Only Time: The Sacred Power

Chapter Thirty

By J. Marie

Warning!!! This is a lemon yaoi fanfiction starring Nakago and Tasuki from Fushigi Yugi. It is rated NC-17. Ho-hum. I've run out of things to say...

"Well, this isn't going very well."

"You have a talent for understatement, Soi."

"Why thank you, Nakago. And how does it feel to now be utterly useless?"

"Not as bad as you might think. I'm beginning to understand how the Priestesses might feel."

Nakago's back was pressed against Soi's, and the glow of his ki surrounded his hands, while lightning crackled from hers. They were surrounded on all sides by smoke demons, much like the rest of the Celestial Warriors inside the Hidden Temple. The smoke demons had thus far proven rather invulnerable to all forms of attack. But despite the seishi's inability to touch them, they were proving quite capable of touching them, judging by the nasty cut on Nakago's left arm.

"We've got to find a way to destroy these creatures," Nakago ground out, ducking the swing of a spiked chain while lashing out with a ki blast that did little else than scatter dust.

"How clever of you to say so," Soi sighed, spinning away to avoid being sliced in half and firing off a lightning blast that had little effect.

The smoke demons pressed in, attacking the pair with their weapons of smoke. Nakago swallowed as he dodged the attacks, his eyes inevitably drifting over to a certain redhead who was in a similar predicament with Chichiri. Tasuki seemed all right, but as tired as the rest of them.

"Soi, use your winds," Nakago commanded.

"Nakago, to use them in an enclosed area could kill us all! And we have no way of telling what wind could do the smoke demons!" Soi cried, her brows furrowed in concern as she dodged to simultaneous attacks.

"We'll take that chance. There has to be a way to defeat these monsters. And I'm going to find it," Nakago said, setting his jaw as he scanned the room anxiously.

Soi glanced at him with an odd expression on her face, and then held up her hand high above her head. Nakago watched as she closed her eyes, her brow sweating as a light wind picked up around her. The smoke demons pressed in even closer, so close they were almost touching the two Seiryu seishi.

"Chiriko!! Hear my thoughts!! Tell everyone in the room to grab hold of something tight!! Now!!" Nakago commanded mentally spreading his arms wide.

He watched the various seishi and priestesses grab hold of rocks or pillars on Chiriko’s mental command, but Nakago stood where he was, feeling the wind increase around Soi.

And then, without warning, the whole room exploded into utter chaos. Winds that could level towns rushed about the Hidden Temple with hurricane force, sweeping away the smoke demons into it. Walls and pillar cracked, and human screams mixed in with the wild force of Soi's winds.

"Nakago!! I'm going to kill someone!!" Soi screamed from behind the powerful blond, her voice almost lost within her own winds.

"Keep at it, Soi!! I have everything under control!!" Nakago cried, using every ounce of power he had to keep himself upright and stable. He turned towards where Tasuki clung to a pillar with Chichiri and Chiriko.

"Tasuki!! I need you!!" Nakago cried, taking steps toward Tasuki.

Tasuki's eyes had been tightly shut, but he opened one, staring at Nakago in disbelief as his fiery red hair whipped wildly about him. "Are you crazy?" Tasuki screamed. "Grab hold of something!!"

"Grab Miaka!! I'll get Yui!! Tell Tokaki to grab Yuiren and I'll make sure Hikitsu gets Junko!! We can withstand Soi's winds!! There has to be a way to defeat these creatures and Soi's buying us time!!" Nakago screamed at the top of his lungs, and then turned to where Yui huddled with her twin sons.

"I can't-" Tasuki began.

"We're the favored, Tasuki!! We can!!" Nakago yelled back, his blue ki surrounding him as he managed to walk in the middle of hurricane force winds.

"Reformed megalomaniac or not, you're still one crazy psychotic son-of-a-bitch!!" Tasuki screamed, detaching himself from his pillar. To his relief, Nakago proved right. He could stand up and even walk in the wind. The red glow from Tasuki's ki surrounded him as it did Nakago.

Yui looked up in shock at Nakago as he reached down and picked her up in his arms, sheltering her from the winds with his ki. In less than a minute, Tasuki picked up Miaka, much to Tamahome's displeasure.

Nakago turned to Hikitsu, but the gray-haired warrior had already seen what Nakago and Tasuki where doing, and was bringing Junko into his arms, despite her thrashing and protesting. Even Tokaki had caught on, and was approaching where Yuiren hid with Tatara. Tokaki was going yellow, while Hikistu glowed green.

Tasuki finally reached where Nakago stood, looking much abused and put out. Miaka was happily giggling about how she could hardly feel the winds inside Tasuki's ki and pulling on Tasuki's red hair to make her points. Hikitsu and Tokaki were not far behind. And Hikitsu looked much worse for wear because Junko had hit him a few times before he had been able to pick her up.

