The Twelve Signs
written by Len-chan
The 12 Signs are based on the Asian Yearly Zodiac (year of
the dog, tiger, rooster, etc.) and the 10 Stems are 
based on the Asian elements (wood, fire, water, etc.). The
characters of this story are property of me.  

The Record Book; Repetition of the Past Will Lead to the End. 
 
~~~~~~~~~~~~

	"Akemi?" a Toshio asked. "I don't understand?  What
why do you hate Saburo so?  He had mentioned that you two
didn't like each other."
	"Toshio," Akemi told him as he sat at the edge of
Mitsu's bed at day break.  "Read the record book."
	
	Toshio sat in the palace's library with the book.  
Chi had been crying all night and had finally fallen asleep.
Clare volunteered to look after Taro, so Chi could rest.
	And despite all the tries to calm the child down,
Taro knew something was wrong and continued to cry. The
others were in the other room, trying to figure out a plan
to get Mitsu back.  And Akemi...no one had seen him since
that morning.
	The windows that surrounded the library was enough
for Toshio to read as he searched the record book for
anything that might have to do with Mitsu's kidnapping.
	As he flipped through the pages, he remembered that
many things were repeated over three generations of 
Signs.  So this narrowed his choices to the last two
groups.
	"Saburo...what's he doing here?" Toshio mumbled.
He opened the book to the page where Saburo's name was
mentioned.  He knew that he and Tetsu were keeping the
book updated, but this section was not the section where
they were writing in.  
	His eyes skimmed the page as a tale of what had
happened to the previous Junishi was unfolded. He started
two generations ago.  

	"Junishi Record Book -- Set 30, Gen. 1.  
	Updated by: Kikoto Mikono, Guardian Saru

	We are the beginning of the 30th set of 
	Junishi. Everything starts a new with us.
	However, it had not been so easy.  This 
	demon named Saburo...he seems so powerful
	and has not been able to be killed.  Yet, I
	still believe he can be.  

	It's all over now...the Ultimate Ruler we
	were supposed to protect is dead.  His name
	was Ran and he had died at five years old.  And
	who had killed him but one of our own.

	Guardian Tatsu, Junko.  It wasn't her fault.
	We were traveling when we met Saburo.  We
	had no idea what he really was at the time,
	but since we know now, I will record it. He
	was infatuated with poor Junko. His dark spells
	clouded her mind constantly, giving her 
	horrible dreams.  She would wake up screaming
	at night and run out of her tent to spare
	us from hearing her.

	Guardian Tora, Gen, tried to soothe her, but
	he couldn't. Then Junko was driven to madness
	because of the constant spells Saburo implanted
	in her mind.  We had no idea how he did it, but
	he did.  

	Gen was enraged.  He went after Saburo and tried
	to kill him.  He returned, thinking Saburo was
	dead.  When in fact, the monstrous bastard had
	followed him.  He had watched us for days. His
	effect on Junko was wearing off and Ran was allowed
	to go near his 'mom' again.  
	
	We were all happy when Gen proposed to Junko.  She
	accepted.  And on their wedding day, while we
	were all there, Saburo appeared again. He yelled out
	spell and a dark cloud circled Junko.  She screamed
	over and over.  We all tried to take her out, but
	Saburo's force field stopped us.  
	
	That bastard laughed hysterically as the cloud was
	absorbed into Junko's body and her purple eyes took
	a strange black color.  She pushed past us and
	grabbed a knife from the table with all the food.
	She was heading for Ran.
	
	"Oh, God! Stop her!" guardian Inu yelled.  Ran saw
	Junko and began to scream and struggle.  The girl's
	eyes went wide as she brought the glimmering knife 
	down on the child's chest. 
	
	Several screams echoed through the forest where we
	were.  Junko's white wedding gown was stained with
	the blood of her beloved adopted child's.  As the
	red blood flew and hit her face...her eyes lost the
	dark color and returned to normal.
	
	"OhmyGod..." she gasped in horror.  Tears welded
	up in her eyes as she stared in terror at the knife
	in her hand that had impaled the child.  She pulled
	it out and dropped it on the ground. "Ran...my
	darling..." she gasped.  She fell to her knees and
	with a shaky hand touched Ran's head, closing the child's
	eyes. "I'm so sorry...I'm sorry..." 
	
	"Junko..." Gen whispered.  Junko looked at the knife
	on the ground and picked it up again. "Junko, NO!"
	
	"AHH!!!" Junko screamed and fell back as she plunge
	the knife straight through her chest.  Her blood
	leaked through her gown and mixed with that of the
	child's.  Her body crumbled to the ground while one
	hand was still holding Ran's bloody hand.
	
	"JUNKO!!!" Gen screamed. He turned to Saburo and took
	out his sword. "You BASTARD!!"

	We all fought that day.  Not one of us escaped unharmed.
	Aiko, Junko's best friend and Guardian Hitsuji, stood
	over Junko's body, then fell over it in tears as we
	fought.  
	
	I didn't see it coming, but Guardian Ne said she saw
	that look in Saburo's face as he looked down at Aiko.
	With a laugh he threw a dagger past us, and stabbed
	Aiko in the back. I knew then, that everything was over."

	Toshio slammed the book closed and shut his eyes
tightly.  He had seen it all in his mind.  The carnage and
violence of what was supposed to be a blessed day.  Was that
why Akemi hated Saburo so much...because Saburo was the cause
of so many deaths...and if that was the case, Toshio began
to feel his hatred for Saburo rise inside of him.
	"He did this...to Tatsu...to Hitsuji...to everyone..."
He took a deep breath and began to read the book once again.
He tired to block the picture of Aiko's body being stabbed
by a devil.

	"Junishi Record Book - Set 30, Gen. 2.
	Updated by: Mia Fuji, Guardian Saru

	I have read what previously happened.  And it's 
	eerie.  Why?  Because it has happened again.
	Two Signs are dead, Hitsuji and Tatsu, as before
	and so is our Ultimate Ruler, Jiro.  But this
	time, it wasn't one of us who had killed Jiro.
	It was Saburo...

	Like in the record before ours, he was obsessed		
	with the power of Guardian Tatsu, Takara.  He
	had tried to get her to fall in love with him
	using many spells, and even with the help of
	his sister, Raku.  But all failed because Takara
	was completely in love with Guardian Tora, Yemon.

	This had happened just a few weeks ago.  Guardian
	Mi (Siro), and Hitsuji (Sukiko)had gotten married.-"

