The story...of Fushigi Yuugi
<Part 5>

Once Yui has chanted the summoning incantation, Seiryuu appears to her and informs her that she has three wishes, after which she is to merge with the god (not that she understands what this means). The entire building begins to collapse. The Suzaku people are freaking out (understandably). Miaka's in disbelief. Chichiri spreads out his kesa (that funky cloak of his) and shouts to everybody to get on. They do, with the exception of Subaru and Tokaki, who remain to make sure all danger is gone and to bury Tatara.

Miaka wakes up safe and sound at Konan country's palace. It looks as though everyone will just have to wait things out and see what happens...Meanwhile, back in Kutou, Yui awakens as well and after promising one of her wishes to Nakago, she makes her first wish: to seal the powers of Suzaku.

Tamahome and the other seishi immediately feel this effect. Tamahome can't even perform a simple martial artist attack anymore. Hotohori reveals that Kutou has attacked Konan country's border towns and that soon they will have to go to war. The seishi agree to participate, and Miaka too.

Right around here we find out that Hotohori hasn't been *too* lonely during the time that the others were looking for the shinzaho. He's gotten married -- to a beautiful woman who hauntingly resembles Nuriko -- named Houki.

The next day everyone minus Hotohori takes to the battlefield. The Seiryuu seishi also show up and test their powers, verifying with glee that the Suzaku seishi are indeed powerless with their god sealed up. Nakago lets loose a terrific ki blast that hits Mitsukake, wounding him pretty badly. Yui, seeing all of this, says her first wish ought to be enough for Konan's emperor. Then she makes her second wish: to send her and Miaka back to their world while preventing Miaka from ever returning to the book world again. A blue light envelops them both and they disappear.

When Miaka comes to, she is back in her classroom as her school is closing. She looks around and is absolutely floored to see that Tamahome has somehow arrived with her! She calls her brother and arranges for him to bring the two back to their place. There Miaka and Keisuke try to sort out what's happened without letting Tamahome know...and without letting their mother know who they're keeping under wraps.

That night, as Tamahome and Miaka embrace, Yui takes a stroll by Miaka's apartment and catches a glimpse of this from Miaka's window. She's horrified that her plan to separate Miaka and Tamahome has failed, and runs off.

The next morning, Keisuke and Miaka give Tamahome a makeover and take him out on the town. Keisuke calls Tetsuya and find out just what Yui's second wish means for Miaka and Tamahome. He also notices that Tamahome hasn't got a shadow; a very bad sign indeed. The line between the book and real worlds is becoming blurred; the events in Miaka's world are now being written into the book, as they occur.

Keisuke tells Miaka that Tamahome has got to return to the book, without her. Tamahome overhears this and fi nally understands what's going on; that he's a character in a book, created for the purpose of the Miko. He runs off, more than a little bit upset.

Back on the battlefield, things aren't going great for the Suzaku seishi. At one point Tasuki attempts to kill Nakago with a sword, but Soi stands in front of him and takes the blow for him, becoming fatally wounded in the process. Her last words to Nakago are "I love you"...

Tasuki's buddy Koji and the rest of the Mt. Leikoku bandits arrive on the scene to lend Tasuki and the others a hand, and they are a lot of help. Nakago and Suboshi, the only remaining Seiryuu seishi, leave.

Before she left Kotou for her own world, Nakago gave Yui one of his stud earrings so that she could communicate to him through it. Yui, distressed that Tamahome has made it into their world, now takes this opportunity to beg Nakago to come to her and help her. Nakago's presently occupied on the battlefield, so he sends a very happy Suboshi to help her instead.

While Miaka, Keisuke and Tetsuya have split up looking for Tamahome, Miaka runs into Yui and Suboshi. Suboshi then tries to kill Miaka, and chases after her when she runs off. Meanwhile, Tamahome is moping about being a two-dimensional character and basically having an identity crisis. But he overhears two actors shooting a romantic scene for a film, and the lines strike a chord with him: something along the lines of 'it doesn' t matter who I am or where I am, all I can do is love you...' Well, he's energized by this and goes to try and find Miaka. And not a moment too soon, as Suboshi pretty much has her cornered (in a crowd, anyway).

