"> Echoes of Destiny : Chapter Seven: A New Adventure

Disclaimer: I don't own any of the characters, they belong to Watase Yuu and several other people. This is just fanfiction. Nakago and all other unnamed characters have been given names for the duration of this story.

Notes: Alternate Universe. Contains spoilers for entire series, hints of yaoi, language, and violence. Read at your own discretion. Again, pairings are not canon.

*thoughts*

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In the world of the Shi Jen Ten Chi Sho, time moves at a different speed. What in our world is two days, can be several months, even years in their world. It all depends on the book. And when the book is lost in our world, no one can know how many years will pass there.

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Eiyou

A young woman walked into the darkened room and smiled slightly at the sleeping figure on the bed. Brushing her sandy blonde hair out of her eyes, she walked to the other side of the room and pulled back the curtains. The figure on the bed sat straight up as soon as the light hit his face. "What the fu--Who the hell are you and what am I doing here?"

The young blonde jumped and turned to face him. "Yo--you were injured. Your friends brought you in," she replied shakily. "They were waiting on you to wake up before continuing with the journey."

Tasuki nodded slightly as he remembered their plan to go into the book and find a way to stop the Byakko and Genbu seishi. He glanced around the room and shook his head slightly. "Would you mind telling me where I am? This place doesn't look familiar," he replied.

"And it wouldn't, Tasuki-sama. This is Eiyou, you made it into the book, only it's not the same world you remember," a voice replied from the doorway. A tall man with long brownish-gray hair walked into the room and smiled at the redhead. "It has been several centuries since you and the other seishi were here. We were beginning to lose hope that you would return."

Tasuki looked at the man carefully for several moments. "Do I know you from somewhere? You look familiar."

The older man nodded slightly. "I'm surprised you remember. We've met before, but we didn't have much time to talk. My name is Kajiwara Tetsuya and the young woman beside you is my daughter, Mori."

"You're Yui-san's husband! I thought you were dead."

Tetsuya nodded slightly and sighed. "As does she, I would imagine. When the plane was going down, the book fell out of my bag. I reached for it as it landed beside the children," he began. He pulled a chair beside the younger man's bed and smiled sadly. "There was a bright flash of blue light and the next thing I remember is waking up in a hospital similar to this one, only a lot less advanced. We've been here for over thirty years."

"It's only been fifteen in our world," Tasuki replied. He glanced at the young woman and smiled slightly. "I guess your link to Yui is keeping you young."

"Momma and Kei," Mori replied. "They'll be so happy to know we're alive. I can't wait to see them again."

Tasuki shook his head slightly. "We assumed that all three children had ... well, we thought they were with you. Kei was never found."

Tetsuya sighed and shook his head. "Chichiri had mentioned it, but I hadn't told the kids," he replied, glancing at his daughter. As Mori turned to the window, he could see tears starting to form at the edges of her eyes. "Only Mori and Toin came with me. Kei wasn't in his seat when we started going down. I don't know where he is."

Tasuki sighed and placed his hand on the older man's arm. "I'm sorry, Tetsuya. I guess I still need to learn when to keep my mouth shut," he replied.

"It's okay, Tasuki-sama," Mori began, turning back to the two men. "I barely remember him anyway. I guess it was foolish to get my hopes up. I'll go tell the others you're awake." With that, she smiled slightly and walked out of the room.

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"Daaa!! Will you two calm down already? It's hard enough to keep you out of trouble when you're both sober no da." Chichiri sighed as his two companions started singing another verse of Henry the Eighth. He glanced at his wife and smiled slightly. "At least Tasuki isn't in here drinking with those two. We'd never get them to shut up then."

Soi nodded slightly and looked at the two singers. "At least they're not sulking anymore," she replied. "I never thought those two could get depressed."

"I think Hotohori was hoping someone would call him emperor no da," Chichiri replied. He smiled slightly as he chanted a spell that dumped water on the two men.

"Chichiri!" Tamahome yelled as he brushed the water out of his eyes. He hiccupped slightly and looked at the drenched former emperor. "And I thought Tasuki looked funny wet." He started laughing as the brunette made a face at him.

Hotohori walked over to one of the tables and sat down. "If you didn't like my singing, all you had to do was say so," he replied. He hiccupped and put his head down on the table.

Soi laughed at the former emperor and then looked at the young girl that walked into the room. "Mori, how are you this evening?" she asked.

The young blonde smiled slightly and walked over to their table. "I'm fine, Lady Soi. I just wanted to tell all of you that Tasuki-sama is awake." she replied. "Father is in with him now."