	"Siro?" Toshio mumbled.  "That was my father's
name...Sukiko was my mother's..." His eyes narrowed in
confusion. "What's going on...?"

	"They moved to a little cottage in Lotus and with
	the help of all us, we made it large enough for 	
	all of us to live there.  By now, Jiro was five
	years old as before.  We were all very cautious
	because as the Junishi rule follows: In a set
	of three generations, many things will be repeated.
	
	Siro and Sukiko had a child.  A cute little baby
	boy.  It was late at night and everyone was asleep.
	However, Takara had to take Jiro the to doctor for
	a slight cough, and was to come back that night.

	Yemon was waiting for them to arrive.  Then HE 
	appeared, according to what Yemon told me. Takara
	had reached the house and opened the door.  She
	handed Yemon the sleeping child and said that she
	would put the horse in the stables.  

	She had turned the corner when Takara screamed
	her lungs out.  Everyone awoke and ran down
	stairs.  Yemon was in a sword fight with Saburo
	and Takara was behind them, shielding the child
	with her body.  
	
	"YEMON! WATCH OUT!!!" Takara screamed.  We
	rushed to her quickly, but it was too late.
	
	Yemon was pushed out of Saburo's way as she gave
	Jiro to him.  "BITCH!" Saburo gasped.  His gasped
	in his horror when he killed Takara.  His sword
	had gone through the back of her neck and out 
	through her chest.  It was a horrific sight and 
	I, U, Uma, and myself passed out.  
	
	When I came to...I found out that Jiro and
	Sukiko were killed.  All by Saburo. Guardian
	Ne told me what happened as she sobbed.  After
	we had passed out, Saburo pulled his Sword of 
	Darkness from Takara's back.  I can only 
	imagine that it was dripping with her blood. 
	
	Yemon was in completely shock, then angry.  He
	ran to the group and gave Jiro to them before
	running off again.  While Guardian Tori dragged
	the people who had passed out inside, the others
	fought him. 

	Sukiko was caught by surprise.  She had just
	turned around, clutching Jiro against her, when
	Saburo once again stabbed her from the back.
	His sword also impaled Jiro's head at it plunged
	out of Sukiko's chest...

	I can't stand to think of the picture, so I will
	end here."

	Toshio gasped in horror and slammed the book shut.
He had never felt so angry and blood thirsty for Saburo's
wretched blood.  His hands shook in rage.  
	"Calm down..." a voice whispered. Toshio jumped
from his chair and looked around.  
	"Who said that!?" he growled.
	"Don't take that tone with me, Toshio!" the voice
answered.  Toshio looked up and saw his father.  
	"FATHER!?" Toshio gasped. "But...what are you
doing here?"
	"I think it's time to tell you about yourself,
Toshio..." the old man whispered. "In the record book,
I was Guardian Mi and your mother was Guardian Hitsuji."
	"But...that's impossible.  The events in this book
took place a hundred years ago..." Toshio looked at his
father.  Something was different.
	"Toshio, a hundred years ago, you were born.  But
it was not time for you to become a Guardian yet and you
could only get your powers if I was no longer alive,"
Siro told him. "My son, I put a spell over you to keep
you preserved until it was time.  By the time the spell 
wore out, I was dead."
	"But if you were dead, how could you have been
able to raise me! That's impossible," Toshio argued.
"Even SHIHO remembers you!!"
	"What you see here is not the real me...only a 
spell I created before I died so I could watch you 
grow up.  I am with your mother and we both have been
watching over you, my son," Siro told him. "Understand
this, you know that the deaths of Hitsuji and Tatsu
as well as the Ultimate Ruler may be repeated.  But
because you are the last of the set, you are the most
powerful Junishi."
	"But WILL the deaths happen?" Toshio stressed.
	"In order for destiny to be fulfilled either
two of them must die, or one of them give up what they
have here and leave," Siro told him. "This I know."
	"But which one...?  I can't let Chi go, I love
her so much...and Mitsu...she's important in Taro's
life..." Toshio mumbled.
	"They will decide on their own...remember this
other wise Taro cannot become the next Ultimate 
Ruler..." Siro told him.  His body began to fade
slowly.  Toshio hardly noticed. "And Akemi's connection
to Saburo...is because he really was the Prince of
Oceana and Saburo arranged for him to be kidnapped. Before
Saburo could kill him, I managed to throw another spell
at him to lock him up for a few years...then he escaped
with the help of his sister and her Demoness Staff...the
exact opposite of Mitsu's Goddess Staff. And Saburo...he 
is the reincarnation of his father...the one who
killed your mother."
	"I'll get my revenge!" Toshio announced. "Father...
what is happening to you...?!" Siro's body was trans-
parent and fading quickly.
	"Revenge is not the answer...it is my time...
the spell is worn out...good-bye my son..." Siro 
smiled warmly, then disappeared completely.
	"Father!?..." Toshio gasped. "FATHER!?"
	"Toshio!" The huge doors of the library burst
open as Radien ran in gasping for air.  "Toshio!"
	"What is it, what's wrong!?" Toshio asked.
	"It's Akemi!" Radien gasped.  "He's gone!"

	A black horse galloped down the hill side
from the palace and was heading for the docks.  The
rider only hoped that his message was received by
his ship and that it would be waiting for him at
the dock.
	He smiled as he saw the sails of a huge 
pirate ship on the dock side.  People were around
the edge of the dock, staring up at the ship.
	He was dressed a pirate...what his friends had
first seen him in when they met him.  
	"Let me on board!" he yelled, his voice
stern and full of power.
	A few pirates looked over board and saw him.
Their eyes grew huge and gasps as orders to open
the hatch and let him in were given. 
	The people around the dock parted as the plank
was lowered.  Akemi kicked his horse gently and it
ascended the plank.  Once he was inside yelled,
"Close it!" The plank rose and closed. 
	Akemi appeared on deck and looked at his kingdom.
*I'll be back...and I'll bring Mitsu.* He turned
to his crew. "Set sail for Lotus immediately! I want
us there as soon as possible!"
	"What fo' sir?" a pirate asked.
	"My lady had been kidnapped." Akemi growled
to his first mate.  
	"Lady...?" the man asked.  His eyes grew large.
"The mum of the babe?!"
	"Yes," Akemi answered "Now go!" 
	The ship turned, with surprising speed, and they
set off. 

