have a family Birthstone: Pearl  
  
flexible, versatile, restless, a jack-of-all-trades, lively, alert, quick- witted, literary, communicative, a good conversationalist, changeable, sociable, logical, ingenious, agile, dexterous, intellectual  
  
Sakura is the all around, popular girl in school. Her talents range from cooking to reading to sports and even school studies. Because of this, there are many people at school who hate her and are jealous of her, and it seems mostly like the rich crowd, which she has a mutual animosity against. Although her demeanor is peaceful, if she's threatened, she wouldn't think twice about putting up a fight.  
  
Every day, she sets aside a time to focus her energy and to practice what bokken skills she has. She also loves spending time by herself reading and writing, putting her thoughts onto paper and thinking. The downfall to her peaceful activities is what leads her into a world she could only think of in her dreams. But those dreams will come true because of her curiosity.  
  
Name: Sainoji Maaya Birthday: April 14 Age: 17 Astrological Sign: Aires Blood Type: B+ Hair Color: brown Eye Color: green Family: father Nationalities: Japanese, Irish Height: 5'5" Bust: 34C Waist: 6 Likes: picking on Sakura, shopping Dislikes: jocks, cheerleaders, anyone else that picks on Sakura Food: sweet and sour mandarin chicken Occupation: high school student Favorite Subject: gym Least Favorite Subject: Math  
  
energetic, pioneering, assertive, quick-tempered, strong drive, leader, ambitious, extroverted, sometimes aggressive, competitive, enthusiastic  
  
Although she's not as much of a bookworm as Sakura, and even though Sakura and Maaya are very different, the two have been friends since as long as they can remember. Aside from the childish fights Maaya starts when picking on Sakura, the two have never gotten into a real fight. Most people like Sakura for her abilities and what she can do, but Maaya sees Sakura as she really is and loves her to death for it.  
Kogane  
  
Birthday: August 17 Age: unknown Height: 6'2" Family: none Hair Color: blonde Eye Color: gold Blood Type: AB Power: control over the elements Weapon: shakujo Character: center Location: center of forehead Interests: taking over the world  
  
authoritative, bully, ambitious, speculative, honorable, dignified, confident, proud, competitive, a leader  
  
Just as when the four holy gods came into existence, so did Kogane and his Espers, because with all things, when something good is created, there must also be something bad created as well. The moment he was born, Kogane was banished and sealed to the center of the earth where he would forever live with the Espers. But the Emperor of Kutou sought out the truth to the legend of the Esper's birth, and in the process set them all free. However, they would have to work for him until their job was completed before they could be free.  
  
Kogane and his Espers now work for Kutou. They're job: stop Genbu no Miko and Seishi from summoning the Black Tortoise. Although he had put on the front of a very loyal subject to the king, Kogane had planned from the very start to destroy Genbu no Miko and Seishi, and then continue to destroy and rule the rest of the world.  
Hail  
  
Birthday: February 29 Age: appears 18 Height: 5'6" Family: none Hair Color: white Eye Color: ice blue Blood Type: B+ Power: control over ice Weapon: naginata Character: Genbu Location: forehead Interests: playing in the snow receptive, supersensitive, impressionable, peace-loving, artistic, creative, dreamer, dedicated, imaginative, shy, introverted, spiritual, and reclusive  
  
Hail is the dark form of Genbu. Although she has the body of an 18 year old, her mind seems that of a child no more than 13. She loves playing in the snow, having snow ball fights, making snow angels, etc. There are times, however, when she can be very serious, and when she is, such as while taking orders from Kogane, she is very determined.  
  
Blaze  
  
Birthday: April 1 Age: appears 18 Height: 6'0" Family: none Hair Color: black Eye Color: red Blood Type: A Power: control over fire Weapon: katana Character: Suzaku Location: forehead Interests: Genbu no Miko  
  
energetic, pioneering, assertive, quick-tempered, strong drive, ambitious, sometimes aggressive, competitive  
  
Blaze is the dark form of Suzaku. Blaze seems to be a very outgoing and extroverted person, and for the most part, it's true. But the rest of the time, he keeps his true feelings to himself, especially his lust for Genbu no Miko. The moment he felt her presence, he knew she had to be his, and that he'd do absolutely anything to win her heart.  
  
Timber  
  
Birthday: September 11 Age: appears 18 Height: 5'8" Family: brother Hair Color: mahogany Eye Color: gray Blood Type: AB Power: control over plants Weapon: bo Character: Seiryuu Location: forehead Interests: beautiful things practical, responsible, sensible, logical, highly discriminating, dedicated, perfectionist, critical, somewhat introverted  
  
Timber is the dark form of Seiryuu and sister to Alloy. As wood as her element, a very close relative to earth, Timber sees all of nature's creations ugly and nowhere near perfection, unlike herself. Because of this, she is hurt and disgusted by everything ugly, and vows to make it beautiful again by putting it out of its misery.  
Alloy  
  
Birthday: January 31 Age: appears 18 Height: 5'11" Family: sister Hair Color: light brown Eye Color: gray Blood Type: A- Power: control over metal and minerals Weapon: jitte Character: Byakko Location: forehead Interests: sharp objects individualistic, progressive, unique, independent, visionary, perceptive, intellectual, logical, ingenious, inventive, unpredictable, detached  
  
Alloy is the dark form of Byakko and brother to Timber. Unlike his sister, Alloy is very quiet and keeps to himself, usually sharpening his jitte. Though most people find Timber's personality and actions at great fault, it doesn't seem to bother him, in fact, it only increases his love for her. I've always had this strange little quirk that whenever I create a story, fan fiction or character that I have to include music. The following music is -not- an official soundtrack; they're just songs that I think would fit into the story or would fit the characters. I didn't want to have this cause any spoilers, so I'll include a complete music explanation once I finish the story (if I ever do.)  
  
"Heaven" / DJ Sammy - Lovers, 1 "Because the Night" / Onitsuka Chihiro - Lovers, 2 "Infection" / Onitsuka Chihiro - Troubled Love "Gekkou" / Onitsuka Chihiro - Sakura, 1 "Makenai Ai Ga Kitto Aru" / Rockman X4 "I'll Be the One" / HAL - Opening "Eden" / to destination - Ending 


	2. Chapter One

Chapter One - The Beginning  
  
It was the last class of the day before school ended for the second trimester, and of course, everyone was excited, students and teachers alike. But with the excitement buzzing in the air, the teachers had a hard time controlling their classes, and when it came to the last class of the day, they had given up.  
  
"Sakura. Sakura! Ne, Sakura!"  
  
Kyouko Sakura, age 17, sat in her usual seat, her chin propped up on her hand as she stared dreamily out the window. Throughout the entire day, she had found it hard to pay attention, and it was very unlike her as she was always the most attentive in class. No one could blame her, really, since it was the last day and all, but Sainoji Maaya was less forgiving than everyone else, especially when her best friend was involved.  
  
"Kyouko Sakura!" Maaya yelled, reaching out and smacking her friend upside the head.  
  
"Itai!" yelped Sakura as her head lashed forward, nearly hitting the desk. Muttering something or other, she reached up to rub the back of her head where she had been hit, her long blue hair falling over her shoulders.  
  
"What's up with you? You've been staring out the window all day." The brunette reached up to brush her bangs out of her eyes as she kept her gaze focused on Sakura.  
  
"Gomen. I just can't seem to concentrate today," Sakura smiled sheepishly, looking towards Maaya as she pushed her hair back behind her shoulder.  
  
"Busy thinking about your invisible boyfriend, Kyouko?" a high-pitched voice called from across the room, immediately followed by a bunch of snickering.  
  
Rolling her eyes, Sakura turned around in her seat and started before Maaya could open her mouth. "Really, Kimiko, why don't you think about what you're going to say before opening your mouth? Maybe that way you wouldn't sound so immature." A few of Sakura's friends were sitting near her and "oooo'ed" at the retort.  
  
Kimiko threw her bleached blonde hair over her shoulder as she rolled her eyes. "Face it, Sakura, you can't get yourself a boyfriend so you just sit there all day daydreaming about one! It's a shame you can't get one like us," she replied, looking around to her little clique, all of them nodding and smirking.  
  
Blinking a few times, Sakura tilted her head to the side. "Like you? Now why would I want to be like one of you little Howard Beach Bimbos?" With a shake of her head, she turned around in her chair back to her friends, giving Maaya a high-five and leaving the 'Snob Squad' to blink dumbfoundedly at the remark.  
  
Maaya quickly turned around towards Kimiko and held her hand to her mouth as if she were holding a microphone. "Just to let our viewers at home know the current score in the exciting match of Sakura vs. the Snob Squad, it's Sakura one, Snob Squad zero! Back to you, Johnny!" she grinned, turning back around towards her friends, leaving the airheads to roll their eyes.  
  
"They really need to take the sticks outta' their asses," Sikoro commented, casting a glare at the group of girls.  
  
"I know! What do they even have against you, Sakura? Bet they're just jealous!" Sora, another of Sakura's friends, muttered, leaning back in her chair and crossing her arms over chest.  
  
Sakura shrugged, trying to push the thought from her mind, but those girls had always gotten on her nerves, and lately, she had trouble trying to ignore them. "I don't know, really, but it's starting to get to me. They never bothered me that much before." she trailed off.  
  
Maaya, seeing a look of distant confusion cross Sakura's face, frowned and lightly punched her friend on the shoulder. "Come on! Don't let them get to you now! The bell's gonna' ring in just a few minutes, and then we're home free!"  
  
"You're right," Sakura grinned, catching Maaya's enthusiasm and lightly punched her friend on the shoulder in return. But deep down, she was still unable to completely shrug off the strange feeling that was bothering her.  
  
The bell rang a few minutes later, and all the classrooms were emptied in a new record. Sakura and friends were very anxious to get out of school, but they still took their time getting their things from their lockers before leaving the building, chatting all the while. For the most part, everyone had gone home, but a few kids hung out around the school grounds, most either talking or saying goodbyes, and some playing sports.  
  
"Here!" called one of the guys playing soccer as he ran forward, his foot whipping out to kick the ball towards the goal, but it went slightly off course and headed for the group of girls.  
  
"Abudai!"  
  
Maaya didn't notice the ball heading straight for the back of her head, but luckily Sakura did. Turning around quickly, she dropped her bag and leapt into the air, body pivoting as her right leg snapped out to kick the soccer ball right back to the guy, her skirt flapping upwards as she landed and quickly turned to make sure the boy had caught the ball.  
  
The boy fell back a couple of steps as he caught the ball, his arms aching from the force of the ball. He blinked a few times before looking up at Sakura, "S-sugoi!"  
  
"Wow!"  
  
"Did you see that?!"  
  
The whole schoolyard had seen the entire thing, and everyone was cheering and clapping, a few of the younger boys blushing from catching a glimpse of the unexpected panty shot.  
  
Amidst the yelling, Sakura quickly picked up her bag and put her hand to the back of her head, chuckling nervously. She wasn't the kind of person who loved being in the spotlight, and as soon as she could, she pushed the rest of her group out the gates  
  
Once they were out on the street walking home, Sikoro jumped out front, turning around and laughing. "Did you see that?! The Snob Squad looked as though they were going to burst!" She continued laughing, walking backwards for a bit.  
  
"I know!" Sora joined in. "Their faces were so red, I thought steam was gonna' come out of their ears!"  
  
As the two whooped and hollered, Maaya grinned from ear to ear, but stopped as she noticed the strange look on Sakura's face. "Sakura?" she asked, waving a hand in front of Sakura's face. "Daijoubu?"  
  
Blinking once or twice, Sakura looked up. "Nani?"  
  
