Disclaimer: Dynasty Warriors and Samurai Warriors are not mine. I'm not making any profit from writing this story.

Beta-reader: I have to thank Nightlore once more for being the beta for this fic ^^

Warning/Notes: This story has Sima Shi and Zhou Yu in romantic situations with mature content. I don't usually accept requests because I can't always write what the person asks, but in this case I accepted for a reason. I had never thought of this pairing before ThoughtsFlyin sent me a PM and it was difficult to think of a way to get Sima Shi and Zhou Yu together. My solution was to put them in some kind of alternate Warriors Orochi universe like my second Zhao Yun/Yukimura story. It's not exactly in the Warriors Orochi storyline, but it has the same idea of mixing different characters from different ages, reviving all of them and making them live at the same time. It will be vaguely inspired in some Warriors Orochi 3 events, but I don't think someone needs to play the game to understand this story. There will be some guest characters from Samurai Warriors and there will be other characters from Dynasty Warriors, but the main relationship is still Sima Shi and Zhou Yu. As the title and the summary may suggest, it is kind of a tale to be read at night before going to bed.

Beyond the Night

Chapter 1

In the deepest hours of night, while most people were resting soundly, Zhou Yu was still awake, thinking about how he ended up being in that place—a castle high up on the highest hill, covered by thick strong walls, surrounded by a deep green forest. It seemed they were the closest to the high sky above; sometimes the mist was so thick in that region that they could imagine they were inside the cold white clouds. That night was one of those nights covered in that deep mist. If Zhou Yu opened his window he wouldn't be able to see a thing outside, only a foggy darkness; he could hear no sound outside, as if even the nocturnal nightlife was hiding somewhere far away.

Zhou Yu knew it was better if he went to sleep, but thoughts can be imposing in their need to show themselves. It wasn't the first night that Zhou Yu had been awake at late hours. He often caught himself still in the middle of battle plans and strategies while he served under Wu…

…A long time ago.

He remembered the feeling of finding himself, suddenly, in another land, a different land, perhaps a different world, different eras merged together in a chaotic puzzle. It had happened before; the dead came to life once again, to fight another battle, and enemies became friends, and friends became distant.

One day he wasn't home anymore; he was alone, in the middle of the night, in the middle of a road. There was no horse that could make his journey shorter; there was no friend to keep him company; there was only the wind urging him forward, and the road.

Days passed and he could find no living soul. He kept on walking driven by a pure determination, even though his body was already failing to keep the same pace of the first days and his senses were almost abandoning him.

On the fifth night he reached a village; it was silent and dark, no lights could be seen. Zhou Yu only remembered a glimpse of it before his eyes were clouded by the darkness of a deep exhaustion.

When his eyes opened again, he was on a bed. It felt warm and his nostrils acknowledged the scent of a soup. He ate and drank and was given clothes. He thanked the family that found him and took care of him.

Everyone in the village was curious about Zhou Yu. They could tell he was no ordinary man by the way he looked, by the way he moved, by the way he talked and expressed his ideas. They cherished his company in curious conversations and were pleased in giving him presents; the modest presents their simple lives could afford.

Although Zhou Yu found peace being among the villagers, he knew there was something out there for him, he couldn't stay long. Eager to find a clue about his friends, he asked everyone, but there was nothing that could bring him any information about Sun Ce or anyone he knew. There was nothing around them it seemed. They were as if they were lost at the end of the world. The only relevant notion was that, in a three days walk, a castle existed on a high place surrounded by forest. The villagers warned him not to get near that area. It seemed the forest was the lair of unknown creatures that lurked in the night. They said those creatures could eat a man's soul.

Zhou Yu wasn't convinced by the villagers' stories; he could find no proof those ideas were something more than pure and simple imagination. Determined to solve the mystery and perhaps finding a clue to where his allies were, he headed to the castle against the plea of the loving people that had welcomed him. The only thing that made the villagers allow him to go was the hope that that man was special; he could be some sort of hero they had only found in tales.