~~~~~

	Mitsu opened her eyes groggily.  *Where am I?...
Why do I feel so tired?...* She could feel something
tight around her wrists, holding her arms up.
	Her feet were bare and touching cold stone floors.
Why was it so cold?  Was it damp?  She couldn't tell
as she moaned in confusion.
	"So...you're awake, my dearest?" a deep voice
asked.  Mitsu tried to look up, but her head felt too
heavy to lift.  A black gloved hand gently lifted her
chin.  Her eyes grew large as she jerked her head away.
	"YOU!" she yelled. "Get away from me, Saburo!"
	"Now...who is going to make me?" he smirked.
"You darling Akemi?"
	"UH!" Mitsu growled and kneed him in the groin.
"I mean it! Get away, pervert!" 
	"Oh..." Saburo cooed as he winced.  He smiled
again and stroked her cheek.  He laughed at her futile
attempts to avoid his touch.  
	"No! Stop it!" Mitsu screamed.  He put his face
closer by hers.  She could smell the alcohol in his
breath as he licked her cheeks.  She shook her head 
from side to side. 
	Saburo merely laughed and pulled away.  "No...
not yet..." he mumbled.  "Not until your darling
Guardian Tora is here..." Saburo told her, sneering
as he said 'Guardian Tora'.  
	"What do you against Akemi?" Mitsu asked bitterly.
	Saburo's face twisted in madness.  "Many times
in my previous life, he had won you away from me.  You
loved him more than anything...It is time I kill him
for good...than you will be all mine..." 
	"I will never be yours..." she whispered.
	Saburo merely smiled and turned around.  "Once
he arrives, you'll know...I'll bring him your head
as a present."
	The cell's door slammed shut and Mitsu closed
her eyes tightly to keep from crying.  "Oh...Akemi..."

~~~~~~~~

	"That IDIOT!" Eric and Kira hollered as they 
rode down to the docks in their riding outfits
behind all the Signs.  Clare held Taro in front
of her in a bag as they galloped.  "How can he
leave without us!?"
	"This is personal to him, Eric," Toshio explained.
"Saburo is a reincarnation of the original demon
Saburo...and all his forms caused the death of the
previous Guardian Tatsu.  That's why Akemi wants
vengeance..." 
	"But how does Akemi know?" Tetsu asked.
"I don't remember him reading the record book."
	"He has a feeling about it...perhaps dreams
or thoughts or small memories in his mind from
his previous life...we all have them and perhaps
Akemi has an even stronger sense of it." Toshio
told them.
	"Then Mitsu must have been my friend in 
previous lives..." Chi whispered.  Her red eyes
narrowed.  "Saburo will pay for this pain..."
	"We'll all have our chance at him." Radien
answered.  
	"I just hope Akemi doesn't go too far before
we arrive," Hanako piped.  "Who knows what might
happen with out back up."
	"Then let's hurry!" Kira yelled. 

~~~~~~

	Two days on sea and Akemi was growing very
impatient.  He paced the deck all day and when he gave
directions, he was stern and full of power. 
	"Sir!" a voice yelled.  Akemi turned around to
look at one of his crew members. "Would you like
something to eat?"
	"Not now, I don't feel like it." Akemi told them.
	"Sir, you haven't eaten this whole day, if you
do not eat, how will you be strong enough to rescue
Lady Mitsu?" the crew member asked.  Akemi as silent.
	"I'll eat in my chambers.  Have my meal ready
there before I arrive.  I'll be down there in a moment.."
Akemi told him.
	"Yes, sir."
	Akemi watched the man go below deck as he gave
a sigh. He looked out at sea and leaned against the
railing.  His eyes narrowed as he could hear Mitsu's
words that night she had talked him into coming along
with Chi, Toshio, and herself.
	It was sun set and he was on that very rail 
staring out a sea.  As he looked at his reflection 
in the water, he saw Mitsu's purple haired head appear
next to him.
	"I came back here to talk to you." She had answered
when he asked her why she was there.
	"If it's about Taro and me being one of his guardians, 
I don't want to hear it.  So save your breath." he replied.  
	"You know what," Mitsu mumbled.  She was speaking 
quietly, as if to herself, and Akemi had to strain himself 
to hear what she was saying. "When you said you always
liked taking care of babies and children, I was a bit shocked 
that a pirate with a ruthless reputation could be like that.  
Then when we found out that you were one of the guardians, 
I wasn't the least bit surprised.  If really cared about Taro, 
and I know you do, you'll be at the valley clearing, ready to
go with us tomorrow morning."
	"What makes you think that I'll be there?" Akemi asked.  
She turned around and leaned her back against the railing. 
	"I don't." She pushed herself from the railing
and began to head towards the pier.
	"Is that all?  You don't have some big lecture to 
talk me into joining you guys?" Akemi asked.
	"I have nothing else to say to you." 
	But she did have a lot to say to him throughout their
journey.  He admitted, it wasn't the most romantic trip in
the world, but he cherished every moment of it.  
	No one knew that it was talking to Mitsu that night
that caused him to join them, except for himself.  Since
his journey began, he had met people who became his friends,
became Royalty, sort of adopted a child, and even managed
to steal of the heart of a loud mouth young woman.
	There was no way in hell that Saburo was going to take
it all from him. 	
	"Sir!" a voice called. "Your meal is ready."
	"Thank you." Akemi gave a nod and proceeded below deck.

	Chi sat on the deck of the ship, watching the waves 
roll by as the crew members scrambled to catch up with
Akemi.  For every purple ray of setting sun light she saw,
she could picture Mitsu's flowing hair trailing behind her.	
	Chi smiled and remembered the first time they saw
that book.  It was Mitsu who wanted to read it, but it was
both of them who were in it.  Chi giggled quietly.
	"What's so funny?" Toshio asked.  He walked up the 
steps where she was sitting and sat next to her. "Care to 
share?"
	"When Mitsu and I first came here..." Chi told him
with a solemn smile imprinted on her face. "We fell from
the sky and on to a compost heap," she giggled. "Mitsu
came first because she was the first person to jump through
the port hole after you.  Then I fell and landed on her."	
	"What did she say?" Toshio asked, trying to picture
Chi's fond memory.
	"She started gasping for air and yelling 'Chi! Get
off me! I can't breath!'" Chi smiled.  "The two of us have
been through a lot since we first met...I can't remember a
day when I didn't think about her once."
	"You two were really close weren't you?" Toshio asked.
	"Very..." Chi's eyes welded up in tears as she reached
for his arm and held on to him tightly. "If I loose her...
Toshio...I don't know what I'd do..."
	"Even in past lives you two died together...but in
this one, I promise you that you two will live together."
Toshio whispered.  He leaned over and kissed her head as she
buried her face in his shoulder.