Maaya adjusted her bag and held it over her shoulder, stopping as she placed a hand on her hip. "What's up?"  
  
"N-nothing!" Sakura grinned sheepishly. "I'm fine, really!"  
  
Making a face, Maaya shook her head and reached forward, placing the back of her hand to Sakura's forehead. "Well, you don't have a fever. Is it your time of the month?" she snickered.  
  
"Maaya-chan!" Sakura scowled looking towards her best friend. "Honestly... I'm okay. I just-"  
  
Sakura.  
  
For a moment, Sakura's eyes went wide, a flash of white clouding her vision before she fell to her knees. Leaves made of ice began falling from the sky and landing all around her. She couldn't hear the calls of her friends, but she could feel the icy touch of one of the leaves brushing up against her cheek. Her body shuddered in response and her hands tightly gripped her arms.  
  
"Sakura!"  
  
With a gasp, Sakura snapped her head back, realizing she hadn't been breathing. As she felt warm arms shake her shoulders, she breathed heavily, looking around but not seeing the leaves anywhere. "G-gomen." she rasped, slowly getting a hold of her senses once more. "I just felt a little dizzy, is all." With the support of her concerned friends, she got back to her feet and brushed herself off, already feeling a lot better. "I'm okay, really," she said, looking into the concerned eyes of her friends.  
  
With a click of her tongue, Maaya handed Sakura back her bag. "Maybe you should take a nap when you get home."  
  
Sakura nodded in response, brushing her bangs out of her eyes. "I will. I didn't sleep well last night, so that's probably what's been bugging me all day." She smiled softly, looking towards Maaya. The shorter girl muttered something or other before nodding.  
  
"All right, but if you're lying, so help me." she threatened, rolling up an imaginary sleeve as she grinned, a devious glint in her eye.  
  
"Hai, hai! Wakateru!" After a few moments, the girls continued on, talking about what they were going to do during the break. Every now and then, Maaya cast a worried glance towards Sakura, but sighed thankfully when she saw her friend seemed like her old self. When they neared Sakura's house, Sora piped up. "Ne, Sakura! We're all going shopping at the mall tomorrow. You wanna' come with us?"  
  
Sakura nodded, taking a step away from the girls and turning back to them. "Sure!" she smiled. "Just stop by my house and pick me up whenever you guys are ready. Ja ne!" She waved before turning around and walking towards her house.  
  
Maaya cupped her hands around her mouth and yelled, "Hey, Sakura! Make sure you lock up! We wouldn't want you getting stolen, what with all the recent burglaries!"  
  
Sora and Sikoro chuckled as Sakura raised her hand to wave at them without turning around. "Yeah, yeah!"  
  
---  
  
Within five minutes, Sakura was walking up the front steps of her house. Closing the door behind her, she kicked off her shoes and placed her bag down. "Tou-san! I'm home!" she called out, slipping on her slippers and padding into the living room. "Tou-san?" There was no reply. Furrowing her eyebrows in confusion, she made her way into the kitchen and glanced at the board above the phone. "Baka, Sakura!" she scolded herself.  
  
Dad gone for 2 weeks on business trip in the United States read the board.  
  
"I really must be tired," she shook her head, grabbing her school bag before climbing the stairs to her room, the rubber bottoms of her slippers gently smacking against the wooden steps. Placing her bag down on her bed, she glanced out the window, wondering if she would have enough time to practice before making dinner. "It would do you good." she murmured to herself as she remembered everything that happened within the last half hour. For now, she would put those thoughts aside and calm her body like she did every night.  
  
Grabbing a change of clothes, she scooted into her bathroom and changed out of her light blue school uniform and into the simpler practice outfit, which consisted of a plain white shirt and oversized green pants, a very traditional outfit for people back in Ancient Japan, especially shrine priestesses. Sakura pulled her long blue hair into a tight ponytail, grabbed her bokken, and made her way back downstairs and out into the backyard.  
  
The backyard was her favorite place on their property, for many reasons. For one, it was very large and spacious, and since her father was such a flower freak, there were plenty of flowers growing year round, permeating the yard with sweet fragrances. She was also thankful that the backyard was covered on all sides, leaving her to her privacy whenever she decided to focus herself. She wouldn't trade the yard for anything in the world since it was one of the few places left on earth that was always quiet and peaceful.  
  
Making her way out to the farther part of the lawn, Sakura knelt down beneath a large sakura tree, already feeling her muscles calm from the scent of the pink petals. She placed the bokken at her side and placed her hands in her lap, her eyes closing as she slowly relaxed into a trance-like state, her muscles loose and relaxed, all tensions leaving her body as she focused herself. After a moment or two, she eased the beating of her heart until it was at a slower rhythm, beating gently in her chest.  
  
Sakura.  
  
With a gasp, Sakura opened her eyes and looked around the yard, her right hand gripping the wooden sword at her side. There was no one there. No one.  
  
Sakura shook her head and chuckled softly, quietly scolding herself for being so uptight and imagining things. Easing her hand off the bokken, she placed her hand back in her lap and closed her eyes again, calming the beating of her heart once more.  
  
Sakura.  
  
"Dare?!" It was the same voice as before. Her right hand curled around the shaft of the bokken and she stood upright, bringing her left hand forward and getting a firm grip on the weapon with both hands. But again, there was no one around. The only noises she could hear were the chirps of the birds and the rustling of the leaves above her. Swallowing hard, she shook her head and lowered the sword, closing her eyes and trying to control the beating of her heart again. "You're imagining things." she sighed inwardly, holding the tip of the bokken to the ground and straightening her arms, her feet sliding together.  
  
Raising the bokken into the air slowly, Sakura stared off in front of her and slashed the wood downwards in a quick, fluid motion. 'You can't let yourself get so worked up,' she thought to herself, repeating the action, raising the bokken and slashing it down in front of her. 'Just calm down.' She raised the bokken once more and again brought it downwards, but before she could complete the action, a flash of white covered her vision like earlier. Body shaking, Sakura stabbed the tip of the bokken into the ground and leaned against it, trying to keep her body from falling. 'So.. cold..' Unable to keep herself up, she fell to her knees, hands still tightly gripping the bokken, her body feeling as though it were being forced into the ground. 'It hurts.' Every part of her body felt as though it were covered in ice, like little pins stabbing into her skin. She wanted to cry out for help, but she couldn't speak, she couldn't even breathe. And then she saw them again, the leaves made of ice, falling gently from the sky and settling around her body. 'Iie.!' She tightly closed her eyes and forced herself to breath. With a loud gasp, she let go of the hilt, her hands pressing into the ground as she wildly gasped for air.  
  
"What's... happening to me..?" she choked, slowly opening her eyes, droplets of sweat falling from her face and into the ground. Again, the leaves were gone. Sakura closed her eyes, her breathing coming out in heavy pants, body still shaking, but no longer cold.  
  
A few minutes had passed, and once she had calmed herself down, she slowly stood up and pulled the bokken out of the ground. Dismissing the feelings as effects of not getting enough sleep, the girl brushed her sweaty hair away from her face and made her way back inside to take a shower.  
  
Even as she stepped into her room and placed the bokken back in it's place upon her bureau, she still couldn't stop her body from shaking every so often. Once more, she entered her bathroom and locked the door behind her, reaching into the shower and turning the water on to a warm temperature. She moved slowly, peeling her clothes from her body and stepping into the soothing water, eyes closing as the liquid streamed down her face and soaked her body. Almost immediately, her mind forgot about the strange things that had been happening to her and instead concentrated on the warm and comforting feel of the water running down her body. Carefully she washed herself, not wanting to push her body too far for the time being, and once she felt clean enough, she stepped from the shower and began to dry herself off.  
  
A growl ripped through the silence and echoed in the linoleum room. With a sheepish chuckle, Sakura reached up and rubbed her hair with a towel, figuring that now she should get something to eat. Tossing the towel into the hamper along with her practice outfit, she stepped from the bathroom clad in a gray, strapless sports bra and matching spandex, her usual night outfit for the springtime. Instead of drying her hair with a hair dryer, she let the three-foot strands hang behind her back to air dry since using the hair dryer would take forever and her arms would hurt by the time she was done.  
  
Sakura stepped from her room and slowly began descending the steps, feeling a lot stronger than before, and almost positive that she'd be back to normal with something to eat and then a nice long nap. Passing the door to her father's library, she wondered what she would make for herself, but stopped suddenly with a quiet gasp.  
  
Leaves. Hundreds of leaves, again made of ice, fell all around her, but this time they weren't cold, this time, she could breathe. With a cautious hand, she reached out to touch one of the ice leaves and found that they were warm to the touch. "What's going on." Closing her eyes, she shook her head and took a deep breath before opening them again. They were gone.  
  
"You're hallucinating Sakura," she mumbled to herself, reaching up and running a hand through her wet hair. Pausing, she looked down at the door to her father's library only to see a flash of green light. "What the?" She reached out to grab the knob, but stopped and shook her head. The library was her father's private room, where he went to study and research things, and she knew that he hated it when she went in there. So, out of respect for her father, she shook her head again and continued to the kitchen, dismissing the light as another hallucination.  
  
---  
  
Dinner had been light and filling enough as she made her specialty: stir fried vegetables. After cleaning everything up, she yawned and figured now would be the time to take that nap. Her strength was back physically, so with a rest, she would be as good as new. Reaching upwards, she stretched, her back cracking, a grunt of satisfaction passing her lips at how good it felt to stretch her muscles.  
  
The thought of sleep eased her mind, and she drowsily climbed the steps back up to her room, almost unable to wait for the soft covers and pillows awaiting her. Entering her room, she grinned down at her bed and made a beeline for it, reaching out and pulling the covers down. But before she could ease into the cotton sheets, a loud thump from downstairs startled her. With a jump, she turned around and stared out the door.  
  
"Make sure you lock up! We wouldn't want you getting stolen, what with all the recent burglaries!"  
  
'Well, crap.' Sakura thought, remembering Maaya's words. Did she lock the door when she came home? Now she wasn't certain. Slightly annoyed at the worst timing someone could have, Sakura grit her teeth and grabbed her bokken. All her years of training would pay off now, or so she hoped. She was confident in her abilities, but she had never actually attacked a person with them. It seemed now would be the time.  
  
Hands clenching the wooden shaft, she kicked her slippers off and silently crept from her room, glancing left and right. The noise, as she thought, came from downstairs. Padding as quietly as she could in her socks, she moved down the stairs, straining her ears for any other noises. Everything seemed quiet, except for her heart. She could swear whoever was in the house could hear it a mile away, what with it beating so loudly. Trying to keep her breathing quiet, she swallowed the lump in her throat, realizing that the noise came from the library. A few more steps, and she was outside the door, one hand tightly gripping the bokken, the other reaching out for the doorknob. Nodding to herself, she flung the door open and whipped the wooden sword out in front of her.  
  
"Iiya!"  
  
There was no one there. Blinking, she took a quick look around and found that indeed, there was no one in the house but her. Sakura breathed a sigh of relief and noticed a book on the floor, face up. "So that's what made the noise," she muttered, bending down and picking up the old text. Brushing it off, she stood up and raised the book up to put it back in its place. Before she could, the images of ice leaves flashed in her mind again and she stumbled backwards, quickly closing her eyes, her grip tightening on both the book and the bokken.  
  
Opening her eyes once more, she looked down at the book in her hand and read the title. "Shi Jin Ten Shi Sho." she murmured aloud. Not knowing what she was doing, Sakura sat down on the floor of the library and placed her bokken in her lap before opening the book. Settling back, she began reading.  
  
"And thus, the girl of legend opened the door to another world..."  
  