Nothing out of the ordinary happened in Zhou Yu's way and by the second night he found himself already inside the forest. He set a fire and prepared to have dinner… until he started to hear faint sounds; to his ear, they clearly meant danger. He extinguished the fire and looked around, keeping himself still and quiet. As the time passed, the sounds became even more evident, and Zhou Yu's heart trembled in his chest. Sounds of something coming closer; something brushing against the leaves and the ground. For a moment, the dark forest became even darker, until flickering flames came out in between the trees. Zhou Yu found himself surrounded by shadows and torches, before a presence appeared from the dark… And then the light illuminated the figure and Zhou Yu could stare at the face of a man. He definitely looked human and his body seemed to be made of flesh and bones; even so, he had some kind of mysterious aura, a hypnotizing presence that made his gaze fix on him enthralled. The man was slightly taller than him, dark-haired and fair-skinned, with handsome features and clothes that made him look like a noble figure.

"Who are you?" Zhou Yu finally found the strength to ask.

The man only smiled for a moment, a half smirk and a playful gleam in his eyes. "You don't know me, but I was looking for you," the man finally said.

"Looking for me?" Zhou Yu stared around and found several soldiers coming out from the darkness with torches in their hands.

"Yes, looking for you," the man chuckled. "I heard there was quite a commotion in my lands. By the way people described you, I knew someone notable had appeared. Although I didn't know who you were, I could guess." He stared at Zhou Yu, as if analyzing him deeply. "The words weren't exaggerated after all," the man smiled—a contorted but brief smile. Then his face became serious, "You are Zhou Yu, aren't you?"

Being discovered both unnerved and amazed Zhou Yu. He finally found a person who knew who he was and maybe had information of where his friends were, but… was it a good thing to be found out by that man? He didn't know him. "Your land, you said," he tried to find out more about that man.

"Yes, I said."

"I'm surprised you found me, I thought that was a forgotten village."

"I know everything that happens in my kingdom. I knew that you would be here. As I said, I was looking for you."

"And what do you intend to do now that you found me?"

The man smiled; the man Zhou Yu came to know was Sima Shi, the son of Wei's strategist Sima Yi. At the time, he was only beginning to establish a kingdom and conquer the nearby lands. Since then, Zhou Yu agreed on serving him as a strategist, having no other option it seemed. It had been… years since then…

"Why are you still awake at this time of night?"

Zhou Yu blinked in surprise when he realized Sima Shi was in his room, standing in the middle of it. Somehow, the man was able to enter without alerting his senses…

I must have been really distracted… Zhou Yu thought to himself.

"Is there something on your mind?" Sima Shi came closer and stood in front of Zhou Yu.

"I've been thinking…"

"Thinking about?"

"The time we first met."

"Does thinking of me keep you awake for so long?" Sima Shi smirked.

Zhou Yu opened his mouth to speak, but looked at his new lord's face and narrowed his eyes slightly.

Sima Shi chuckled.

Zhou Yu rolled his eyes, "Should you not be sleeping at this hour?"

"I should."

"So what are you doing here?"

"I've been thinking too…" A bright gleam surged in Sima Shi's eyes, "…And these thoughts don't let me sleep. I was thinking… that we should take a step forward in our path of conquest."

Zhou Yu knew what Sima Shi meant. Over the years they have gained more power and conquered many lands, but what Sima Shi meant was trying to take the territory of an established and powerful ruler, "I think it might not be the best time."

"It is the perfect time for we to take action, you know that."

Zhou Yu sighed and remained silent for a moment, before finally asking, "But how can we cross the distance between our lands? You know we don't have the naval force to sail with our troops."

Sima Shi smiled, "I have a friend."

Zhou Yu arched one eyebrow in confusion and suspicion, "A friend?"

"Yes, a friend."

"Can we trust this friend of yours?"

"He will provide us with a fleet."

"And what will he ask in return?"

Sima Shi smiled. "I said he was a friend. Don't you know that when people are friends they do things without asking something in return?"

"I have reasons to believe it's not as simple as you put it," Zhou Yu said in a calm and calculated tone, but they both knew what his words implied.