	Hanako sat in her room.  Taro was asleep in the cradle
next to her bed.  She volunteered to watch him that night.
She sniffed and then blew her nose.  She looked out the window
at the setting sun and remembered how Mitsu and Akemi would
yell at each other from dawn till dusk.  
	Then she remembered the day she met the group.  Mitsu 
and Chi had stood up for her.  She, in return, was one of them.
All through her childhood, she had been surrounded by rude 
and mean boys.  She had been bruised and cut because of them.
	So when Mitsu brought her along with them and treated
her like her little sister, she had been very happy. Hanako
had never been treated so well.  Mitsu made sure they were 
all happy and watched over her.  
	The story of her brother's death was sacred to Hanako
and it meant a lot to her when Mitsu listened and understood.
She always wanted a real family and when she met the Twelve
Signs, she got one. And who would have thought that Akemi was
her brother.  She smiled.
	"Maybe one day...Akemi will marry Mitsu and she'll 
really be my sister..." Hanako whispered to herself. 

~~~~

	"AH!" Mitsu's body crumpled down as far as the chains
that bound her wrists let her.  Kinoe and Kinoto stood 
above her with whip.  
	"Now, we're going to ask you one more time," Kinoe
told her. "All you have to do is answer 'I'm the wife of
Saburo' and we'll stop."
	"Ready?" Kinoto asked.  *SNAP*
	"AHHH!!" Mitsu's shoulders were whipped for the 
tenth time.  Her flesh ached with cuts and bruises as
blood trickled down her body and soiled her meek clothes.
"I...will NEVER be his wife!" she screamed.
	*SNAP! SNAP! SNAP!* the whips cracked.  Mitsu
screamed in agony.  The only thing that kept her clothes
on now was one knot on her right shoulder.  It was cut and
torn from the consistent whips.  She licked the blood
off her lip and looked up at the twins in scorn.
	"Ass holes." she stated. 
	"Don't you ever shut up, bitch?" Kinoto asked. He
raised the whip for another hit.
	"Enough," a voice bellowed.  Saburo's shadow
appeared at the door of the cell. "I see this beating
won't break her."
	"It is no use, sire, she refuses to acknowledge you
as her master." Kinoe reported.
	"She's a strong willed girl, but I-" Saburo paused
when he looked at Mitsu.  Her body was drenched in sweat
and blood.  The floor around her was stained with her
blood.  He glared at the cuts and bruises all over her
body. "What the HELL did you do to her?!?"
	"We tried to break her, as you requested, sire."
Kinoto answered.
	"Fools!" Saburo screeched.  Raku appeared outside
the cell and watched with interested.  He raised his
arm and blew them away with a burst of energy. "She is
a human, not an animal!  What have you done to her
precious skin!!"
	He gently touched the injured places on Mitsu's 
body.  "But, sire-" Kinoto began.  
	"Enough! Raku!" Saburo growled.  He unlocked the
cuffs on Mitsu's wrists and allowed her to fall into
his arms.  "Dispose of them right away!"
	"My pleasure," his sister hissed.  She allowed
Saburo to leave as she took out a black staff with
an obsidian crystal at the top.  "Good-bye." She
pointed the crystal end of the staff at the twins
and laughed hysterically as their bodies fried with
electricity.  
	Mitsu's eyes closed as the smell of burning 
human flesh.  Her week body, due to lack of food,
water, and blood, was limp. "Let...go..." she whispered.
Her eye lids closed and she passed out.  

	Her eyes fluttered open in a tired daze.  She
groaned when she remembered where she was.  Her first
reflex after waking up was rubbing her eyes.  As the
back of her hands rubbed against her lids, she realized
they were no longer bound by the chains.  Her eyes opened
more and she was no longer in the room that had claimed
her for a week.  
	The walls around her bed were extravagant and 
highly decorated with wall scrolls-bed?  She sat up and
felt around her.  There were silk sheets...and pillows...
and the bed's canopy shielding her with light cloth.  
	"Where...am I?" Mitsu mumbled.
	"You're awake now," a voice whispered from the 
corner.  "I'm glad you're all right...I thought those
buffoons hurt you badly."
	"They did-" Mitsu paused.  She focused through
the light cloth and towards the shadow in the corner. "Oh,
God...it's you..."
	"Mitsu, darling-"
	"Don't call me that!" Mitsu hissed at him.  Saburo
walked from his place at the corner and close to her
bed.  He stopped right behind the canopy cloth.  "What
did you do to me, you bastard?" Her arms wrapped around
herself tightly as she gave him a scornful look.
	Saburo let out a deep laugh.  "I wish..." His
laugh was cold and scornful.  "I tired to get next to
you after you passed out...but your friend's wizard lover
put a recoiling spell around you..."
	"Toshio-chan!" Mitsu gasped in happiness.  *Once
I get out of this dump, I'm going to make sure he and Chi
live happily ever after, I swear it!*
	"Just be happy that I was able to heal all your
wounds," Saburo told her.  Her head snapped up and she
gently touched her shoulders, arms, and legs for any sign
of the whipping she had taken.  "You can search all you
like...but you won't find anything." 
	"But...why?" she whispered.  She was beginning to
think he was more than just the monster they had taken 
him to be.
	"You were hurt...your beautiful skin was ruined...
I couldn't bare to see you in pain like that," he admitted.
He turned around, his back towards her. "Despite what you
and everyone else thinks, I have emotions.  And I know that
one day they will cause my death.  Emotions are for the 
weak..." He whirled back around to look at her through the
cloth, his face twisted with rage. "Which is why I am stronger
than all of you! I have little emotions...not like you...not
like your darling Akemi...all of you have too much.  You
care too much.  Which makes you vulnerable."
	"Emotions are not for the weak!" Mitsu yelled back.
"It is for the human!  It is for the noble...which is 
probably why you have so little if not none of it!"
	"Harsh words to the man who saved you from a beating."
he told her.
	"You are the one that caused it in the first place."
she answered bitterly. Saburo narrowed his eyes.
	His walked closer to the bed and gripped on to the 
sheets. "You fool! Do you think I wished you injured?  I
would give you EVERYTHING! I would do ANYTHING for your
love, anything in the world!...Yet you choose that fool
Akemi over me...you picked Guardian Tora over me for 
three life times now!"
	Mitsu was silenced.  She just stared at him as he
raged on.  "In the first, I drove you crazy out of 
bitterness for you and Gen, your first lover...I hated you
all for that.  So I caused you to kill Ran, your first
Ultimate Ruler!  I figured they would shun you and I would
be there for you...but no...you KILLED yourself for that
child.  And your friend...Guardian Hitsuji...she loved you
like a sister.  I hated her for being so close to you
so I killed her as well!"
	"You were the one that started this..." she hissed.
Her eyes welded with tears. "You're the one that doomed
lives to this torment!"
	"And in your second life..." Saburo continued, his
face twisted with madness, even Mitsu was getting nervous.
"I tried to win you through love spells...every single 
spell I could think of, I tried.  Yet you still loved Yemon...
And he loved you...I hated that...So I tried to kill him,
but I had earlier pre-fated this.  You jumped in the way
and I ended up killing you instead...the cruel irony that the
one I was fighting for I killed..."
	Mitsu sat there, stunned.  Her hair lip against her
body, her heart beating quickly.  Her eyes were blank of
all expression.  "Akemi..." 
	"That name..." he hissed. "Do you want to know why I
hate him so...and he hates me?" Saburo asked.  He did not
wait for her to answer. "Because of this: When Akemi was
a baby, I had kidnapped him and given him to a pirate captain
to watch before I killed him.  He truly is the heir to the
Oceana throne.  But before I could kill him, Toshio's blasted
father, Siro cast me down.  He encased me for fifteen years!
I had been re-incarnated during that time...and I was angry!
When I escaped, it was too late and I was going to let destiny
play out...MY way."
	"But...how does Akemi know all this if he was a baby
at the time...?" Mitsu whispered.
	"Because he had dreams...Akemi had dreams of his past
life...of what happened.  When my spies told me how you two
bittered recklessly, it gave me hope that perhaps you wouldn't
fall in love with him," Saburo told her.  His eyes lost it's
rage and fell into emptiness. "Then that battle...I saw you...
and you protected him.  I knew then that as long as he lived,
I could never have you and I would be dammed if that happened."
	"Then be dammed," Mitsu replied. "Because whatever happens,
I will always love him...and nothing will ever change that."
	"We'll see what you say when I bring his carcass here..."
he answered.  He turned away and headed towards the door. "My
dear Mitsu, you shouldn't worry about him.  He will stand 
between us no longer." The door slammed.  
	Mitsu closed her eyes and grabbed a pillow.  She punched
the hell out of it until she couldn't contain herself.  She
began to cry in her pillow.  Tears soaked the silk covers as
she begged in her mind that Akemi stayed away.  "I love you
too much...I don't want to loose you like you lost me..."