Sakura raised her eyebrow, finding the beginning of the book quite strange, wondering if there was a page or two missing. Lifting the book up, she shook it, but no loose pages came out. With a quizzical look on her face, she placed the book in her lap and skimmed through the pages, only to find that the first few were the only ones filled in. Shrugging, she read on.  
  
"This is the story of a young girl who single-handedly gathered the seven stars of Genbu and gained the power to make all her dreams come true. The story itself is an incantation, and whoever reads it gains the main character's power to have their wishes granted. This is because, once they turn the first page the story will become real and begin."  
  
'Strange..' she thought, seeing nothing else written. "Ah, well, it would have been a good book if this person ever finished it." Shrugging, she started to close the book, but the moment she tried to, the pages lit up with a green light. "Kore wa." Before she could finish her sentence, Sakura's eye went wide as she felt some sort of force pulling her forward. She let out a scream of surprise before she disappeared, and the book fell to the floor with a thump, the cover falling shut.  
  
---  
  
Bright green lights flashed. Leaves fell from the sky. Everything was falling, and so was she. Sakura had no idea what was going on, but all she knew was that she was falling, and falling fast. Her skin felt as though it were being stabbed, the air around her so cold. As best she could during her freefall, she tried curling her body into a ball, her arms wrapping around her knees. At that moment, she didn't care if it was a bad move because it felt as though she was never going to end. She wasn't sure when she had stopped screaming, but it was probably when she could no longer breath. The lights flashing nonstop around her made her feel dizzy and nauseous, the leaves adding to the same feeling. She could barely make out the image of anything else but the leaves. Pain coursed through her body and she just wanted to die. She couldn't take the feeling anymore. Her lungs ached as though they were going to explode. She wasn't sure which she would die from first, suffocation or frostbite. After a few more minutes, she welcomed the darkness around her and fell unconscious.  
  
---  
  
The first thing that she felt was the cold air. Everything around her felt as though it were permeated with ice. Shaking violently, Sakura curled up into a ball, her eyes still closed. She couldn't remember anything except for leaves. "W-why's it.. s-so cold..?" she shuddered, slowly opening her eyes, wondering if she put the air conditioner on. Instead of finding herself curled up in a ball in the middle of her bed under the blankets, she found herself lying on the ground outside. "H-how'd I get outside..?" she blinked wearily, slowly standing up. And then it dawned on her. She wasn't out in her backyard. In fact, she had no idea where she was. Eyes opening wide, she slowly stood up, her arms falling to her sides as she looked around. Everything was gray and gloomy, a few sparse trees here and there, and she could barely make out what looked like a small city in the distance.  
  
With a sharp gasp, she quickly wrapped her arms around her shoulders and started moving towards the city, but before she could move a few feet, her foot banged into something. Wincing, she looked down and saw her bokken. Too many questions were coming to mind, so she just picked up the wooden sword and started towards the city again, her feet in agony as she walked across the ground, socks being the only things on her feet.  
  
Where was she? How did she get there? She obviously didn't have any answers to the questions floating in her mind, but standing around in the bitter cold wasn't going to help. On top of wearing hardly anything, her hair was still wet, and at this rate, she was sure she would catch pneumonia. Shuddering from the cold, she tried to keep her eyes open, but she felt so weak, and the freezing cold winds that blew harshly against her body every so often were no help. Gritting her teeth, she pushed herself on.  
  
"N-nani.?" she rasped, catching a glimpse of a shadowed figure moving towards her. Wincing, she kept up her pace as best she could. Maybe it was someone who could help her out, but maybe it was the opposite. At that moment, she didn't care. If she didn't get help soon, she was sure she'd die.  
  
"Haiyakku!"  
  
Her speed had dropped increasingly, and she was barely moving at the speed of a snail, her feet dragging against the ground. A woman's voice? 'Please. please help me.!' she wanted to call out, but she couldn't find the strength to talk.  
  
The shadow was moving quicker now, running forward followed by two more silhouettes. Sakura could no longer feel the lower parts of her body. With the last bit of her strength, she moved a few more feet before falling to her knees, her eyes shut in pain, body shaking violently. All strength left her and she fell forward, but she didn't hit the ground. The last thing she remembered before passing out was falling into warm arms that smelled like lilac.  
  
*cue ending music XD*  
Glossary: Second trimester - I'm not sure how the school system works in Japan, so just for the record, I'm probably wrong in saying second trimester. I only used that because I know they have breaks, and the American term was the only thing that came to mind. Ne - hey; right? Itai - ow! Gomen - sorry Kimiko - Not a very important character. She'll probably only show up for this chapter. She's a rich, snobby, beach-blonde who hates Sakura, and vice versa. XD Howard Beach Bimbos - Around where I live, there's a place called Howard Beach, and there's a stereotype that all the girls from there are bimbos. For the most part, it's true. . Sikoro - One of Sakura's friends, probably won't show up too often. Sora - Another of Sakura's friends that probably won't show up too often. Lockers - I have no idea what they're called in Japan, or even if their called lockers. I just used the American term. Abudai - watch out Sugoi - cool Daijoubu - You okay? Nani - what? -chan - an ending, usually for younger kids, friends, or to show affection. Hai - yes Wakateru - I know Ja ne - Later Tou-san - Dad Baka - stupid, silly United States - I added this as a note, which will probably just be for the future. Sakura is a very intelligent girl, mostly because of her father, and both of them speak English pretty well. School uniform - think of Miaka's uniform, but light blue, and much cuter. XD Practice outfit - think of Hino Rei's miko outfit, but make the red pants green Bokken - wooden sword Dare - who? Iie - no Iiya - A noise, sorta' like hai-ya! Shi Jin Ten Shi Sho - Universe of the Four Gods Genbu - god of the north Kore wa - this is Haiyakku - hurry  
  
Author's Notes: Ahh, Chapter 1 is done.. Though I'm wondering if I should add more.. I have more ideas, that's for sure, but I can't decide whether they would fit in with this chapter or the next, so for now, I'll add them to the next chapter. One thing I'd like to point out is the frozen leaves. Firstly, you know that in Episode One of Fushigi Yuugi, Miaka sees a glimpse of Suzaku. Now, think about this: Genbu doing exactly what Suzaku did, showing up by soaring through the air, waving it's little legs! Less than elegant, no? Thought so. So, I used frozen leaves. Frozen, because Hokkan is a cold place since it's in the north, and leaves because one of the elements associated with Genbu is earth. Also, what I have Sakura reading is what my fan subbed version of Fushigi Yuugi says. So.. yeah. 


	3. Chapter Two

Chapter Two - Destiny  
  
"How long has she been out?"  
  
"Nearly two weeks, but the fever is almost gone, thank goodness."  
  
"Are you sure she's the one?"  
  
"Well, how else do you explain her clothes? We'll know for certain when she wakes up."  
  
Sakura furrowed her eyebrows, her head pounding as if she had been trampled, her entire body aching. Was she back home? No. The smell and feel of everything was different, foreign. Who were those people talking? Groaning, she tried sitting up, but gentle hands pushed her back into a pillow. "Where.. where am I.?"  
  
"Shh. Rest now. Once you gain your strength back we can talk."  
  
A woman's voice. It was so familiar. Was she the one that saved her? Lilac. She could smell the lilac again. It must have been her. Suddenly, she felt strangely comforted. Without answering, Sakura nodded her head and relaxed, wincing slightly before allowing the darkness of sleep to overtake her.  
  
---  
  
Green lights. It felt so dark and cold. She was falling. Iie! Not again! Everything was turned upside down. She was falling again, falling through weightlessness, through the freezing, bitter cold, her body going numb with pain. There was nothing she could do, nothing to stop her falling. Her body felt as if it weighed a ton, and she couldn't even move. Laughter. Cruel, evil laughter rang in her ears as she continued to fall. She couldn't block it out or cover her ears, even if she tried it would have done no good. The laughter was in her head. Iie! Yamero! And then she saw it. The bottom. She tried screaming, but nothing came out. She saw the bottom, and it was coming closer and closer. She was going to hit it.  
  
"IIE!" she screamed, bolting up right, her hands gripping the sides of her head as she breathed heavily, eyes wide in horror.  
  
"Shh! It's all right! It was just a dream!" It was that voice again. Sakura didn't bother looking up when she heard it. Instead, she allowed the soft, warm arms to embrace her, and she did the only thing within her power. She tightly grabbed the person, hugging them for dear mercy, afraid that she was going to fall again. It was the same voice and the same scent that she had first heard and smelt when she first passed out. Although so different and unfamiliar, it was so comforting.  
  
"Shh, it's all right. You're awake now." the voice cooed, trying to calm Sakura down. Once the woman was sure the girl had calmed down, she eased the girl back into the pillow.  
  
Calming her breathing, Sakura looked up at the woman, surely not recognizing her. She had long midnight colored hair flowing down her shoulders in gentle cascades and kind, violet eyes. "Where am I?" she whispered, slightly taken back by the woman's outfit, a very elegant and royal looking dress made from deep shades of violet and pink.  
  
"You're in Hokkan," the woman quietly responded, sitting on the edge of the bed and reaching out to gently brush Sakura's bangs out of her eyes. "Do you remember what happened?"  
  
Furrowing her brow in confusion, she tried to remember what happened. She remembered the leaves, the cold, the lights, the laughter and the book. The book! Light came out of the pages, and then she was falling. Could she. no! She couldn't. be inside the book, could she? "I'm not sure. I remember reading pages from a book, and then falling. I woke up, and I was some place outside." she spoke quietly, mostly to herself as she remembered what happened.  
  
The woman nodded, "That's where we found you. You had been wandering around the outskirts of town, sick with a fever. You were lucky you hadn't caught pneumonia, or you may have died."  
  
Sakura shook her head, still not understanding everything. "Who are you?"  
  
"My name is Mao Lien. I may not be able to explain everything to you, but I may be able to clear things up. For now, you should rest, you've only just recently been cured of the fever and you don't have all your strength back. I'll bring some food to you later."  
  
She already felt drowsy and nodded her head in acknowledgement. Sighing, she let her muscles relax into the silk sheets around her, feeling sleep coming to take her again. "Arigatou." She felt Lien get up from the bed and heard the door slide shut behind her. Not long after, Sakura fell into a deep sleep, the scent of lilac still in the air.  
  
---  
  
Sakura.  
  
Dare da? Who's calling me?  
  
Sakura.  
  
The sun was setting, but all she could see was a sakura tree in the distance, a silhouette standing beneath it, petals from the tree falling gently to the ground. She tried running, but seemed to be getting no where; the tree and the shadow wouldn't come any closer no matter how hard she pushed herself.  
  
Sakura.  
  
Who are you?! What do you want from me?!  
  
The silhouette turned around, and she could make out the outline of a man, but all she could see were his piercing green eyes. And then he was gone.  
  
With a groan, Sakura pulled herself out of her deep sleep, blinking away the blur in front of her eyes. She slowly sat up and looked around the room, for the first time noticing how strange it was. The room was furnished with a small amount of furniture, a bed, a table and two chairs, a small bureau and a fireplace. All of it was made out of polished wood that looked like it was worth quite a bit of money. Almost all of the wood also had strange carvings in it, mostly of turtles and snakes. The bed alone was gorgeous enough, made with silken sheets and fancy cloth hanging between the tops of the bedposts.  
  
A quiet knock sounded at the door and Lien quietly entered the room with a tray of food. "How are you feeling?" she asked, resting the tray on the night table next to the bed as Sakura sat up.  
  
"A lot better, thanks. Uhm, how long have I been here?" she asked as Lien placed the tray in her lap, the scent of rice and vegetables wafting to her nose and making her mouth water, realizing that she hadn't eaten in quite a while.  
  