"Do you think I'm not telling you the truth?" Sima Shi asked in the same manner.

"Sometimes I don't know what is really behind your words," Zhou Yu confessed.

"On the contrary, you know exactly what my words mean, you always know."

"Perhaps you're right."

"You don't need to answer me now, but it needs to be soon. I won't do anything without you, but you know it's what I want… and I always get what I want," he looked deeply into Zhou Yu's eyes and brushed some strands of his strategist's hair aside to whisper in his ear, "Good night."

xxx

The next day came and the hours passed quickly, until it the night had fallen over the world again.

Zhou Yu had been walking outside the castle; his footsteps echoed whenever they made contact with the stones on the floor. The night was covered by a mantle of fog and the air around was humid, covering the strategist's fine clothes with a thin layer of water drops. He had been surrounded only by the stone walls and sculptures of stone on the way, before he realized he was been followed.

"I guess you can't sleep," Zhou Yu said.

"Nope," the voice said.

Zhou Yu turned and stared at Sima Zhao's smiling face. He was so different from his brother… in so many ways; even so they shared an undeniable bond and understanding of each other.

"What is keeping you awake?" Zhou Yu asked in curiosity.

"I've been thinking…" Sima Zhao said.

"Oh…?"

"I've been thinking… this castle is so cold and I barely see the sun."

"I agree," Zhou Yu didn't know what else to say, he wasn't exactly expecting that answer.

"And you, what have you been thinking?" Sima Zhao asked.

"I was making a decision…"

"You will agree, won't you? My brother always gets what he wants."

Zhou Yu blinked and was surprised once again. It seemed Sima Shi's brother wasn't as oblivious as he pretended he was.

"I haven't decided yet."

"You know… I'm not that eager for a battle… but… it would be nice to go somewhere else…"

"We won't be on a leisure trip, I mean, if we decide to make our move," Zhou Yu said.

"Yeah, I know… What I mean is… that would be good to leave this place for a while."

"Why do you say that?"

"Well… you know… this castle… Doesn't it give you the creeps sometimes? You know what they say… I know I shouldn't believe those things, but… I do hear some strange noises in the middle of the night… When I think that everything is silent… then…. Those strange noises… and… the feeling of something coming closer... It's not that I'm afraid or anything like that…"

"I know," Zhou Yu chuckled.

"Do you think it's funny, don't you?" Sima Zhao laughed.

"No… I agree… sometimes… Well… I guess we should go back inside."

"Yeah… it's too cold out here."

They both went back inside the castle, until they reached the point when they should follow their own way.

"Well… Good night," Zhou Yu said, but saw a curious look on Sima Zhao's face, "What is it?"

Sima Zhao chuckled and scratched his head. "Oh… nothing…"

"Nothing?"

"It's just that you look good tonight… I mean… you always look good."

Once more Zhou Yu was surprised by something that Sima Zhao said. "Thank you," he said slightly embarrassed. "I confess I wasn't really expecting that…"

"Yeah, I know," Sima Zhao laughed. "So… good night then."

"Good night."

Zhou Yu saw the tall young man turning and heading to his room, so he made his way to his own room too. When he was there, he could say he was surprised once again by seeing who was inside.

"What are you doing here at this hour?"

Sima Shi smiled, "I was anxious… to know your answer."

"Why do you think I have my answer?"

"I just know…" the man chuckled. He seemed very happy. "When will we start to plan our departure?"

"Tomorrow morning, I guess," Zhou Yu answered softly.

"I'll be waiting for you tomorrow then…"

For a moment, Zhou Yu thought the man would come in his direction, but he only smiled a satisfied smile and walked out of the room. Zhou Yu was once more perplexed at one of the Sima brothers… even though he came to know them better over the years, sometimes he just couldn't predict what they would do next.