~~~

	The pirate shipped docked at the Lotus port.  Akemi
surveyed the area with sharp eyes.  The Lotus place laid
up the road.  There were no guards in the area at all. No
soldiers. 
	*The people must have no idea what's really going
on...* he thought to himself. *Well, Saburo.  This time
we'll settle the score.  But I'm not just fighting for my
revenge this time.* 
	Before the ship was properly tied.  Akemi saddled
his horse.  It leap off the deck and landed perfectly
on the pier.  The fishermen on the dock gasped with surprise.
	He didn't look back as his galloped towards the palace.
*Mitsu...I'm coming for you.*

	The doors of the dark throne room opened.  Saburo
sat there silently with the Sword of Darkness on his lap.
He opened his eyes as Kanoe and Kanoto approached him.
	"Sire! Guardian Tora is approaching-" There was a
huge blast that cut them off.  Saburo did not need to turn
his head towards the window to know that it was Akemi who
had just blown down part of the outer wall.  
	"He is using his Tiger Claw...how strange...he has
never used that to my knowledge, yet he seemed to have
mastered it." Saburo whispered. 
	"He is more than just a guardian, Saburo," Raku
said.  She appeared next to him as if by magic.  The demon
on her Demoness staff glowed with excitement.  "He is a
man in love."
	"And what would you know?" Saburo mocked her. "You
have never been in love."
	"I do not need to be in it to know that it is deadly,"
she answered. "Because you are my brother, I will aid you
if necessary."
	"Oh, so very touching," a voice shouted from the 
doors of the throne room.  Kanoe and Kanoto looked up.  
"Is this a bad time?"
	"Akemi," Saburo stated.  He stood up from his throne
and showed off his sword. "I see you are welding the Sword
of Light."
	"Of course," Akemi answered. "And I think these,"
Akemi suddenly threw something towards Saburo.  Saburo
caught one and Raku caught the other. "Are yours."
	"Merciful!" Kanoe screamed. "Those are the heads
of Hinoto and Hinoe!"
	"You ass!" Kanoto yelled. "You shall pay for killing
my comrades!" He gave a terrifying scream and headed for
Akemi. "Earth of beneath me, give the power- AH!"
	With a swift move Akemi's sword sliced through his
torso.  Kanoto's legs fell to his life and his chest fell
to his right.  "That was for kidnapping Mitsu." 
	"CHRIS!" Kanoe screamed in horror.  She ran and
fell to her knees by Kanoto's severed body parts.  "NO!!!"
She cried in pain as she held her brother's head against
her chest.  Her eyes were shut tightly.  "No...it's all
right...Don't you worry, Chris," Kanoe told the dead body.
She gently whipped away her tears and took hold of both 
pieces. "Your sister will put you back together...I promise!"
With that, she began to try to piece Kanoto together.  
	Akemi paid no attention.  His body glowed with a 
bright crimson aura as his hair flared behind him.  "Give
her to me."
	"Never in your life!" Saburo yelled. He raised his
sword. "Black Thunder!" He swung it several times and
watched as Akemi's powerful aura absorbed the dark energy.
	"White Lightning!" Akemi countered. With similar
movements, he sent flashes of white energy at Saburo, only
to be met with the same effect Saburo's Black Thunder 
had.
	"Even match." Saburo told him.
	"No shit." Akemi yelled.  They stood apart from
each other.  Their swords were raised. Saburo let out
a startling yelled and charged.  Akemi replied with a
a grunt and leap into the air. 
	A burst of energy, of positive and negative energy,
burst forth and illuminated the area.

	Mitsu's body jumped up and began to hurt.  She realized
that Saburo's spell was fading.  She felt the energy blast
from somewhere within the palace.  She swung her legs over
the edge of her bed, trying hard not to fall as the blasts
of energy rocked the palace.  She recognized the sense of power
and gasped. *AKEMI!* 

	"Oh no!" Hanako squealed with panic. "Look!" she pointed
to the palace in the distance.  The ship they were on was
reaching the docks of Lotus.  
	"DAMN!" Eric growled.
	"Akemi's already here and they've started!" Kira gasped.
She turned to the crew. "Hurry! Prepare our horses, NOW!"

	"Ah!" Akemi growled as he and Saburo were pushed back
by the force from their swords.  He wiped the blood from the
cut on his cheek. 
	Saburo stood his grown.  His shirt partially torn off
from the constant blasts.  His arms had numerous bruises on
them. "You fight this bad for Mitsu?"
	"I would give my life for her!" Akemi yelled.  "Take this,
BASTARD!" *KLANG!* another clash of swords was heard.  The
Lotus palace was beginning to crumble. 
	As a column fell by Saburo, he realized that the palace
was going to fall apart. "Mitsu!" he gasped.  He looked
at Akemi. "I will meet you outside! Ugh!" He jumped and ran
through the doors.
	"Coward!" Akemi yelled. His head snapped up. "Oh...God...
MITSU!"
	"Akemi..." a voice gasped from the corner.  With shaky
legs, Mitsu leaned against her Goddess Staff, which appeared
with she needed it.  She was wearing a thin and short purple
gown with gold flowers embroidered in them.  Her arms gripped
the staff tightly.  "You came..."
	"Mitsu!" Akemi ran towards her.