"Nearly three weeks," the raven-haired woman replied, pulling up a chair and sitting next to Sakura as she ate the food.  
  
Sakura nearly spit out the rice in her mouth. "Th-three weeks?!" she choked, slamming her fist into her chest and swallowing the rice. "Oh, god, dad must be so worried! Maaya and everyone else too!"  
  
Lien blinked at Sakura, a little worried at how upset she was. "G-gomen. Maybe I should explain what I can."  
  
Sakura, at the sudden loss of appetite, put the tray on the night table and sat back, watching Lien quietly, fearing the trouble she would be in once she got home.  
  
Inhaling deeply, Lien sighed and began explaining what she could. "I don't know where you're from, exactly, but our legends say that you come from a completely different world. It's said, that a girl from another world will come to Hokkan to summon the god Genbu and save Hokkan from all danger."  
  
Sakura just stared blankly at Lien.  
  
Lien chuckled nervously, a sweatdrop sliding down the back of her head. "Erm, well, maybe my brother can explain it. He really can't wait to meet you. Do you think you're strong enough?"  
  
With a nod, Sakura slowly moved her feet off the side of the bed, but paused, realizing what clothes she had to wear. "Uhh.. If it's not too much trouble, do you think I could borrow some clothes? I, uhh.." she just tailed off blinking.  
  
"No need to explain," Lien smiled, getting up and moving over to the bureau across the room, opening the top drawer. "I'm sure anything in here will fit you. You may not be used to it, but it's all we have."  
  
"No, that's fine! I'm just sorry for being such a burden."  
  
Opening the door, Lien shook her head, "Believe me, you're no burden at all. I'll be right outside the door. Just come out when you're ready." With another smile, Lien nodded and stepped outside, closing the door behind her.  
  
Slowly getting up out of bed, Sakura made her way towards the bureau and fished through the clothes. 'Erk. I've never worn anything like this before..' she winced inwardly. With a sigh, she grabbed the first thing that caught her eye, a very elegant looking dress made of various shades of green. It took her a while to get the dress on properly, definitely not used to wearing anything like it, but once she got it on, she smoothed it out and sighed, brushing her hair behind her ear. "This will have to do.." she spoke to herself, moving towards the door and opening it.  
  
At the sound of the door opening, Lien turned around and smiled towards Sakura. "It looks good on you. Ready?"  
  
Sakura nodded quietly and followed Lien down a few corridors, thankful that they were inside, away from the bitter cold. She moved silently, not really minding the dress now, but rather surprised it fit her perfectly. While moving down the halls, she noticed that there were no electric lights, and that small candles were hung from the walls at every few feet. The walls, like the furniture in the room she was in, had carvings of turtles and snakes. 'Genbu, maybe?'  
  
Coming to a large set of oak doors, two soldiers stationed on either side pushed them open and bowed low, allowing Lien and Sakura passage into a large palace hall. Many people were lined on both sides, and as the young women moved forward, the people bowed. Sakura blinked a few times, wondering what exactly was going on. Was she in some royal palace? It at least looked like it, with all the fancy paintings and carvings on the walls. Not knowing anyone else, she tried to keep up with Lien, but slowed down once seeing the raven-haired woman walk up to and stand next to a man dressed in silk clothes. He too had black hair and violet eyes like Lien. Was this her brother?  
  
The tall man smiled down at Sakura as she came closer, bowing his head to her. "Konnichiwa, Genbu no Miko. I am Emperor Shaiming, Emperor of Hokkan, and I graciously welcome you to my palace."  
  
If it were possible, Sakura would have felt her mouth drop to the floor. Emperor?! So that meant Lien was the Emperor's sister?! The Empress of Hokkan?! Sure Sakura had never met or interacted with royalty before, but she at least knew she should have acted more civilized and polite towards Lien! And this. Genbu no Miko? Shaking her head, she looked up at the young man. "I-iie, watashi wa Sakura. Kyouko Sakura." she said quietly, trying to keep herself from acting like a fool.  
  
Shaiming smiled warmly at the young girl and stepped down from the throne to stand before her, reaching out and placing his hand on her shoulder. He was so happy that the legends had finally come true, that Genbu no Miko had finally appeared to save Hokkan, that he hardly minded how improper she was acting. "That may be your name, but you are much more than just 'Kyouko Sakura.' You are Genbu no Miko. You were brought here to save my country."  
  
Sakura stood there a moment, blinking slowly. "Whoa.. No, hold on, just wait a minute!" she shouted, backing up with her hands raised, the Emperor's hand falling off her shoulder. "There's no way I can summon some. Genbu, or save a country! I'm only a high school student! All I can do is cook, clean, study and play sports!"  
  
"Sakura." Lien quietly spoke, stepping down from the throne as well and walking up to the frightened girl, reaching out to calm her.  
  
"No! It's just not possible! This all has to be some dream!" she laughed backing up a bit further. "That's it! It's just some crazy dream that I'm having because I hadn't slept well! The stupid hallucinations! The pain! Not being able to breathe! It's just some stupid dream! Just because I was bad!"  
  
Lien and Shaiming backed up a bit, looks of worry and concern crossing their faces as they watched Sakura, the rest of the people in the hall just watching with terror, quiet murmurs rippling through the crowd.  
  
A quiet jingle of bells and beads sounded, and the people to Sakura's side spread apart allowing a tall woman with long white hair to pass by. "Don't be afraid," she whispered, moving so gracefully she seemed as though she were gliding, her robes billowing out gently around her with every movement.  
  
Sakura quickly looked to where the voice came from and took note of the woman. She started backing away, shaking her head. "No! You're just part of the dream too!" Her throat was so dry that her words only came out in a hoarse cry.  
  
The woman stopped where she was and placed her wooden staff to the floor, the beads and chimes attached to the top jingling quietly as they smacked into each other. Closing her eyes, she tiled her head down-wards a bit and let out a long breath.  
  
Sakura. Daijoubu-ka. I'm not going to harm you. Just calm down.  
  
Suddenly feeling tired, Sakura stopped in her tracks, her body wavering for a moment as her eyelids fell half closed. She nodded slowly, not showing any signs that she was going to run as the mysterious woman reached out and placed her hand to the girl's forehead.  
  
That's right. Just relax.  
  
After a few moments, the woman pulled her hand away, and Sakura lifted her head up and looked around at everyone, feeling a slight blush come to her face. "G-gomen nasai." she murmured, bowing her head in shame.  
  
Shaiming and Lien let out chorused sighs of relief. "What is your name?" Shaiming asked, stepping forward towards the woman.  
  
Placing both hands on her staff, the woman turned to look at the Emperor and Empress, bowing her head in respect. "Watashi wa Liao An."  
  
"You have my gratitude, Liao An," the Emperor replied, lightly bowing his head in thanks.  
  
"It was nothing," An shook her head, standing up right once more. "But I must now take my leave. Sayonara, Emperor, Empress, Miko," she bowed lightly once more, looking at each of them in turn before turning back and exiting the palace chamber, her movements fluid and graceful as they had been before.  
  
Although very impressed with the lady, Shaiming immediately turned his attentions back to Sakura. "I'm sorry if I had burdened you with so much information so quickly, it's just-"  
  
"Iie!" Sakura spoke up, taking a few steps forward. "You... shouldn't be the one sorry. I should. It's just, all of this is happening so fast, and, I don't know what to make of it all. Please, tell me what I must know."  
  
Shaiming smiled again and turned back to sit upon his throne, Lien doing the same at his left. "My country, Hokkan, has been on the brink of war for some time now with the rivaling country Kutou. For years, we have thought that war would come, but thankfully, nothing has happened yet, but we do know Kutou is planning something. Although Hokkan is a large country with many people, we would not be able to stand up against an army such as Kutou's, even if the environment were in our favor. That is why we depend on you, Genbu no Miko. As I'm sure my sister has already told you, our legends speak of a young woman sent from another world who will come and summon Genbu, thereby saving our country from anything that may threaten it. You, Kyouko Sakura, are Genbu no Miko. By the will of our god, Genbu, you were brought from your world to ours so that you may help us."  
  
Sakura stared intently at the Emperor as he spoke, trying to absorb and understand every word that he said. Genbu no Miko? It would explain her hallucinations, and all the strange feelings she had been having. Maybe she was Genbu no Miko, but how would she summon a god? She was still just a high school student. "If I really am Genbu no Miko, what would I have to do? I honestly still don't understand a lot of this. but if I can help, I will do everything in my power to help you." she spoke quietly, never having been one to turn down someone in need.  
  
Nodding, Shaiming let out a sigh of relief, looking down at the girl. "The hardest part is not summoning Genbu himself, but finding his seven celestial warriors, Genbu no Shichi Seishi, seven warriors each with a special power that they use to protect their miko. I am sorry to say that I cannot give you more help than that, but perhaps our Shi Jin Ten Shi Sho can be of help," he spoke, turning to one of his servants and signaling them over. A small man hurried over with a pillow, a scroll sitting upon the top of it. Shaiming stood, took the scroll from the pillow and stepped down to hand it to Sakura.  
  
The scroll was old, she could tell that much when she took it from the Emperor. Being careful with it, Sakura held it close and nodded. "So. All I have to do is find seven people, summon Genbu, and then I can go home?"  
  
"That is all. However, when you summon Genbu, you are granted three wishes. You could have anything beyond your wildest dreams! I ask that you use one of those wishes to save Hokkan, and then the other two are yours to do whatever you want with them," Shaiming explained.  
  
"I. could wish for anything?" she asked. He nodded. Sakura tightened her grip on the scroll and looked up confidence. "Then I, Kyouko Sakura, will be your Genbu no Miko, and I shall summon Genbu to protect your country."  
  
The built up tension was finally released as the entire hall was lit up with cheers of delight. Sakura looked around startled for a moment, but then smiled, amazed that her words could make so many people so happy. She hoped she could make them happier and keep her newly made promise.  
  
---  
  
Immediately after Sakura had announced her acceptance of the position, Shaiming ordered a large feast to be prepared. Sakura, in all her hunger, ate heartily, but it wasn't long after that she felt exhausted. After convincing Shaiming that she needed her rest, she hurried from the large hall, but stopped, silently cursing herself for not knowing how to get back to her room.  
  
"Lost?" came a quiet voice from behind.  
  
Sakura yelped and turned around, putting a hand to her chest and shaking her head. "You scared me, Lien!"  
  
The older woman chuckled. "Gomen. Just follow me, I'll show you to your room."  
  
"I-iie! It's okay! I can find it on my own! I don't want you to waste your time on me!" Sakura refused.  
  
Shaking her head, Lien started forward. "Sakura, just because I have royal blood in me, doesn't mean I'm any different from you."  
  
With a sigh, Sakura followed, "It's like you can read my mind or something."  
  
After wandering a few halls, Lien opened the door to Sakura's room and let the younger girl inside, following her in after closing the door behind her. "To be honest, a lot of people worry about it. I often go into town to try and escape the royal obligations, but somehow or another, people usually find out and they treat me as if I'm better than them. I'm just a normal girl, like you. I'm young, and I like to have fun!"  
  
Sakura sat down on the bed, placing the scroll next to her. "Well, I'm not really a very normal girl now," she chuckled, shaking her head. "And how are you young? You look 23, at least."  
  
Walking towards her, Lien shook her head and sat down in one of the chairs. "23? Hah! I'm only 18!"  
  
"Yeah right."  
  
"Empresses don't lie," Lien grinned.  
  
Sakura laughed, amazed that Lien was really a lot like her. She had seen the Empress on her throne and noticed how serious she looked. But not now. Now she looked like a regular teenager, craving nothing but fun. With a sigh, she leaned back on the bed and opened the scroll. Furrowing her brow, she held the scroll in various ways, but it still looked the same. "Well, this is great. How am I supposed to find these Seishi if I can't even read this," she groaned, falling back on the bed and dropping the scroll over her face.  
  