Tamahome yells for Suboshi to stay away from her, and Suboshi takes aim at him instead. It's all Tamahome can do to dodge Suboshi's attacks, since he doesn't have his powers; still, he's pretty fast for an average guy. Tamahome places himself in between Suboshi and Suboshi's weapon, throwing himself out of the way at the last moment. Suboshi says that he saw that trick coming, but as he prepares to dodge, the spirits of Tamahome's four younger siblings hold on to Suboshi and he can't get out of the way. He's speared by his own weapon, and dies clutching Yui's uniform ribbon, his link to her world.

Somewhere around this time, Mitsukake is on the battlefield, tending to the wounded as best he can with his own injuries. Chichiri stands by to assist him. Mits is terribly frustrated since he doesn't really have the resources to help anyone, and both his seishi powers and the healing jar's powers are nil. Chichiri warns him that he's pushing himself too far...Anyway, suddenly he hears someone cry, "Shoka! Shoka! Hang on!" And that gets his attention. Apparently this baby girl named Shoka was somehow injured, and she might not make it without his help. Thinking that the child is his Shoka's reincarnation, and feeling pretty crappy already about not being able to be more help, Mitsukake uses all of his life energy to heal as many people in the vicinity as possible. Chichiri begs him to stop, but to no avail, and Mitsukake breathes his last.

Everyone nearby, good and bad, is healed of their injuries, and it's not long before the Konan and Kotou people begin to fight again. This is too much for Chichiri, and, crying, he screams at everyone to stop wasting their lives like this. Okay, moving along, Hotohori gets a report from Tasuki and Kouji that things are looking grim on the battlefield, what with Kotou's army being three times the size of Konan's and all. Hotohori decides to take to the battlefield himself. While there, he encounters Nakago. The two square off and exchange words, all polite battlefield honor and all that. Finally, Nakago reveals that this war is basically about depleting Kotou's resources so that he can go back and destroy what's left; that it's not really ab out conquering or destroying Konan. Hotohori is pretty angry that Nakago would do so much damage to both their nations for such a petty purpose. Then Nakago says that his lack of interest in this world stems from having seen a better, bigger world for him to conquer elsewhere.

Hotohori realizes that he means Miaka's world, and when Nakago says, "I'll say 'hi' to your miko for you" that's the last straw. Hotohori loses it and charges Nakago, praying to Suzaku for strength. Nakago gets a flesh wound from Hotohori's sword, but shoots out a ki blast that sends Hotohori far, far away.

Keisuke (or was it Tetsuya?) informs Miaka that Mitsukake has died and Hotohori is dying. She speaks to Ho-ri-sama through the book and begs him to live. It's here that we discover that Houki is pregnant, and Hotohori promises that he'll live long enough to see his son's birth. But he dies anyway, with fond memories of his time with Miaka and the other seishi.

Yui phones Miaka and tells her to meet her at school. When Miaka does, she confronts Yui about her actions. She tells Yui that Nakago did not rape her but was only manipulating her for his own gains. She shows Yui a letter written by Okuda Einusuke revealing how his daughter, the former Genbu no Miko, was in the process of being consumed by Genbu. Yui is a little shocked by this and insists it's a lie, running off. But after she leaves she notices that her arm has begun to grow blue scales...kind of like a dragon, perhaps...

Tamahome writes Miaka a goodbye note as he prepares to return to the book world. Fortunately she gets back home just as he's about to leave and they have a sappy--er, I mean, sweet goodbye. She shows him two rings she bought earlier that day and Tamahome says that he wants to marry her, the way they do things in her world. So they exchange rings and vow their eternal love for one another; and from that point forward, as far as they're concerned, they're married.

Nakago returns to Kotou and confronts the emperor there. Even though the emperor begs for his life, offering Nakago power, riches, anything he'd like, Nakago makes short work of disposing of him. Finally he goes and buries Soi (he's been carrying around her body this whole time; laying her down while he fights, then picking her back up again when he's finished). Then he travels to Yui and Miaka's world.