	"MITSU!?" Saburo burst through Mitsu's door.  All around
him, the palace was falling apart.  Slabs of stone fell and
columns tumbled.  "No...She's not here!"
	He saw the ceiling about to cave in.  He look one last look
at the room, then ran to the balcony.  He jumped off just in time 
and landed perfectly on the grass below.  He took off farther and
watched as the glorious Lotus palace was reduced to nothing more
than a pile of rubble.  
	"Ready!?" a voice asked. Saburo turned around and saw
Akemi charging at him. "Die!"
	"What the!?" Saburo caught sight of Mitsu sitting by the
forest line past Akemi.  She was breathing deeply and her cuts
and bruises from the whipping were starting to reappear.  "Damn
that spell!" 
	"Demons of hell...arise at my will, from the rubble of
death, take for and kill!" a voice shouted.  Akemi's senses 
perked up and he saw Raku on a pile of stones from what was
once a tower.  Her arms were up black smoke was coming from 
the Demoness Staff.
	"Oh, fu-" Akemi gasped as hands clamped around his neck.
He saw Mitsu's look as she screamed in horror and pointed behind
him.  Saburo stepped back.  Akemi smelled rotting flesh behind
him and realized that Raku's spell called for.  
	"Return to hell, undead bastards!" another voice countered.
"Rains of the heavens-"
	"Toshio!" Akemi gasped. 
	"Look down upon these dead, return them to their eternal
rest!" Toshio ordered.  Clouds of dark gray began to appear in
the cloudless evening sky.  Thunder was heard and then drops
of rain began to fall.
	"Mitsu!" voices yelled.  Akemi felt his throat loosen up.
The hands were gone.  The dead had returned.  
	"Die, AKEMI!" Saburo screamed.  He slammed his sword
against Akemi's. 
	"Mitsu, are you all right?" Chi asked as she landed next
to Mitsu.
	"Where is Taro?" Mitsu asked.  She breath was getting
shallower.  The spell Saburo put over her to heal were wounds
was fading.
	"Right here!" Hanako told her.
	"All of you...leave this fight to Akemi and myself. I
want Taro to remain alive do you understand that!?" Mitsu 
ordered.
	"But Mitsu-" Clare argued.
	"No!" Mitsu yelled. "WATCH HIM! His life is more important
and that of Akemi and I...and if Akemi dies...I will with him."
	"Mitsu, no!" Chi screamed.  It was too late.  The girl was
up and running towards him.  
	"AH!" Mitsu's body was thrown back several feet as Raku
appeared in front of her.
	"I will not let you interfere with this battle!" the woman
growled. "I will NOT allow it!"
	"Do you wish to do battle with me?" Mitsu asked.
	"Is that a challenge little girl?  I have completely 
mastered the Demoness Staff...do you even realize that your
only weapon is the Goddess Staff?" Raku asked with mock laughter.
	"Bitch," Mitsu hissed. She grinned. "Do you even realize
that I'm good and your evil, and since good always triumphs over
evil, I will win?"
	Raku laughed. "Not likely...take this!" Black light flew
towards the younger girl with quick speed.  Mitsu held her staff
in front of her, using its white aura to shield her.  "That 
won't save you! Demoness Staff!"
	"AH!" Mitsu gasped.  She slid back.
	Akemi raised his sword.  His body was weak from the constant
attacks.  "Admit defeat and die will fully, Akemi.  I know more
magic and can handle this sword better than you can it's counter
part."
	"Screw off," Akemi merely answered.  He raised his sword
one more time. "I will not give up!"
	Chi gasped each time one of her friends fell back a few
steps.  "We...have to help them..." she gasped.  Akemi's
clothes were being sliced by the energy Saburo threw at him.  More
cuts and bruises were appearing on Mitsu.  A wound appeared on her 
calf and blood began to trickle down her leg. "MITSU!"
	Chi jumped up.  Radien's hand clamped on her shoulder and
brought her back down. "No, my friend...she told us not to get
involved."
	Chi glared at them. "I'm sorry...but if obeying Mitsu
causes her to kill herself and Akemi...I'm going to disobey."
	"How do you plan on helping them?  They're the most powerful
of us and they're faltering!" Masao told her.  
	"Perhaps..." Tetsu gasped as she was held under Michael's
arm.  "If we give her some power...the Record book says we can
loan each other power."
	"Of course!" Kira gasped. "That must have been how Mitsu
was able to revive Akemi!" 
	"But how do we do that?" Tyler asked. 
	"Uh...um...I think..." Tetsu concentrated on thinking on
the correct procedure.
	"TETSU!?" the group awaited.
	"The energy blasts...we all have some kind of energy related
powers...if we combine them and send them towards Mitsu and
Akemi, they might get enough energy." Tetsu explained.
	"No time to argue with that!" Chi announced. She faced the
fighting couples.  "Hitsuji-"
	"Wait!" Shiho gasped. "Didn't Chi and Mitsu collapse when
they first used their energy blasts?!"
	"We'll risk it!" Chi snapped. "I won't lose Mitsu to death,
not when I lost her twice before."
	"All right then!" Toshio agreed.  They all stood up.  Tetsu
send Michael farther back into the forest with Taro and Shiho. The
Twelve Signs stood there.
	Chi closed her eyes and took deep breaths. *Don't fail me
now...* "Hitsuji! Blue...ENERGY BLAST!" Her body erupted with 
blue light.
	"Uma...Golden Penetration!"
	"Ne...Red Energy Blast!"
	"Tori...Flash!"
	"U...Fluffy ATTACK!"
	"Ushi...Spiral!"
	"I Sphere!"
	"Saru...Power BLAST!"
	"Inu...Energy Blast!"
	Toshio watched as his friends' bodies glowed with eerie 
colored light.  The beams of light soared into the air, awaiting
a focus point.  Toshio closed his eyes and concentrated. "Power...
Enhancement!" The beams of light flew back down to earth and
into his body.  He pointed his arms at Akemi and Mitsu. Using all
his strength, he sent beams of white light spiraling towards
each Sign.
	"AH!" Mitsu gasped.  "Mmm..." her eyes closed as she felt
a warm light wash over her body.  Her wounds healed and she felt
stronger than she did before.
	"What the!?!" Akemi jumped back.  His body was glowing
with white light.  He smiled. *Those guys...* He looked at
Saburo. "All right..." Akemi took a deep breath.  His raised
his sword over his head.  The white energy pulsated through his
body and circled him.  His eyes were white and glowing as he
looked at the surprised man in front of him.  "Junishi...
Heavenly Strike!" 
	"WHAT THE! NO!" Saburo screamed.  Akemi's body exploded
in white light.  Saburo's yells echoed through the forest
as the light destroyed his body for good.  
	Behind Akemi, the Signs fell in exhaustion. They were
all conscious, but unable to move.  Akemi stood there, breathing
heavily and looking at the stop where Saburo last stood.  
	"Mitsu..." he whispered.  He turned to his right.  Mitsu
was still there.  Her body was glowing with white, angelic 
light.  Her hair whirled around her body and her eyes slowly
opened to reveal glowing white ones.  As Akemi's.
	The Signs watched in silence.  Raku stood before Mitsu,
still ready for a fight.  The girl lifted up her staff. It
turned white in her hands.  Slowly, colored symbols appeared
one by one, vertically, down the staff.  
	"I can't believe I've never seen that before..." Toshio
gasped. "Those signs...are OUR symbols..."
	"I," Mitsu began.  Her voice was hollow and echoed. "Am
the Guardian Tatsu...leader of the Junishi...Guardian of the
Ultimate Ruler...I call upon the Celestial Symbols of the 
Junishi for strength..."	
	"Save it!" Raku yelled. "Good-bye!" she jumped into the
air, waving her staff, preparing to give Mitsu the final
blow.
	"Junishi...White DEATH!" The staff blew forth white
light.  It soaked Raku in mid air.  This beam was more
concentrated than Akemi's.  It went right through Raku's
chest.  The girl screamed in pain and let go of the staff.
	It fell on the rubble below her, the demon on top
cracking into was it hit the stone.  Raku's body turned
to dust and blew off with the wind.
	The white light faded and Mitsu leaned against her
staff for support.  She turned around slowly and looked
at her friends. 
	"Chi...I asked you guys not to butt in," she scolded,
but her tone was light and filled with humor.  She turned to Akemi
and smiled. "Eh-he..." 
	