Lien reached out and took the scroll off Sakura's face. "You can't? Strange. You can speak our language but you can't read it. Oh well, it doesn't matter since I'll be going with you to search for the Seishi."  
  
The young girl quickly sat up, shaking her head. "What? No! You can't leave the palace! What if you got hurt? I'm sure your brother would never forgive me!"  
  
With a chuckle, Lien shook her head and rolled the scroll back up. "My brother knows I can take care of myself. Plus, I have to go with you." She lighted the bottom of her dress just slightly so that so Sakura could see the symbol of 'woman' shining in green on her left hip. "This means that I'm one of your Seishi. And as your Seishi, it is my sworn duty to protect you, Genbu no Miko. Watashi wa. Genbu no Uruki."  
  
Then she had already found her first Seishi! With a squeal, Sakura leapt up from the bed and tackled Uruki, flinging her arms around the girl and tackling her to the ground in a hug. Uruki let out a yelp and fell backwards, laughing. "I can't protect you if you suffocate me!"  
  
Sakura sat back, smiling. "Gomen, gomen!" One seishi down. six left. Maybe it wouldn't be so hard after all.  
  
---  
  
Shaking her head and muttering things every now and then, Maaya stormed down the many blocks to Sakura's house. "I've called her at least ten times, and she hasn't picked up once. Even if she was asleep, she would have waken up and answered. Now she's got me all worried about her, so I have to check on her," she muttered to herself, glancing at her watch. It was only seven pm. Maaya shook her head, cursing herself for not going home with her friend as she had planned.  
  
She turned into Sakura's driveway and up the steps until she stood right outside the door. With a bit more strength than needed, she pounded on the door. "Sakura! Open up!" she yelled. When there was no answer, she tried again, but still, no answer. "Baka. baka, baka, baka!" she muttered, reaching out and grabbing the doorknob, testing it to see if it were unlocked. To her surprise, it was. Spitting a few more obscenities under her breath, the brunette walked into her best friend's house and yelled, "KYOUKO SAKURA! Answer me RIGHT NOW before I get angry!" Still, there was no response.  
  
"Now, I'm worried." she sighed and ran upstairs to check Sakura's room. Nothing. The sheets were pulled back, but Sakura wasn't in the bed. Within two minutes, she had the entire house checked. Sakura was nowhere. "Could she have gone out?" Maaya wondered, walking back towards the front door. She figured she'd ask one of the neighbors. But something caught her attention. The library door was open. She remembered how many times Sakura said her father disliked anyone going in there. Did that mean Sakura was in there? She hadn't checked. Cautiously, she pushed the door open and stepped in. "Sakura?" Nothing.  
  
She walked forward, but stopped as she nearly tripped on something. A book. "Strange. Guess it fell," she muttered, picking up the book and lifting it to put it away, but she suddenly got a strange feeling. "Shi Jin Ten Shi Sho." she murmured, opening the cover and skimming some of the book. Furrowing her brow, she sat down on the ground and began to read.  
  
"The young miko slowly stepped back in fear, shaking her head. 'I-iie! Watashi wa Sakura. Kyouko Sakura.'" Maaya dropped the book, her eyes wide. Reaching out, she flipped the cover open and checked for a copyright date. "From the 1920s." she shook her head. "What is going on.?"  
  
*cue end music XD* Glossary:  
  
Yamero - stop Arigatou - thank you Dare da - who's there? Konnichiwa - good afternoon Genbu no Miko - Priestess/Maiden of Genbu Shaiming - Emperor of Hokkan, brother to Uruki Watashi was - I am.. Daijoubu-ka - You're okay Gomen nasai - I'm so sorry.. Sayonara - good bye  
  
The point of the copyright is to point out that the book was written long ago, before Sakura was born, which shows that the book wasn't written recently and therefore purposely written about her. 


	4. Chapter Three

Chapter 3 - Journey  
  
Adjusting another borrowed outfit, Sakura nodded to herself. The outfit was blue and very snug and warm, perfect for the bitter cold outside. This time she would be sure not to freeze. She grabbed her bokken off the bureau, thankful they brought it when they found her, and slipped it into the band around her waist that kept the warm clothes snug. Tucking the scroll into the top of the coat, she opened the door and slipped down the halls.  
  
It had been three days since she accepted her position as Genbu no Miko, and in those three days, she, along with Uruki and Shaiming, spent the time going over the scroll and making plans on how to find the Seishi. The first two symbols were "dipper" and "fight." They figured that "dipper" was the symbol of the Seishi and "fight" was where they would find him or her.  
  
"Fight? Where could we find something like that? Doesn't fighting go on all the time, and just about everywhere?" Sakura had asked once she heard of the first Seishi.  
  
Uruki nodded, "That's true, but it just so happens that in a few days a fighting tournament will be conducted to the north of the capital. That's probably where the Seishi will be."  
  
Making sure that the scroll was firmly inside the coat, she sighed, "I hope so. I truly hope he or she will be there." Brushing her loose hair over her shoulder, she stepped outside where everyone was gathered. Shaiming, a few guards and servants as well as Uruki were near a set of horses, going over the plans once more in hushed tones.  
  
"Sakura! You ready?" Uruki called, waving the younger girl over after she finished setting up her horse.  
  
'Horses. Crap, I've never ridden one before.' she thought and winced. "H- hai!" she called out. 'How hard could it be?' Stepped up to one of the horses, she grinned sheepishly and gently reached out to pat its nose. "Erm, Uruki, I-"  
  
"Excuse me!"  
  
Thankful that she was cut off, Sakura sighed and turned towards the direction of the mysterious voice. "An!" she called out, smiling as she recognized the woman with white hair.  
  
"Ohayo," the woman smiled, walking up to Sakura and Uruki, still holding her wooden staff. Bowing her head, she got down on one knee before Sakura. "Genbu no Miko. Watashi wa Genbu no Namame, your Seishi," she spoke quietly, lifting up her right hand and showing the glowing symbol of "wall" on the upper side of her right wrist.  
  
Sakura, slightly stunned that the woman was kneeling before her, could barely contain her happiness once she saw the symbol. "Hontou.?"  
  
Namame slowly stood up and nodded, smiling down at the younger girl.  
  
Eyes wide, Sakura leapt up and threw her arms around Namame's neck, similar to how she had been towards Uruki when she found out she was a Seishi. "Wai! The second Seishi! We've found her!"  
  
"Sa-sakura! Wo tsukete ne! You might suffocate her like you almost did to me!" Uruki yelled, a look of worry on her face at how tight Sakura had clung herself to the older woman.  
  
With a chuckle, Namame shook her head, patting Sakura on the back. "It's all right. I'm fine," she smiled down at Sakura as the shorter girl backed away with a slight blush on her cheeks.  
  
Sakura clasped her hands in front of her, looking downwards, a large smile on her lips despite the blush on her cheeks. 'Yatta! We've done it! Two seishi, so now there's only five left!' she thought quietly, having a bit of trouble containing her happiness.  
  
Having seen the entire thing, Shaiming smiled and nodded to Namame. "Well, it seems Genbu is smiling down upon us. I'll send for another horse so that you can ride with them, Namame."  
  
"Iie! That's okay! I can ride with Uruki!" Sakura piped up, her eyes wide.  
  
"Are you sure?" Shaiming asked, a curious look on his face.  
  
Sakura nodded.  
  
With a smirk playing on her lips, Uruki leaned down to whisper in Sakura's ear, "You can't ride a horse, can you?"  
  
Making a face, Sakura shook her head. "All right, then," Uruki stood back up. "She'll ride with me."  
  
Shaiming stepped forward and held out his arms, tightly bringing them around his sister and embracing her tightly. "Be careful," he whispered in her ear. "If anything happened to you, I don't know what I'd do."  
  
Hugging back just as tightly, Uruki nodded. "I know, but you don't need to worry. I'm stronger than I look, you of all people know that," she grinned, stepping away and lightly punching her brother's shoulder.  
  
Always having been fond of how his sister acted outside the royal palace, Shaiming nodded and stepped back, slipping his hands into opposite sleeves.  
  
With another nod, Uruki backed up and got up on her waiting horse. She reached down with a hand and pulled Sakura up into the saddle behind her. "Ready?" she asked, turning to Namame who had already mounted the other horse, her staff nowhere to be seen. The older woman nodded and the party waved before kicking their horses and riding off.  
  
---  
  
The young Emperor of Kutou, Emperor Li, stormed down the many halls of his palace, shoving a few guards and servants out of his way as he moved. "So, Hokkan has found their Miko, 'eh? Well, it's a good thing I found these guys when I did." he muttered to himself, rounding another corner and skidding slightly on the well polished floor, but paying no mind as he dismissed the guards at his door and entered his quarters, closing the door behind him.  
  
Almost immediately he began pacing back and forth, running formulas and ideas running through his head, wondering how, exactly, he would go about getting rid of Genbu no Miko. "Kogane!" he yelled, stopping his pacing and facing his bed, tightening and relaxing his hands into fists.  
  
A few feet behind the Emperor, a black mist seemed to develop out of nowhere and quickly began to take on height. Within a few moments, the mist was the size of a human, and at the center, a man took form and stepped forward. His hair was long and golden, reaching his hips, and his eyes were a matching gold color. In contrast, his robes were black, adorned with various golden trinkets. Moving his arm over his stomach, parallel to the ground, he bowed at the waist.  
  
"You called?" he asked, his voice quiet and deep. Behind the tall man, similar pools of mist took form and transformed into four silhouetted bodies, kneeling on one knee with their heads bowed. Their forms were completely shrouded in darkness, so it was nearly impossible for any of them to be made out as human or non, female or male.  
  
"Yes," the emperor replied, raising his arms up and crossing them over his chest, quickly turning around to stare at the tall man. "Kogane, I need you to take care of that girl Hokkan has found, Genbu no Miko. I don't care what you do or how you do it, just make sure she never summons Genbu. Understand?"  
  
The tall man now identified as Kogane nodded once before standing up to his full height, his arms dropping to his sides as he looked down at the man before. "Wakateru," he replied, taking a step back. Each of the five bodies turned into a black mist once more and disappeared leaving the Emperor to brood.  
  
---  
  
Ever since she entered Sakura's father's library and picked up the book, Maaya couldn't seem to put it down. She was still skeptical about Sakura actually being in the book, but as she read on and on, she was more convinced that the girl in the book actually was her best friend; there was no way some author could have come up with a character exactly like Sakura without ever having met her. But the questions just kept popping into her head. Was what she was reading actually happening? Where exactly was Sakura? How did she get into the book in the first place?  
  
Shaking her head, Maaya looked up and checked her watch. "Eight. Better call mom," she muttered to herself, placing the book on the floor and walking out of the library, stopping in the hall and picking up the phone. She dialed her number and waited for someone to pick up. "Mom? Hi. Uhh, I'm still at Sakura's. She's not feeling very well, so I'm going to sleep over her house. No need to worry about anything, I'll borrow things from her if I need it. I'll call you back in the morning, okay? Bye." Hanging up the phone, she sighed and made her way back into the library. She plopped down on the floor once more and picked the book up, gently fingering the pages and going to where she left off.  
  
"'With his orders clear, the dark sorcerer stepped back into the shadows and disappeared with his minions, plans for taking care of the miko already brewing in his head.'" Maaya shuddered. "I really don't like this guy. If he does anything to Sakura, so help me." she trailed off growling.  
  