"All right, Nakago, any more bright ideas?" Tasuki grumped, shifting Miaka's weight. "My glutton of a Priestess really needs to go on a diet, so should we hurry this up."

"Hey!! I resent that, you red-headed crybaby!!" Miaka cried, slapping Tasuki across his face.

"You think your Priestess needs to go on a diet? Try hefting the cow of your sister! She'd give Nuriko back strain!" Hikitsu grumped, still smarting from the punches he'd received.

"Hey, where do you get off calling my sister a cow, you see-through pervert!!" Tasuki screamed, his face purpling in rage as Junko avenged herself by punching Hikitsu again.

"I'll have you know I am no longer see-through, and I only made Miaka strip so she could prove herself!!" Hikitsu retorted, catching Junko's fists, but still receiving a kick to the groin.

"Oh, that's right, I forgot. It's your boyfriend who's a pervert!!" Tasuki retorted as he leaned back to avoid another slap from Miaka.

"Hey, I may be a pervert, Tasuki, but don't forget your boyfriend was the one who started making out with Tamahome!! And watch it with Hikitsu's family jewels, Junko, I need those for later!" Tokaki retorted as Yuiren sighed wearily.

"Hey, don't you bring me into this, you old lech!! I remember a certain someone feeling up any young girl who crossed his path!!" Nakago cried, as Yui bent her head in frustration.

"And don't you go trying to suggest Tamahome enjoyed it either!!" Miaka cried, squirming now to get at Tokaki.

"KNOCK IT OFF!!! WE HAVE MORE IMPORTANT THINGS TO DO THAN BICKER ABOUT EACH OTHER!!" Yuiren finally bellowed, causing everyone to fall silent in surprise.

"Say, what's that large funny-looking round thing with magical runes on it that's leaking smoke for?" Tasuki asked, finally noticing a large magical seal mounted on the wall behind them.

The four seishi turned towards the seal, staring at it blankly for a few minutes. "Gee, do ya think it might be important?" Miaka asked.

Nakago, Yui, Hikitsu, Junko, Tokaki, and Yuiren sweatdropped. "Apparently Suzaku must have skimped on intelligence after he got done making Chiriko," Hikitsu snorted.

"All right, seishi, let's blast it at the same time. Ready? Now!!" Nakago cried, and he and the other three seishi blasted the seal with all their might.

And it had absolutely no effect.

"So what're we going to do now? It would have been nice if Taiitsukun could have prepared us for this," Hikitsu growled.

"Um, Nakago, I don't think your wind idea was the best," Yui suddenly said, breaking her own silence.

"What do you mean?" Nakago asked distractedly, studying the runes on the seal.

"Turn around and look behind you."

Nakago turned, just as did the other seishi. And much to their chagrin, they found a huge smoke demon towering in the middle of the room. The winds had drawn all the smaller smoke demons into the funnel, but now they were combining to form a monstrous smoke creature that reached the high-vaulted ceiling.

"We're screwed," Tokaki gaped.

Tasuki was looking between the gigantic smoke demon and the magic seal, his brow creased in thought. "Hey...wait a second! The Priestesses and their nyan-nyan swords got us in here, right?" Tasuki asked.

The smoke demon broke free of the wind and took a step towards the seishi and priestesses standing before the seal.

"What're you suggesting, Tasuki?" Nakago asked.

"What've we got to lose? C'mon, Miaka, I'll use my ki to keep you upright. Hit the seal with your sword!!" Tasuki cried, setting Miaka down and extending the red glow of his ki to her as well.

Miaka hefted her sword, looking doubtfully at the seal. Nakago set Yui down, and used his ki to protect her, as did the other two seishi. The four Priestesses glanced at each other doubtfully, each holding their nyan-nyan sword. The huge smoke demon approached ever closer.

"What the hell, maybe it's time we did some defeating ourselves!! Let's do it, girls!!" Junko cried and raised her sword, Hikitsu's green ki sparkling around her. Miaka, Yui, and Yuiren did the same, raising their swords high above their head, the jewels on the hilt lighting up.

"Any time, ladies!!" Tokaki screeched as the smoke demon raised a huge chain whip to bring down on the eight of them.

"Now!!" Junko cried, and slammed her sword into the magical seal at the same time as the other Priestesses.

The smoke demon exploded as though solid, and a brilliant shower of sparks bathed the entire temple as the magical seal rippled and changed, revealing an emblem of the four Beast Gods intertwined with each other.

"Yay!! We did it!!" Miaka bounced excitedly as the whole room burst out with a cheer, except for Soi, who collapsed from exhaustion.

The whole room glowed for a minute, and when the light softened, everyone was standing in a gorgeous temple carved from white marble, deep within Mt. Taikyoku. Silver veined through the marble, sweeping past the elegant pillars and statues of the Four Gods in all their various forms. Four huge fountains ringed the edge. In each fountain was a statue of one of the gods, and from its mouth poured the element each god represented. In the center of the floor, embedded with gold, was a huge circle carved with the symbols of each seishi. And inside that circle stood another circle, carved with the symbols of each God.