			~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

	"Mitsu, are you crazy!?" Chi gasped.  She grabbed on
to Mitsu's uniform shirt sleeve as the girl stepped from
the dressing screen.  "Why are you leaving?!"
	"You heard while Tetsu and Toshio explained.  If I
don't leave, we might both die." Mitsu replied calmly.
	"But Saburo's dead now!" Chi told her as she followed
Mitsu out the door and down the hall. "It's all right for
both of us to stay her."
	"I can't risk it," Mitsu answered.  She continued
to walk down the new Lotus palace. She looked at Chi and
smiled. "Besides, someone has to go and explain this to
your parents." 
	"Mitsu..." Chi gasped.  Her eyes were rimmed with 
tears. They entered the room with all their friends. All
of them were dressed in their noblemen or royal clothing.
Taro clapped when he saw Mitsu. 
	She smiled and walked over to him.  She knelt down
next to him and put her arms around the child. "Oh, my
baby...I'll miss you..." 
	She heard sniffing and looked up.  Hanako was crying,
but trying hard to hold it in.  When Mitsu announced that
she decided to return to her world so Chi could marry 
Toshio and live 'happily ever after', the grew was caught
off guard.
	Despite all tries to make her stay, it was futile. 
Hanako and Mitsu had a long talk the night before explaining
why Mitsu had to leave.  She had asked Hanako to be strong
and take care of Taro and her big brother, Akemi for her.
	"Good-bye, Mitsu!" Hanako gasped as she clung on to
Mitsu's waist.  "Please come back!"
	"I don't know if I will be able to," Mitsu told her
quietly. "But if I never do, take care of everyone for me."
	She straightened up.  Each of her friends said
their good-byes and thank you's to her.  She bit her lip
to keep from crying.  Radien had fashioned a necklace for
her.  "A gift from the group." He called it.  It as a gold
pendent with her Junishi symbol of Tatsu on it in purple
crystal. 
	She put it around her neck and gave all of them 
hugs. She came to Chi.  Sobbing, they ran to each other
and hugged. "You've been like my sister..." Mitsu whispered.
"I will NEVER forget you..."
	"You were never like my sister," Chi answered. "You
ARE my sister."  They smiled and wiped their tears away
in embarrassment.  Then Chi parted and allowed the last 
person to say good-bye.
	"Mitsu," Akemi told her. He couldn't hold it in anymore.
He threw his arms around her and held her tightly against
him.  Mitsu closed her eyes and gripped on his shirt with
her hands.  She had wished more than ever to be able to 
stay with him.  "God, I love you..." he gasped.  She felt a
drop of wetness on her cheek and realized her was crying.
His heard was beating so fast. "I don't want to let you
go..." She pushed him away gently and smiled.  
	"Hey," she told him.  She gave him a playful punch.
"You'll just have to." 
	Akemi smiled and took her left hand.  With a simple
gesture, he placed a gold band on her ring finger. "I know
it isn't much...but...I had our names engraved in it."
	Mitsu blushed and began to cry. "Bastard," she whispered
as she held on to him tightly.  She let her tears soak his
shirt as he caressed her hair softly. "Why do you have to 
make this so hard for me?"
	"Mitsu-chan," Toshio whispered. "Portal's ready."
	Mitsu smiled and nodded.  She looked up at Akemi
and pulled his face down to meet hers.  Chi blushed and
smiled.  Akemi seemed to refuse letting go of Mitsu's
kiss.  She finally pushed him away and smiled. 
	"Dummy..." she said as she began to step into the
portal that would take her back.  "But I love him. Bye,
guys!" 
	With a flash of white light, the portal closed
and she was gone.


~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Epilogue ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

	Mitsu closed the door of the library.  Toshio had
been right, it was about two hours later from the time
they arrived.  And she was more than happy to realize
that it was the same date.  
	She turned around to get one last look at the door,
but was not the least bit surprised to find it gone. 
Mitsu sighed and left the building.