---  
  
They had been riding since they had left the palace, with little to no stops, and Sakura was already getting tired. Yawning, she tightened her grip around Uruki's waist and leaned against her back. "How much longer until we get there?" she muttered through the clothes.  
  
Chuckling, Uruki surprisingly heard her. "Not much longer. We're going to rest for the night at an inn in the town. Tomorrow the tournament should be starting, so hopefully we'll find him or her there."  
  
"Mmhmm." Sakura murmured, closing her eyes and trying to rest, but finding it hard with all the jostling her body did in the seat because of the horse. But it did feel good to close her eyes for a bit.  
  
And as Uruki said, it didn't take them much longer before they reached the town. Namame and Uruki slowed their horses down to trots and made their way towards the inn. When Sakura had to get off the horse, she nearly fell over on her rear, but luckily caught her balance in time. Wobbling around for a few minutes, Sakura winced, "I never want to ride another horse again."  
  
Namame chuckled as she tied her horse outside. "You get used to it for a while. Come, we'll get some food, rent a room and get a good night's rest."  
  
The party entered the inn and made their way straight to the dinning room. They took their seats and placed their orders. Luckily Uruki brought quite a bit of money with her so they could buy whatever they wanted, and within a few minutes, their orders were brought to them. Sakura was quite content with sitting stationary while eating as she could barely remember sitting still so long.  
  
"Namame?"  
  
"Hn?" the white haired woman looked up from her vegetables to look at the youngest.  
  
"What were you doing before you joined us?" Sakura asked curiously. Although she hadn't been in Hokkan very long, she had gotten to know Uruki very well, like a sister. But she didn't know a thing about Namame, and as the Miko, she felt like she had the responsibility to.  
  
"What do you mean?" Namame asked, her brow furrowing in confusion as she placed down her chopsticks.  
  
"I mean." Sakura started, wondering how she could put it. "Like, tell us about yourself!"  
  
"Ah," she nodded, dabbing her mouth with her napkin. "Well, let's see. There isn't much to tell, really. When I was younger, I grew up in a very loving family. But sadly, I don't remember them very well. But when I grew up, I fell in love with a boy my age. His name was Shota," she smiled as memories of her past roamed in her mind.  
  
Sakura smiled, leaning forward a bit. "What was he like?"  
  
Namame tilted her head slightly. "He was tall, dark, handsome and very quiet. We got along very well, spending almost all our free time together. Everyone used to say that we were connected at the hip," she chuckled. "But our parents were against it. My parents didn't like him and his parents didn't like me. We couldn't stand how our parents acted, so when we were seventeen we ran off to live on our own."  
  
Placing her own chopsticks down, Uruki leaned back in her chair, listening to the story. "Did your parents find you?"  
  
"Actually, they didn't. They sent out search parties, looked for us themselves, but after a few weeks they got tired and gave up. We did pretty well as young lovers then," she sighed. "We both got jobs, supported each other. Not long after that, Shota asked me to marry him, and of course I accepted."  
  
Like the girls they were, Sakura and Uruki sighed happily at the thought of the young lovers.  
  
"But, on the day we were supposed to get married." Namame trailed off, her eyes becoming blurry, her head tilting downwards. "We were attacked by a small group of bandits. Shota threw himself over me, trying to protect me, but he died in the process."  
  
Both faces fell, feeling as though they were about to cry. Uruki kicked Sakura under the table for asking such a rude question, and Sakura kicked her back since she was just as curious. "Gomen.." Sakura whispered, looking up to the older woman.  
  
Sniffling quietly, Namame shook her head, lifting it back up, her eyes much clearer. "Iie, it's all right." She cleared her throat. "I was so scared when it happened, and I felt so guilty. From that day on, I began wandering the lands, doing what I could every now and then to make some money. I vowed that I would track down his killer and kill him as payback. At night, I would stay up and stare at the moon. Once, I became so angry that I started hearing things around me, and that's when I found out I was a Seishi." She rubbed the symbol of "wall" on her wrist.  
  
"Did you ever find your lover's killer?" Sakura spoke up.  
  
Namame shook her head. "No. While I was traveling the lands, learning to control and use my power, I learned that he had already died in a fire. I was glad when I found that out, but still angry. I couldn't take my revenge for Shota. So instead, I made him a new promise."  
  
Uruki and Sakura looked at the woman, their faces reading looks of confusion. "What promise was that?" they both asked simultaneously.  
  
"Since I couldn't save him, I promised Shota that I would protect the next important thing to me with my life," she spoke, nodding to Sakura. "I promised him that for the rest of my life, I would protect Genbu no Miko in his place," she smiled.  
  
Sakura just blinked a few times, a light blush creeping onto her face as she heard Namame's words. "A-arigatou." she smiled lightly.  
  
"Iie, it is both my promise and purpose to protect you."  
  
Still smiling, Sakura nodded, but the blush wouldn't leave her cheeks. Not longer after, the women finished their meals and retired to the room they had rented. It was large and cozy, the best room in the inn with three beds, one for each of them. It was already late and the three of them immediately fell asleep once they lied down.  
  
---  
  
The room the three women were staying in was absolutely silent and motionless except for their breathing. Each of them lied in their own bed, sleeping peacefully and quietly, their deep, slow breathing proof of their slumber. The room was pitch black, save for small bits of light that poured in from the stars and moon outside the window.  
  
In one of the farthest corners of the room, a delicate mist began to spread out along the floor, growing into a large sheet of tumbling air and moving silently across the floor. As it moved, it continued to spread out before it stopped at the side of Sakura's bed. It then began to grow upwards and take on the shape of a human. In an instant, the mist disappeared, leaving a young body covered in the darkness of the room. His entire body was hidden, except for the glint of a red eye.  
  
Breathing quietly, the boy looked down at Sakura, cautiously reaching out a hand and bringing it down over the young girl's forehead, brushing her bangs out of her eyes. A soft smile played at his lips as he brought his hand down, his fingertips gently moving across the girl's forehead and down her cheek. "So soft." he whispered, his eyes watching her with interest.  
  
His hand kept moving downwards, down her chin and along her neck to the top portion of her chest that was exposed, outside of the warm blanket surrounding the rest of her body. "So very soft." he breathed again, his fingers slowly moving back and forth across the top of her chest, right above her cleavage. With his pointer finger, he traced a line over her collarbone before moving his hand further down beneath her shirt, gently touching one of her breasts.  
  
Although she was in such a deep sleep, Sakura stirred slightly, her brow furrowing as her body lightly twitched.  
  
Slightly surprised with her reaction, the boy pulled his hand back and continued to stare down at the girl. Bending down, he placed his warm lips to her forehead and kissed her. As he stood back up, he began taking steps backwards, a red character glowing upon his right hand. "Oyasumi." he whispered as his body turned back to mist and disappeared.  
  
A small smile played on Sakura's lips as she murmured something in her sleep. Turning onto her side, she curled up into the blankets and fell into an even deeper sleep.  
  
---  
  
By ten the next morning, everyone was up, had breakfast and was ready to go. As they packed their things in their room, Sakura called over her shoulder, "What time does the tournament start?"  
  
Uruki flung her bag over her shoulder and replied, "Should have started by now. If not, it'll start in a few minutes."  
  
Finishing up with her bag, Namame moved towards the door and looked towards the other two. "I think we should split up. I know, I know," she shook her head at the faces of disbelief the girls were giving her, "you think it's not a good idea. But this town is big, and the chances of getting into much trouble are small. I can take care of myself. So Uruki, you go with Sakura. If something happens, just yell; I'll be able to hear you no matter where I am. By eleven, whether you've found him or her or not, we'll meet up back here, understood?"  
  
Both younger girls nodded. And with that, the party left the room and separated into two once they hit the streets.  
  
"I don't think we should have split up," Uruki said, looking every which way to see some sort of glowing symbol. "Whether she can take care of herself or not, I think it'd be best if we all just stuck together."  
  
Sakura nodded, checking out every person that passed her by, tightly holding the scroll in her hands. "I know, but I really do think Namame can take care of herself. She's a strong woman."  
  
After an hour of checking the tournament grounds, both girls sighed sadly and made their way back towards the inn. "Too bad we couldn't find the Seishi. Maybe Namame had better luck," Sakura said.  
  
"I hope so. But, where are we...?" Uruki stopped where she was and looked around. Somehow they had split apart from the regular crowd of the town and were now in an abandoned alley.  
  
"I. I don't know." Sakura replied quietly, slowly backing up towards Uruki, getting a bad feeling.  
  
"Well, well, look what we got here, boys," a voice from behind them spoke. The two quickly spun around to see seven men had followed them.  
  
"Seems like our lucky day!" another voice called. Uruki kept facing the first man that spoke, but Sakura gasped and spun around seeing another six guys close in from behind.  
  
Backing up until the two were back to back, Sakura whispered, "I think we're in trouble. I don't know how many I can take." Her hand moved down towards the hilt of her bokken.  
  
Uruki grit her teeth, eyeing the men before her. "Neither do I," she whispered back. But getting an idea, she stopped up straight and glared at the bunch before her. "I suggest you boys back up and go home!" she called out. "I am the Empress of Hokkan, and if you know what's best for you, you will leave us alone!"  
  
"Uruki!" Sakura hissed. "What are you -doing-?!"  
  
"Trust me!" she hissed back.  
  
The first man, who seemed to be the leader, chuckled and advanced forward, his boys following close behind like obedient dogs. "Ohh, so we have royalty before us! I hear the royal women have very soft skin. That should make this all the more fun," he laughed.  
  
"Well, we're screwed," Uruki sighed. "I can't use my powers. There aren't any roots or anything below us!"  
  
Pulling her bokken into a defensive position, Sakura shrugged. "Well, I say we bust our way through and run. Ready?" Not bothering to wait for an answer, Sakura rushed forward and brought her bokken down over the first man, clipping his nose and causing him to reel back in pain.  
  
"Sakura, matte!" Uruki yelled. But it was too late. With a sigh, she shook her head and ran forward, bringing her knee up and slamming it into the crotch of the man who was closest. She then slammed a hand down at the back of his neck and knocked him over. A man threw a punch at her, and she ducked under it, her fist coming up to meet his stomach. Standing back up, she flung her body to the side and brought her foot up, round housing the man in the jaw and sending him flying backwards.  
  
Twirling from her position, Sakura brought the bokken around and slammed it into the stomach of the closest guy. As she had feared, her skills weren't as good as she had hoped. She could take out a few more guys, but afterwards, she would be in trouble. Spinning around once more, she brought the bokken down over another man's face, this time actually cutting the skin, leaving a diagonal slash on his face, a few drops of blood staining the wood.  
  
Within a few minutes, the girls had taken out eight of the men, leaving another five. Their movements too slow, both women were caught and forced up against the alley wall, their wrists pinned above their heads.  
  
"Heh, heh, heh." the leader chuckled, moving over to the two. "Seems you girls have caused a bit of trouble with my men," he shook his head, motioning to the fallen men. "You're going to pay for that," he growled, reaching down and loosening his pants as the other men laughed.  
  
"Hey!"  
  
"Oh, now what?!" the leader yelled, turning to look towards the alleyway entrance, seeing a silhouette of a man. "What do you want? If you want a try at these girls, you'll have to wait!"  
  
Shaking his head, the man at the alleyway began walking forward, clicking his tongue. "Don't you have any manners?" he asked, stopping just a few feet in front of the leader. Sakura slowly opened her eyes, her breathing heavy, and looked at the recently arrived man. He had short brown hair and eyes, a red bandana tied around his forehead.  
  
"Let the ladies go, and I'll let you live," he growled, crossing his arms over his chest.  
  