Chichiri nodded and smiled at the young girl. "Then we'll give Tetsuya a few minutes to explain things to him," he replied. "Once he's up for it, we need to try and find the others."

Mori nodded slightly. "You will have to be careful, though. Konan and Kutou are no longer free lands, they are a part of the Sairo-Hokkan Empire."

"Then the odds of the others falling into the enemy's hands are great," Soi replied. "Has there been any sign of them anywhere?"

Mori shook her head as a young man, also with sandy blond hair, walked into the room. "Nothing yet. Toin, have you heard anything about the other seishi?"

"Unfortunately, yes. I have heard reports of strange lights in both Sairo and Kutou, followed by the appearance of strange people. It could only be the seishi," Toin replied. "But at last count it seems that only seven have been accounted for. Our friends in Sairo say that the twins have been captured near the capital."

Soi sighed. "Then we have to make sure we find the others before someone else does," she replied. "And get the twins out before ... Any sign at all of the others?"

Toin shook his head and glanced at the other table. "None-- what happened to those two?"

"They drank too much no da. They started celebrating before there was a reason to celebrate," Chichiri replied. "We'll send them to Sairo with Tasuki. Soi and I will go to what is left of Kutou and see if any of our friends landed there."

"Good idea, 'Chiri," Tasuki replied as he walked into the room. "But what about Hokkan?"

Tetsuya followed him into the room and sighed. "I honestly hope none of them ended up there. Hokkan is basically one giant prison camp. That's where they sent all of the residents of Konan and Kutou who wouldn't conform. If they did end up there, it's going to be hell getting them out."

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Sairo

"Move!" The guard pushed Amiboshi into the cell and knocked him to the floor.

Suboshi helped his brother over to one of the small beds and glared at the guard. "You don't have to be so rough!" he yelled.

The guard huffed and slammed the cell door. "Shun, relax, I'm fine," Amiboshi replied.

Suboshi sighed and sat beside his brother. "Sorry, Ko. I just ... what were they doing to you for so long?"

"Just asking questions. They wanted to know if we knew where the other seishi were. It seems that the guards already know what the others have planned," the older twin replied. "And I can't be sure, but I would have sworn that I felt another seishi's ki. Almost definitely Byakko."

"But how? They couldn't have gotten here without the book. And Ryuuen just found it."

"That book isn't the only portal," a soft voice replied. A young woman with long white hair was sitting in the cell across from the twins. She looked up at them and smiled slightly. "It's just the strongest. You must be the Seiryuu twins."

Amiboshi nodded. "Yes, we are. Who are you? And what do you mean the book isn't the only portal?"

"I am Byakko Sichiseishi Subaru. The book you spoke of is the only one that has the power to call the Beast Gods now that the sacred scrolls are gone. But, it is merely a translation of the original," Subaru replied. "And the others can be used to travel between the worlds. If you know how."

"How can that be? I thought that there was only one copy."

Amiboshi thought for a moment then turned to Subaru. "Of course. It's not the book, it's the story. A scroll, a book, a plain piece of paper .. wherever it's written becomes a portal."

"Wait, that means that there could be dozens, even hundreds of portals. And if no one is reading them ..."

"... then only the other Seishi know you are here. And no one else knows how to find you." Subaru leaned against the wall of her cell and sighed. "If you could find another book, I'll show you how to get back to our world."

Suboshi glared at the older woman. "How do we know we can trust you?"

Subaru shrugged. "You don't. But I can tell you all of the secrets Yenting and Sami have been hiding from you. Including who you really are."

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Kutou

"AGGH!!! I'm getting so annoyed with this body. We HAVE to find Shouka. Now!"

Nakago rolled his eyes and looked at Miboshi. "Eeyan, please calm down. You've been a man before, don't worry about it."

Miboshi glared at his long time friend and former Shogun. "True. But I don't particularly look forward to MY body decomposing. Just as I also don't look forward to having to lug this idiot around several countries." He smacked the brunette Byakko Seishi on the shoulder, knocking him into the window of the small car.

"Eeyan, quit picking on him," Ashitare replied. He glanced back at his 'girlfriend' and started chuckling. 'He' was sitting in the back of the car they had 'borrowed', grumbling about Toroki's hygiene. They were driving through what was now the only free part of Kutou, since the war several decades before. "Look, we're trying to get through this town without being recognized and you picking on Tatara isn't helping. This is our only chance to get away before they start asking questions. If they haven't figured out who we are by now, we won't have much time to get out of town before they do."