Zhou Yu tried to brush the thoughts out of his mind and prepared himself for sleep. When he was in bed, he fell easily into a sweet dream-like state, despite of the emotions that the soon to be battle would evoke. In his sleep he heard the wind rattling against the windows and scratching the furniture furtively. He did not hear footsteps… but he felt their weight over the floor, one by one, coming closer. Someone crawled over the bed and in his sleep Zhou Yu felt the scent of a warm skin and something touch him. Zhou Yu opened his eyes and lifted himself slightly to look around. He saw no one else in the room, it was empty and quiet, as if it had always been like that.

xxx

In the next days, Zhou Yu spent his time with the preparations for their next battle. His mind was almost always occupied with his planning, except for the late hours of the night. He tried not to show it, but his mind was distracted with some thoughts… that kept him awake until sleep finally overcame his senses, and he could drown into his dreams.

xxx

The fleet had arrived and they were loading the ships at the docks in the last preparations for the journey to foreign lands. At that day, Zhou Yu could finally take a look at Sima Shi's friend. He was slightly taller, probably the same height of Sima Shi and he dressed in a peculiar way… Zhou Yu had seen him before, a memory that seemed to be of another life, but he knew it was another one of those events when the laws of time were broken and the chaos emerged. Even though the style wasn't exact the same, he recognized the Japanese clothes and leather, the white bangs that fell over his face in contrast with the dark hair on the back side of his head.

"They say he's a musician, we can ask him to play something for us to entertain us on our trip."

Zhou Yu saw Sima Zhao beside him and just stared him.

"You don't seem too excited about him… I don't know him yet, but if Shi trusts him…"

"I can't say I like him, I need to… know him better…" Zhou Yu decided not to make a rash judgment.

As if magically hearing their conversation, the man gave a last instruction for the soldiers loading the ships and came to Zhou Yu's and Sima Zhao's direction. There was a smile on his face and up close they could see his handsome features… and a blue pattern that looked like a tattoo.

"So you're Motochika Chosokabe, it's a pleasure to meet my brother's friend," Sima Zhao said as soon as the man stopped in front of them.

"It's a pleasure to meet my friend's brother too," Motochika said in a deep and melodious voice. "And you… I suppose we've met before…" he smiled.

"Yes, we've met before. I'm Zhou Yu, I've been serving lord Sima Shi."

"Zhou Yu, yes… I remember you…" there was a mysterious expression on Motochika's face, but before he could say something more, Sima Shi reached the group.

"I see I have no need to introduce you, as you introduced yourself already."

"I was curious to meet them, so I didn't wait." Motochika stared at Sima Shi and then kept staring.

"What?" the man was confused by that stare.

"You and your brother… you don't seem alike…" Motochika chuckled.

"I took after my mother," Sima Zhao answered. "And Shi took after our father."

"Oh… yes, I had the… pleasure of meeting Sima Yi before…"

"Well…" Sima Shi said, "Now that we are all here, I think we should leave as soon as possible."

"If you so desire…" Motochika answered.

"Are all the preparations done?"

"Yes," Motochika and Zhou Yu answered in unison.

"…Wait," Sima Zhao said and seemed to be deep in thought.

"Zhao, the only thing I asked of you was to be here for this battle…" Sima Shi said.

"Oh… yes," Sima Zhao said. "I thought I had forgotten something… Alright, let's go!" the younger brother walked happily towards the ship.

Sima Shi whispered deeply and then stared beside him, when he heard a chuckle, "What is it now?"

Motochika stopped his chuckle for a while to answer, "You two are really not alike."

"Yes…" Sima Shi started to walk to the ship's direction. "I wish my brother could be more responsible… he seems like he doesn't have a care in this world."

"Why would he need to if he has a brother like you to take care of things for him?"

"Even if I could, I can't take care of everything on my own…" Sima Shi said.

"That's why you have friends to count on… like me…" Motochika glanced at Zhou Yu. "Or that new strategist of yours…"

Zhou Yu kept a distance from the two of them, but he could tell they were speaking of him.

"You need to tell me… more about it…" Motochika said in a whispered tone as he gave a look to Sima Shi, who simply looked back, but remained quiet.

When the sunlight came to rest and the night reigned over the sky, they were already sailing on deep waters, closer to what destiny had in store for them.

To be continued…