"Huh.. and just who do you think you are, punk?" asked the leader, fully turning around to face the kid. He motioned for two of his men to move forward with him. Without bothering to wait for an answer, the three men were on the boy, lashing out with kicks and punches as the other two laughed from their position of holding the women up.  
  
With a growl, the boy slammed his fist into one of the men's chins, sending him to the ground with a broken jaw. He then slammed his elbow back into the chest of the man behind him, then wheeled around and punched him across the face, breaking his nose with a sickening crunch. The second man fell backwards, holding his nose as blood gushed from it.  
  
"All right!" the leader yelled, backing away. "You win this time! But the next time I see you, you won't be so lucky!" With that, he turned and ran out of the alley, his two lackeys close behind, leaving the women to fall to the ground holding their wrists.  
  
"You two okay?" the boy asked, stepping up to them and crouching down to take a look at them.  
  
"H-hai." Sakura whispered, slowly looking up. The poor boy had gotten into so much trouble for them, even the left sleeve of his coat was ripped off. And his arm was fully exposed, the green symbol for "dipper" glowing on his bicep. "Y..You're..!"  
  
Uruki looked up from her wrists towards Sakura. "What are you going on about?" she asked. She looked to where Sakura was pointing and grinned. "Yatta!"  
  
"N-nani?" he asked, looking at the blue haired girl pointing at his bicep. "Oh, this? This-ack!" he yelped as Sakura threw her arms around him and hugged him tightly, knocking him over.  
  
"The third Seishi! We've found him!" she called out happily, hugging the boy tightly.  
  
"Sakura.. You really have to learn to stop doing that." Uruki sighed, standing up and pulling Sakura away. "What's your name?"  
  
Once Sakura was pulled off him, the boy stood up and brushed himself off, chuckling lightly. "My name's Miao Fai, but because of this symbol," he said, pointing to his bicep, "I'm also known as Hatsui, Genbu no Hatsui."  
  
Unable to contain her excitement, Sakura leapt forward again and threw her arms around Hatsui's neck once more.  
  
"S-Sakura!" Uruki yelled.  
  
'We did it! Now we only have four more!' she thought happily, not noticing Hatsui's face turning blue or hearing Uruki's yelling.  
  
*cue ending music XD* Glossary:  
  
Hontou - really? Wai - yay! Wo tsukete ne - be careful Yatta - woohoo! Emperor Li - Emperor of Kutou, minor character Chopsticks - I don't know if they used chopsticks or not, go figure Shota - Namame's lover, minor character Oyasumi - good night Matte - wait 


	5. Chapter Four

Chapter Four - Enemy  
  
The sun was past setting, and with no windows in the library, there was hardly any light within the book-filled room. The only source of light came from the small amount flooding in from the hallway, and although it wasn't much, it was enough to allow Maaya to continue reading. She found herself completely absorbed in the book, hardly noticing the dusty smell of the library.  
  
Ever since picking up the book, Maaya kept getting this strange feeling and couldn't put it down. For the past hour, she had been curled up in the library, the book close to her face, following the story from the very beginning. Every now and then, she lowered the book and shook her head, letting realization hit as she finally decided that Sakura was (as hard as it was to believe) inside the book. Of course she didn't know how her best friend got in there, hell, she thought she was crazy for believing it, but everything about the main character was exactly like Sakura, no questions about that.  
  
Pulling the book back to her face to read the text, Maaya sighed and began reading again, her voice strong and unwavering as she read the words aloud. "Within five days of Genbu no Miko's recovery, three seishi had already been found. By now, the party was confident in their abilities and took a day to rest before setting back out on the road."  
  
---  
  
With a yawn, Sakura reached upward and stretched, leaning backwards a bit so that her back would crack a few times. Groaning at the feel, she smiled lopsidedly and regained her composure with a content sigh. She had already packed what little belongings she had, and was waiting patiently by the door for her seishi to finish. 'I can't believe we've already found three.' she thought to herself, watching the three seishi with a smile on her lips as she remembered what happened not long after their found Hatsui.  
  
After finding the third seishi, Uruki, Sakura and Hatsui met up with Namame back at the inn. Once seeing Namame, Uruki strolled up to the older woman and shook her fist, scolding her for not showing up when she was needed, and yelling about how splitting up was a bad idea. Namame only shrugged and mentioned something about how her plan was successful either way before turning to greet Hatsui, leaving Uruki to fume out in the street.  
  
Everyone agreed that a rest would be a good idea since the hunt for the first seishi had been successful and the next might not be as easy to find. They settled down for the night in the same room, Sakura sharing a bed with Uruki so that Hatsui could have a bed. Uruki protested, saying that Hatsui should get a different room because he was a man, and that he might try something during the night since all men were alike. This immediately caused a fight between the two seishi, leaving Uruki as the victor, cackling as she pinned poor Hatsui to the floor.  
  
After the little confrontation, the seishi and Sakura discussed plans for finding the next seishi. His, or her, symbol was 'rooftop,' which was no problem, but the clue was 'bear,' and not the most obvious of clues; bears were found all over Hokkan, especially in forests, as Hatsui pointed out. This, of course, prompted Uruki to slap him upside the head, yelling about how she knows her country quite well without having a hooligan like him telling her otherwise. Once that fight had settled down, everyone decided that they would try the closest forest first. Not long after, the party slipped off into a deep sleep without any interruptions.  
  
"Sakura. Sakura? Ne, Sakura!" Hatsui yelled, waving his hand in front of the girl's face.  
  
Blinking a few times, Sakura looked up, "N-nani?"  
  
The brunette smirked, lowering his hand and shaking his head. "You were staring off into space. Ya' ready?"  
  
Brushing her bangs out of her eyes, Sakura nodded.  
  
"What are you doing standing there?" Uruki turned and yelled at Hatsui, promptly chucking a pillow in his direction. "Go get a horse already! We only have two, and there's no way you're riding with me!"  
  
Turning around just in time to be smacked in the face with a pillow, Hatsui narrowed his eyes, letting the pillow fall to the ground. "Sheesh, I'm going, I'm going!" he yelled, grabbing his bag and flinging it over his shoulder. As he walked out the door, he muttered, "Slave driver."  
  
"I heard that!" Uruki yelled, chucking another pillow out the door and hitting Hatsui on the back of the head, eliciting a grunt from him.  
  
With a chuckle, Sakura picked her bag up and waited for Uruki to finish up. The oldest of the seishi was also waiting by the door, shaking her head. "By the time you're done packing your things, the sun will have already set," the white-haired woman spoke as she took note of how Uruki had more bags than anyone else.  
  
Frowning, Uruki hoisted her belongings over her shoulder and turned towards Namame. "Oh, not you too!" she whined. "Everyone's against me!" she yelled, quickly exiting the room and making her way after Hatsui, leaving Sakura laughing and Namame shaking her head.  
  
---  
  
Within twenty minutes of packing and leaving the room, the seishi were out on the road once more, Sakura still riding with Uruki due to her lack of knowledge in the field of riding horses. Although Hatsui tried saying something about the whole matter, Uruki gave him a ball-busting glare, which caused him to immediately shut up.  
  
"Maaan!" Hatsui complained after a little while on the road. "Someone switch horses with me! This one smells!"  
  
Uruki tilted her head to the side a bit, turning her head to get a glance of Hatsui. "Oh, it's the horse? I thought you hadn't taken a bath."  
  
Narrowing his eyes, Hatsui shook his fist, glaring at Uruki, "Kono.."  
  
"Oh well!" Uruki called out, turning back around to watch where she was going. "Hopefully we'll reach another town, and you'll be able to take a bath there. Unless you kill your horse by then since you smell so bad."  
  
Chuckling, Sakura shook her head, "Mou, Uruki! Why not be nice to Hatsui for a change?" She wondered why Uruki was giving Hatsui such a hard time, but realizing it was all out of fun, she wondered if Uruki had a thing for him.  
  
"Huh? But I thought I was! If I hadn't told him he smelled, he might never take a bath!"  
  
"Hey! I heard that!" Hatsui yelled from the back of the group. "I do -not- smell! Unlike -someone- around here!"  
  
Pulling back on the reigns of her horse, Uruki turned the dark colored horse around and eyed Hatsui. "Are you implying that I smell?"  
  
"What? Who? Me? Nooo! Not at all!" he grinned. "But you -could- stand to take a bath sometime soon.. That royal perfume you're wearing doesn't mask the odor so well."  
  
"I'll royal perfume you!" Uruki yelled, shaking a fist and moving to dismount her horse.  
  
"Yamero! Both of you!" Namame called out, having kept silent the entire time. Tilting her head upwards she watched the sky through the trees. From the looks of it, the sky was perfectly fine, completely clear. But she had just gotten the strangest of feelings that moment.  
  
Before the two could get off their horses, they stopped and looked towards the oldest of the group. Blinking, Sakura looked towards Namame, then looked towards the sky. Seeing nothing out of the ordinary, she looked back down to the white haired woman. "What's wrong?"  
  
"The weather," Namame replied quietly. "I think we should find some shelter soon."  
  
"Doushite? The weather looks fine. It's a perfect blue and there's not a cloud in the sky," Uruki replied, now looking up towards the sky as well.  
  
"Tch, I think I trust Namame's gut feeling over your observations." Hatsui muttered.  
  
"Urusai!" Uruki yelled, turning around once more to glare at the only man in their party. "Before I come over there and make you!"  
  
"Both of you be quiet and follow me!" Namame yelled, her temper showing for the first time. "I think there's a cave around her." With that, she lightly tugged on her horse's reigns and urged it forward at a slow pace, waiting for everyone else to follow her before she kicked her horse, causing the pale skinned creature to pick up its pace to a run.  
  
---  
  
"Looking for shelter so soon?" a childish voice, female by sound, spoke through the air. Giggling quietly, a silhouette of a young girl formed on top of large hill, high above the ground from where the seishi were. Body covered by the shadows cast down from the trees, she tilted her head to the side to look down at the seishi in the distance. "My, my! Hail can't seem to outsmart you!" she giggled, pulling a large object close to her body and wrapping both hands around it. The object was long, around five feet long and an inch thick topped with a large piece of metal that glinted in the light. "Hail will just have to have some fun then!"  
  
With another giggle, the girl lifted the large object into the air, gripping it around the middle with both hands. Almost immediately, the piece of metal took on a light blue aura that spread down the shaft and then covered the girl, her body becoming exposed as the aura cast light over her. Her long white hair waved in the wind as she closed her ice blue eyes, her hands tightening their grip around the shaft of the naginata. "Time for some fun indeed!" she laughed, bringing the blade of the weapon downwards, slicing it through the air and spinning it around before pointing it back into the air. A streak of white colored lightning shot out from the tip of the blade and arched into the air, disappearing into a group of newly formed rain clouds. As the aura around her body dispersed, her form was once more covered with shadows as she lowered her weapon, her eyes opening and head tilting upwards to look towards the sky.  
  
A rumble of thunder sounded and a streak of lightning crossed the sky. Not long after, hail began raining down from the sky, large balls of ice falling quickly through the sky and beating down mercilessly on the ground. The girl continued to giggle, her hair waving across her face, the hail seeming to have no effect on her, not even touching her. A bright green symbol lit up on the right side of her neck before she leapt into the air and disappeared.  
  
---  
  
"Haiyakku!" Namame yelled, leaning forward and urging her horse to run faster as the hail began to fall from the sky, large pellets of ice pelting into her body, thankfully missing any of her exposed skin.  
  
Sakura winced in pain as large pieces of ice violently hit her body causing her to shrink against Uruki's back, hands tightening around the seishi's waist. "Itai." she hissed, feeling a cut form on the side of her face, a ragged piece of ice slicing the skin open.  
  