	At home that night, she finished typing up her
essay and began to write her short stories which she
let her friends read.  However, she could not get
her mind off what had happened.
	"In two hours...I had lived a year...I had lived."
she whispered.  She turned off her computer, her radio,
and her lamp, then fell on her bed.  
	She sat there, staring at the ceiling.  *Nothing
like the sky...* she thought to herself.  She looked 
at the street light outside her window and envisioned
the fire.
	"Um...Toshio...what are you trying to do?"
	"Make a fire, Akemi."
	"Here, let me." 
	"OHMIGOD, KIRA! THAT'S TOO MUCH FIRE!!!"
	Mitsu grinned and rolled over. *So much has happened.
I miss them all so much...and Chi...at least she's happy.*
Mitsu frowned in sadness.  She couldn't help it.  She had
wanted to stay, too, but Chi was closer to her than 
anything...except maybe...
	"Why aren't you yelling at me, tonight Mitsu?" a
voice whispered.  "What? Don't tell me you're sick!"
	"Akemi!?!" Mitsu gasped.  She jumped up and looked
around.  There was nothing.  She closed her eyes again
and groaned. *Do I  miss him THAT much?*

	"Hi, Mitsu!" Yen yelled. She ran past the girl
on her way home from practice.
	"Hey, Yen!" Mitsu yelled back.
	The girl stopped and turned around. "Are you...missing
someone?...Doesn't someone walk home with you?"
	*She doesn't even remember her own sister!* Mitsu
gasped. *I guess since Chi stayed, everyone no longer has 
memory of her.* "No, Yen, why? Are you going nutty on me?"
	"Oh! No!" Yen smiled and said good-bye then ran off.
	Mitsu gave a sigh of annoyance.  She walked past the
library.  It was not the same library that had that
passageway.  *Give it up, Mitsu! It's not going to happen.
You aren't going back there.  You had your chance, and you
choose not to stay.* her mind told her.  
	"Maybe it was all just a dream..." she mumbled.  She
looked at her ring on her finger and touched it as if
to assure herself.  *I still can't get over the fact that
a month has passed...God, I miss all of them.*
	Mitsu called her house from a pay phone. "Hello?" her
little brother answered.
	"Hey, I'm going to be staying late for practice. Don't
worry about me, I'll get a ride from my friend, okay?" Mitsu
asked.
	"Okay, bye." her brother hung up. 
	*Idiot! Why did you do that!?* she asked herself. But
she didn't know.  Instead, she wandered up the street to the
city park.  It was dangerous at night, as everyone said,
but she wasn't in the mood.  She found out by accident she
still had her fighting abilities from the other world by 
slamming her first into a tree and cracking it in half.
	She walked down the path and down to a picnic area
by the creek.  She sat on a stump and watched the water flow
by.  In her reflection, she saw the purple haired warrior
girl dressed in her Junishi uniform.  
	"Well, well, well..." a voice said.  Mitsu turned around.
There was a group of street thugs there, cracking there
knuckles and staring her down.  "Looks like fresh meat, boys."
	Mitsu stood up. "Listen, I don't have time for this. I
don't want to hurt you, but I will if I have to."
	"Oh...we're so scared!" another answered.  There were
six of them, all ready to jump her. "Get her!" 
	"Hiya!" Mitsu kicked the first one in the face.  She
turned and kick another one.  Her fist flew and hit another
in the face.  With the forth, she did a judo maneuver and
threw him over her shoulder. "Come on, ass holes!"
	"Bitch!" he they yelled.  All six of them rushed at
her this time.  Mitsu once again averted them all with simple,
but creative moves.
	"Now you're gonna get it!" the leader announced. He
ran towards her with his first ready to pound her. 
	*Smack!* Something caught the thug's fist in mid
air.  The rest of the gang looked up with open mouths.
A tall, well built, young man stood there in a black leather
trench coat, in front of Mitsu.
	"What the-" the leader gasped. The young man's
hand crushed the thug's fist.  "AH!"
	"He's a monster!" another yelled. 
	"Shit! Let's get out of here!" shouted another.  They
tailed it out of the scene.  
	Mitsu stood there, unable to see clearly without the
sun or street lights.  "Who...are you?"
	"What?" a familiar voice asked. He turned around and
grinned. His eyes were glimmering red with fire colored hair
framing his face.  "It's been a few years, but I can't understand
why you would forget someone like me."
	"AKEMI!?" Mitsu gasped.  He held his arms open and
she flew into them.  "Oh...I missed you so much..."
	"Hmmm..." Akemi smiled.  He held her tightly against
him and smelled her hair.  For eternity they just stood there,
holding each other, trying to assure themselves the other
was real and not a dream.  Akemi took a deep breath and 
said "Kiss." 
	When they parted, Mitsu's eyes were eager for answers.
"How'd you get there?  Why are you here?  Is something
wrong?  Is Taro okay? What about Chi-"
	"Calm down, calm down," Akemi laughed.  "Everything is
fine.  Taro just turned eight, Chi is going is going to get
married, and I'm here to bring you back."
	"What? But what about the Record Book?" she asked.
	"Tetsu found out more..." Akemi assured her. "Everything
is all right now," he looked into her eyes and smiled. "You
can come back home..." 
	Mitsu's excited face began to fade. "But...my family...
is here." 
	Akemi raised an eyebrow. "You mean you didn't know?"
	"Know what?" Mitsu asked.
	"The moment you were taken into our world, your family
and Chi's family were also taken because they are dear to you.
That was were Toshio's father's...um...spell thing...well,
just Toshio's father went when you guys went to search for
the Junishi.  He went to explain it to them.  Your parents
have been waiting for you for years now.  Don't you think you
owe them a visit?" Akemi explained.
	"But that can't be, I just talked to my brother a moment
ago." Mitsu told him.
	"Wherever you are, you family is.  Their spirit in your
heart was here with you, but they were back in our world."
Akemi told her. "Everything you have and ever wanted is there,
Mitsu...your family, your friends, Taro...me..."
	Mitsu began to cry.  "I can't believe this is happening..."
she whispered. "I'm..." A white speck of light appeared
before them.  Swirls of energy collected into a white portal
hole. 
	"Hey!" a voice called from the other end. "Are you ready,
Akemi? Did you find her?"
	Akemi looked at Mitsu.  She smiled and grabbed his arm.
"LET'S GO!" They jumped into the portal.
	"I'm BACK!"
	"Mitsu!"
	"EVERYONE! I MISSED YOU ALL SO MUCH!!!" 
	"Welcome back, Mitsu! This time, you aren't ever going to
leave us again."
	"You don't need to worry about that Chi...so...this
whole wedding ordeal...what am I going to be, hmm? Bride's
maid? Maid of honor? WHAT!?"

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ FIN ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

	A girl finished the story as she sat next to her friend
in front of her friend's computer, reading stories off the
Internet. 
	"I think it was cute," said the first girl. "What do
you think?"
	"It's okay...what's weird is the drawings that go with
this story look like us." answered the second.	
	"Don't be silly," the first girl replied. She smiled and
waved her hand to dismiss the idea. "It's just a story!" 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Author's Note: 
According to my computer, I started this sucker some time in
September of 1998.  Therefore this story has spanned five
months.  Which is around two chapters per month.  

Well, anyway, I hope you all enjoyed this funky story from 
my feeble little mind.  I know it's not much and there were
a whole bunch of typos because I can't proof read well, but
I still hope you guys thought it was okay.  If you think 
it was okay or have any comments, just e-mail me at 
NinjaGirl@starmail.com. 

And I'm always looking for original stories like this one
because they tend to be interesting.  Thanks for reading!

~Len-chan 2/21/99 -- 1:38 AM