"Will the two of you please calm down? The more hysterical you get, the more attention we're going to draw," Nakago replied. "We may still be in Kutou, but we can't trust anyone."

Miboshi nodded, but continued to grumble. Ashitare chuckled slightly as he glanced back at him. "You know, when you do that it's cute, but when Toroki does it, it's scary," he replied. He glanced over at Nakago as he heard the blond chuckle quietly. "See ... it's not so bad not being Shogun."

Nakago shrugged slightly, then winced in pain. "Yeah, I guess. It's just that things seem ... different now. Not just here. They've been different since Eeyan ..."

"Hey, I am right here, you know," Miboshi replied. "And yeah, ok, I would have jumped in front of the bullet, anway, but having this doofus," a blow to Tatara's head, "throw me, is another thing. I won't need wolfie's fangs to rip his throat out."

"Miboshi," Nakago began. He trailed off as they all felt a very familiar chi. "Tomo ... find him, Ashitare."

Ashitare nodded and began driving quickly in the direction he had felt the illusionist's chi. Several minutes later, they came to a dead end. Cursing he climbed out of the car and started looking around. "Damnit, I know he's here. I just can't see the little trickster." He was about to walk away from the car, when a frightened Tomo ran into him, nearly knocking him down.

"Jason! I'm so glad I found you! Where are the others? Why are we here and where exactly is here? I can't understand a word these people are saying! What is going on, Jason?!" Tomo grabbed onto the other man's arm protectively. He then moved behind him as he heard several people coming up behind him.

Ashitare looked up to see the group of people that Tomo had been running from. From what he could make out, the young illusionist had landed, rather unceremoniously, in their shop, damaging several items. He explained that the younger man didn't speak the language and that they would be happy to pay for any damages. The oldest member of their group, stepped forward, explaining that they weren't concerned with the damages, they just wanted to make sure the child was alright. Ashitare smiled slightly and explained the situation to Tomo, who then apologized to the older woman.

The woman smiled again and stated that they had seen the blue light when Tomo appeared and that it probably wasn't safe for a servant of Seiryuu to be out in public. She glanced at the car and smiled slightly, saying that it wouldn't be safe for any of them to be out much longer. "You're perfectly welcome to come with us. I imagine it's hard to find a servant of the Dragon God still living in Kutou."

"We're finding that out quickly," Nakago replied. They abandoned the car and followed the group back to the woman's shop. She had several items that she explained were from the time of the Seishi, long before her people came to live in Kutou. She was originally from Konan, but her family left after it was given over to the Hokkan Empire several generations before.

"So, we found the followers of Seiryuu and Suzaku, or at least as many as we could, and prayed. Prayed that they would send their Seishi to us again. We thought they had not heard our prayers."

Miboshi smiled slightly. "They heard. They just had to get us all in the right place at the right time," he replied. "And speaking of getting everyone in the right place. Have you heard about anyone else appearing .. like the kid, did? We're still missing a few friends," she replied. "And a few brothers."

The woman shook her head sadly. "We've heard nothing. If your brother landed here, he was not helped by one of our friends."

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Hokkan, Mount Black

Nuriko opened his eyes and found himself lying in snow. He quickly pulled himself to his feet, all the nightmares from his childhood, suddenly coming back to haunt him. It only took a moment for him to recognize exactly where he was. Running his hand along the side of the mountain, it soon came in contact with cold steel. The doors to the old Genbu shrine were still there, even though they looked as if they hadn't been touched in years. However, he doubted that he would find any help inside, as a large sign posted on the doors, read, "OFF LIMITS! DANGER!"

Turning back toward the direction of the village where they had spent their last night, Nuriko went in search of his friends, cursing the fact that he hadn't known it was going to be cold weather. "Should have known, I guess. Someone's idea of a joke, apparently," he replied quietly. "Then again, if we had been in LA, I might have had my surfboard and I could go snowsurfing. In shorts. Man, it's days like this that I really miss Kauai."

He walked for only a few minutes until the cold started getting to him and he had to rest. Forcing himself to stay awake, he leaned against a rock, using it to block the wind. Thinking he heard voices, he glanced back toward the village and was surprised to see that there was a closer village, much closer than he remembered the other one being. "They're going to think you're an idiot, Ryuuen," he replied as he started moving closer to the village. He was finally close enough, he could smell the smoke coming from their fires, he began running as fast as he could. "Better to be a warm idiot than a frozen fool."

~Fin~