Feeling the pressure around her waist increase, Uruki followed Namame's lead, leaning forward and urging her horse to run faster, using the heels of her feet to kick the horse's sides. "I think that's it up ahead!" she yelled over the thunder of the hail, just slightly making out the form of a cave some yards in front of them.  
  
A streak of lightning arched through the air again, lightning up the now dark and gloomy forest, outlining the form of the cave up ahead. Within a minute, they turned their horses into the hollow structure and dismounted. "Sakura! Daijoubu?" Uruki asked, pulling Sakura off the horse and pushing her hair back to examine her face.  
  
"I'm fine," she replied, brushing her bangs behind her ears and wincing slightly. A cut had formed beneath her right eye, stretching out from the side of her nose and past her cheekbone, a few drops of blood trickling down her pale cheek.  
  
"Namame!" Uruki pushed Sakura to sit down on one of the rocks as she motioned for the eldest to come over.  
  
"What'd you do now, Uruki? Did'ja try scratching her eye out or something?" Hatsui shook his head, moving to Sakura's side an eyeing the cut, not realizing it was so bad until he noticed the blood staining her coat.  
  
Narrowing her eyes, the raven-haired woman looked up at the boy and growled, "Just for a moment, could you shut up. Some of the hail hit her face and cut her."  
  
Namame crouched in front of Sakura and eyed the cut. "Someone hand me my bag."  
  
Hatsui, being the closest, turned to the horses and undid the straps on Namame's, taking the bag down and bringing it to her as Sakura shook her head, trying to push everyone back. "I'm fine, honestly. It's just a little scratch, no need to worry."  
  
Namame nodded, taking her bag from Hatsui and rummaged through it. "You're right, but we should still clean it and cover it. Who knows what could happen if you leave it go." Taking out some bandages and clean cloth, she quietly blotted away the blood on Sakura's face, although the girl still protested.  
  
With a sigh, Sakura stood still, letting Namame clean and bandage her cut. She didn't understand why there was such a big fuss over such a little cut; she had gotten larger and far worse cuts than this one, and even then, no one made a fuss over them as badly as this one. Maybe it was one of the drawbacks to being Genbu no Miko, how everyone made such a big deal out of the little things. It's not that she minded they were paying attention to her, she just didn't like to feel how she felt when her mother died; she didn't like to feel so helpless and unable to take care of herself.  
  
"There," Namame said, leaning back and putting her supplies away, leaving a small white bandage over the shallow but long cut. "It won't need stitches, but leave it on for a few days, then we'll take it off to let it air out," she quietly gave her directions, acting very much like a doctor. She could easily enough tell Sakura was a bit upset over the whole matter, even if she didn't use her seishi power to read the girl's mind; the look in her eyes told her everything. In a way, she couldn't blame the girl, but Sakura would have to get used to people fussing over her. Standing up, she gently patted the girl on the shoulder before moving to place her bag back on her horse.  
  
Seeing a look of sadness crossed with annoyance on Sakura's face, Hatsui crossed his arms over his chest and walked over to her. "Maybe you should ride with me from now on," Hatsui smirked, sitting down next to Sakura and looking up at Uruki. "Seems Miss Empress over there is pretty reckless when she rides." An even bigger grin spread out on his face as he saw Uruki whip around and start stalking towards him. Sure, he would get a few bruises out of this once Uruki had let out her anger on him, but he was sure Sakura would at least cheer up.  
  
"What was that?" Uruki growled, stalking towards the younger man. Without letting him have the chance to respond, she leapt at him and knocked him backwards, trying to keep herself from laughing as she playfully wrestled him; sure, the brunette often got on her nerves, but she knew it was all joking.  
  
With an exasperated sigh, Namame sat down on one of the rocks and shook her head at the two. "Like children," she muttered with another shake of her head, the beads in her hair lightly clattering against one another. Glancing down to Sakura, she smiled as she saw the girl laughing, glad to see the young miko already back to her old self.  
  
Once again, Uruki had one the fight and sat on Hatsui's back, beaming with pride. "I win, as usual!" she laughed.  
  
"Yeah, well, don't think you'll always win," Hatsui muttered, his face buried in the floor. Rolling onto his back, he forced Uruki off of him and rubbed his neck, glancing around. "Guess we're stuck in here. The hail doesn't look like it's going to let up any time soon. Think we should check this place out? Might be some bears in here, or somethin'."  
  
Namame nodded. "Either way, we should move as far back into the cave as possible. If the wind direction changes, we might find ourselves getting hit in the face with more hail." Standing up, she brushed herself off and moved towards her horse, taking the reigns in her hand and gently pulling it further back into the cave, the rest of the seishi following her lead, Sakura staying by Namame's side.  
  
"It's too dark in here. We might as well stop here since we won't be able to see a thing in a moment. Why couldn't your power be something useful, like fire? Maybe then you'd be of some use to us," Uruki muttered, glancing towards Hatsui as they moved back into the cave, far back enough so that hardly any light from the mouth of the structure made it back that far.  
  
"You'll be glad to know," Hatsui retorted, "that I can make a fire out of almost anything!" Letting go of his horses reigns, he took a few steps forward and looked around for some dead leaves or branches. Sadly, there were none. "Well, I could if there were some branches or something," he muttered, crossing his arms over his chest, refusing to look at the laughing Uruki.  
  
Shaking her head, Uruki laughed at Hatsui, rubbing her hands together. "Oh, what would you do without us!" she snickered. "Just watch!" With that, Uruki lowered her head and closed her eyes, her hands extending out across the floor, palms down. Although hidden, her seishi symbol was already beginning to glow a bright green as the ground began to rumble.  
  
"Holy shit! What are you doing you insane woman?! We don't need you bringing the rocks down over our heads!" Hatsui yelled, covering his head with his arms.  
  
Ignoring him, Uruki slowly lifted her arms up, turning her palms around to face the ceiling of the cave as she continued to raise them. From the ground in front of her, a few plant roots began poking through the dirt, growing upwards and curling around each other, making a perfect circle. As Uruki curled her hands into fists, the ground stopped moving and the roots ceased growing. "Hah! See? You'd be no where without us!" she snickered, brushing her hands together.  
  
Hatsui muttered something to himself, refusing to show her that he had been somewhat surprised by her power, and moved towards the roots, crouching down in front of them and grabbed two rocks. Still muttering some things to himself, he began smacking the rocks against each other, trying to get a fire started.  
  
By the time Hatsui had finally gotten the fire started, all the while being interrupted a few times by Uruki's taunting, the sun had already set. They were far enough into the cave that with the heat from the fire, it was warm enough for them to spend the night and the hail wouldn't have a chance to reach them. Sure that the cave was empty of everything except them, the seishi and miko curled up on the ground and tried to get some sleep, each of them falling off into a very deep sleep.  
  
--- Sakura.  
  
Dare da? Who's calling me?  
  
Sakura. come to me.  
  
Who are you? What do you want?  
  
Don't be afraid, Genbu no Miko.  
  
With a quiet murmur, Sakura slowly sat up from her lying position before getting to her feet and making her way towards the mouth of the cave. Her movements were short and clumsy, obvious attributes to sleep walking. Stumbling forward, her eyes closed peacefully as if she were sleeping, Sakura moved out of the cave and into the forest, the hail, having stopped some time ago, had left the ground wet and slippery.  
  
"Sakura." a quiet voice called out.  
  
"I'm coming." Sakura murmured in reply, still asleep and stumbling forward through the forest, amazingly enough not tripping on any branches.  
  
Some yards in front of Sakura, the shape of a boy appeared, a tall boy with short black hair and deep red eyes. On his forehead, the symbol of Suzaku was burning red. He intently watched Sakura, his arms opening, reaching out to her as she came closer and closer.  
  
Sakura took a few more steps before stopping, a drowsy grin growing on her lips as she felt strong, warm arms embrace her. But she just stood there, unmoving as the boy hugged her.  
  
"Genbu no Miko-sama." the boy sighed, tightening his grip on her, his head moving down to her shoulder as he inhaled deeply, taking in the scent of her skin. "Soon you will be mine," he whispered, turning his head and gently placing a kiss on her neck. Bringing his arms around her front, he moved them, slowly, up her stomach and over her chest, cupping her breasts before moving his hands to undo her coat. As the young man slowly pulled Sakura's coat off, he placed another kiss on her neck, leading a trail of kisses up her neck and to her jaw, hardly taking note of anything else going on around him.  
  
The sound of someone rushing forward was barely heard, the steps deliberately silent, avoiding any dead branches or leaves on the ground that might give off its position. "Let go of her!" another voice yelled, masculine in sound. At the same time, the form of a boy ran forward, throwing something out in front of him, aimed at hitting the other guy.  
  
Narrowing his eyes, the red-eyed boy let go of Sakura and jumped backwards, barely avoiding the nunchuku thrown at him. With a growl, he spun once and crouched downwards, glaring at the intruder. "What do you want?" he hissed, his hand moving towards his back.  
  
The nunchuku was yanked backwards, and the owner caught it with perfect precision, now standing next to the fallen Sakura who was now wide-awake. "Get away from Genbu no Miko-sama before I force you away," the blond boy growled, his eyes narrowing as he gripped his weapon, moving defensively in front of Sakura.  
  
"Force me away?" the taller boy responded with a laugh. Pulling his hand back in front of him, he moved both hands around and tightly held the hilt of his katana. "Well then, boy, seems like you're going to have to force me away," he chuckled, standing upright, spinning the katana around in his right hand. Spreading his feet apart, he extended his left hand and motioned for the blond to come at him.  
  
With a growl, the blond boy ran forward, leaving Sakura, and pulled the nunchukus apart, the chain connecting the two wooden pieces pulling taught. As he came closer to his opponent, he spun the nunchukus using his dominant hand before launching them forward, aimed at the center of the older boy's chest.  
  
"Nani?" Sakura slowly shook her head, opening her eyes and looking around at the forest. "How did I get out here.?" The sound of metal slicing through skin drew her attention and she quickly turned to watch the two boys fighting. She didn't know what was going on, but she could tell that the blond was losing, his left arm weakened as blood dripped down his arm. And then she noticed the green symbol glowing on his temple. ".Rooftop." she whispered, slowly standing up and pulling her coat tight around her. "The fourth seishi." Shaking her head, she ran forward, determined to help in some way or form.  
  
Leaping backwards, the red-eyed boy smirked and snapped his wrist to the side, the blood on the tip of his katana flinging off and to the ground. His eyes darted to the side, taking note of the fully awake miko, and with a shake of his head, he holstered his katana, stepping backwards. "Well, it seems as though your Genbu no Miko is awake. No need to kill one of her own seishi before her eyes. But, I have what I came for," he grinned, taking a step back and waving the scroll in the air before disappearing into the forest.  
  
"Matte!" the boy yelled, but was too late. With a sigh, he dropped his nunchukus to the ground and grasped his bleeding arm, wincing slightly as he turned around to face Sakura. Bowing his head, he got down on one knee and apologized. "Gomen nasai, Genbu no Miko. I've failed you. He got away with the Shi Jin Ten Shi Sho."  
  
Shaking her head, Sakura dropped down onto her knees in front of him and lifted his head up. "Daijoubu." she said, smiling softly, brushing his hair away from his eyes. "You're one of Genbu's seishi, aren't you?" she asked, looking into his eyes.  
  
The blond boy slowly nodded, looking back into his miko's eyes. "H-hai... Watashi wa Urumiya."  
  
'The fourth seishi.' she smiled. By now she had learned not to fling herself at the seishi and instead, hugged him tightly, not taking notice of the blush that had crept onto his cheeks.  
  
*cue ending music XD* 


End file.

Fushigi Yuugi, Adventure, Romance