"Um, so I guess we have to purify ourselves, and then summon our God, right?" Yuiren asked nervously. As she spoke, ceremonial priestess outfits appeared at the foot of each fountain.

"Right in front of everyone?" Yui asked dubiously.

"You can purify yourselves on the other side of the fountain, while the males stay here, and stand on their symbols. It's our job to help purify you," Uruki, the female Genbu seishi said wisely.

"And if they peek?" Junko asked viciously, giving Tokaki the eye. He smiled charmingly.

"Then we get to hurt them badly," Nuriko said, also giving Tokaki the eye. Tokaki swallowed and looked a little nervous.

"Fair enough," Junko said cheerfully.

The four priestesses and the four female seishi trudged off to the fountains, bickering about if the fountains were safe or not. The four female seishi were convinced everything was safe. Junko was complaining about bathing in dirt to be pointless, and Yuiren saw no point to bathing in air. Yui had no problems, but Miaka was thoroughly convinced she was going to burn to death. Nakago sighed when they disappeared, and stepped on his seishi symbol, glowering at the other male seishi until they did the same.

The bickering between the females ensued, until Nuriko threw Miaka into the fiery fountain of Suzaku. That settled the question when Miaka said it was cleaning her like water, and even sort of tickled. Apparently, the elements would not harm the Priestesses at all, as the seishi had suspected.

The male seishi waited, some more patiently than others, for the Priestesses to finish. Tasuki began to pick his teeth with his tessen until Nakago threw something at him, Tokaki fell asleep standing up until Hikitsu threw something at him as well.

Miaka, Yui, and Yuiren soon came out, followed by Nuriko, Soi, and Subaru. Uruki was making Junko spend extra time in Genbu's fountain, apparently. Each Priestess looked impeccable, their skin scrubbed clean, and their hair perfectly combed and adorned. Their ceremonial garb was very similar, the biggest difference being that the colors trimming the white of their dresses represented their god. Each carried their swords in their right hand. And each Priestess mirrored an expression of trepidation of what was to come.

Junko finally came stomping out a few minutes later, wearing the slightly revealing ceremonial garb and an extremely nasty snarl. She stomped over to her symbol, and stood there angrily until Uruki took her place, and then everyone stood over their symbols. Nakago noted a pair of combat boots lying by the Genbu fountain that were undoubtedly part of the reason why Junko was particularly unhappy.

"You have to clear your mind, Junko, or this won't work," Hikitsu sighed, watching his Priestess in irritation.

"Look, you wanna stand here and be eaten alive by Genbu?" Junko groused.

"I lack the proper equipment, I'm afraid. Do your job and shut up. Clear your mind," Hikitsu ordered.

"Please, Junko, we have to do this. Please don't make coming here and doing everything that we have for nothing. Please," Yuiren pleaded, touching Junko's hand.

Junko sighed and relaxed. "Fine, but when this is over, I'm wearing my damn boots, I don't care what anyone says!" she cried.

"Fine, fine, whatever," Hikitsu said, rolling his eyes in irritation.

"So...what now...?" Miaka asked, looking around the temple.

"The swords have been the key thus far. In the middle of our circle, in front of each of us, are four slots. I'm thinking the nyan-nyan swords go in there. They must act like Shinzaho or something," Yui suggested.

"Be strong, ladies," Miaka breathed, holding her sword over the slot in front of her.

At the same moment, each Priestess inserted their nyan-nyan sword into the floor. Bright white light filled the room, then pulsed in alternating shades of green, yellow, red, and blue. When the lights faded, each Priestess had a glow cast about her, not unlike the seishi's ki.

A moment of seriousness had passed over the entire room, and each Priestess had her eyes closed. They each concentrated on their god, and prayed they would be strong enough to not be devoured when they summoned him.

Junko closed her eyes, knowing she was first. "KAI JIN!!!" she cried, and rose up into the air, encapsulated in a green ball of light.

Yuiren's voice piped up clear and youthful as she cried, "KAI JIN!!!" and rose up into the air like Junko, encapsulated in a ball of yellow light.

"KAI JIN!!!" Miaka cried, her voice strong. She too rose up into the air, encased in a ball of red light.

Yui swallowed once and then lifted her head proudly. "KAI JIN!!!" she cried, adding her voice to the others. Like the other three, she rose into the air, encased in a ball of blue light.

Nakago and the other seishi stared up at the balls of light that were their Priestesses, breathless in wonder. A powerful surge of energy passed through all the seishi, and white light brilliantly exploded before them all.

When the light cleared, Nakago could feel that his power had increased. He looked up into the air, and saw four men holding each Priestess, who lay limp and unconscious in their arms. As the spots cleared from his eyes, Nakago realized who held the Priestesses.

The Four Beast Gods stood before them.

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