Keisuke, reading the Shi Jin Ten Chi Sho outside of Miaka's room, realizes that Big Trouble is afoot, so he informs the two lovebirds and basically they hold their breath and wait. Nakago approaches Yui, who by now has realized to her dismay that Miaka was right all along. She confronts Nakago about this, blaming him for setting her against her best friend, but Nakago says that all he did was encourage emotions she was already feeli ng. After all, she did become Seiryuu no Miko of her own free will. Nakago asks for the wish Yui promised him, Yui runs off, and Nakago begins to trash the place.

Here Tamahome confronts Nakago, and Nakago begins to beat up on him. It's not looking good, and Tamahome is pretty much prepared to die. Tokyo is not holding up well under Nakago's attacks; fires have started to blaze and it's difficult for Miaka, Keisuke , and Tetsuya to get to where the action is due to police barricades. Nakago is kicking Tamahome's behind, and finally he sends him flying through a building and...Tamahome doesn't get up. Miaka and Yui reunite and Nakago tells Miaka of Tamahome's fate. Again, he asks Yui for his wish to be granted; to become a god with eternal life. Otherwise, he'll kill Miaka and destroy their world. Yui says farewell to Miaka, makes her wish, and is consumed by Seiryuu.

Keisuke's crying to see the hero of the book die, and in desperation he calls on their last hope; Tasuki and Chichiri. They are standing over Hotohori's body in his palace paying their last respects when this voice calls to them from the sky. "Hold on to Miaka's backpack and concentrate!" So they do, and they are transported to Miaka and Yui's world. WAI! Action time!

It's still a lopsided battle; Tasuki and Chichiri haven't got their seishi powers and Nakago's convinced he's a god. So he's still tearing into them pretty badly. Suddenly a red glow eminates from Miaka and the three seishi hear the Suzaku summoning spell being chanted. Apparantly Yui's wish was for Miaka to be able to call Suzaku! When she's finished, Tasuki's and Chichiri's powers are restored and they fight Nakago back. But he's *still* way more powerful.

Miaka's first wish: To bring her Yui-chan back. Yui appears from the sky, floating in a bubble, and Tetsuya catches her as she lands. Nakago starts hurling debris at Miaka but they are intercepted before they land...by Nuriko! Other debris is deflected by Hotohori, and Chiriko and Mitsukake also appear to help!

Meanwhile, Tamahome is off in never-never land, having a near-death experience when he's eventually jolted out of it. So he gets up and starts fighting Nakago again, with all the seishi offering their chi to help give him power. And still Nakago is more powerful. Chiriko comes up with the idea to seal Seiryuu into the scroll that Taiitsu-kun gave him, and so Miaka's second wish is to seal Seiryuu (note that at this point she is not consumed by Suzaku, nor does it appear that she will be).

Immediately Nakago's seishi symbol disappears, presumably along with his powers. Tamahome races up to punch Nakago and now with his own added strength, he punches straight through Nakago's chest. This invasion of Nakago causes Tamahome to see glimmers of Nakago's past: the attempted extermination of his race by the Kotou empire; his mother's rape by Kotou's soldiers when he was 11 (10?); her death caused by the violent awakening of his seishi powers; his abuse at the Kotou's emperor's hands; and his vow to gain revenge on the heaven that caused his hell. Nakago is mortified by his defeat and Tamahome's knowing his past, and Tamahome sheds tears of both joy and sorrow for his fallen enemy, as Nakago fades from existance.

The dead seishi, who had possessed the bodies of the Nyan-Nyans in order to fight, leave their hosts and Miaka makes her final wish; to restore the world to normal. At this, everyone begins to fade and Miaka is left alone, with the book lying on the ground in front of her.

Later, Miaka and Yui write their high school entrance exams and both get into Yatsubadsi school (not Jonan Academy as they were aiming for). Yui still has Nakago's stud earring; for some reason it has not disappeared. She keeps it to remind her of past faults

... Keisuke meets up with the high school students and tells Miaka that there is a new student at his university, one who remembers being one of seven destined to protect a girl. One who promised to be reunited with her at any cost. A young man looking eerily like Tamahome comes into view, and he is wearing Tamahome's wedding ring. Miaka begins to cry as he says, "Finally, finally I've found you."

THE END

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